The Department of Anatomy at the University of the Free State (UFS) was established in 1970 and the first head of department, Professor Mattheus Johannes Toerien, assumed duties on 1 January 1971. However, little is known about the establishment and growth of anatomy as a department and this biomedical subject at the UFS. One individual in particular, played a pivotal role in this and the authors here aim to capture the development of anatomy education at UFS and the role of Professor Mattheus Johannes Toerien. Here the authors describe and provide new insights to the early years of anatomy education, the role of Toerien and the establishment of the Toerien-Museum of Anatomy.