Chemnitzer Museen Museums of Chemnitz - Page Pro Media GmbH

History
The history of the museum started in the
middle of the 19th century with a small circle
of Chemnitz citizens holding a great interest
in the history of nature. In 1859, they
founded the Society of Natural History in
Chemnitz. The city in Saxony has them to
thank for its first museum of natural history.
In 1868, collections of natural history
were donated to the city, laying the foundation
for the oldest museum in Chemnitz.
The museum was moved to the King-Albert-Museum
at Theatre Square in 1909,
which has been internationally renowned
thanks to its “Petrified Forest” and the unparalleled
collection of anatomically preserved
fossil plants from the Permian period
ever since.
Tropische Harlekinschrecke mit typischer Warnfärbung
Tropical grasshopper with typical warning colours
Museum für Naturkunde
Museum Of Natural History
Querschnitt eines Chemnitzer Kieselholzes
Cross-section of a petrified wood specimen from Chemnitz
The Museum today
Among the highlights of the Museum of
Natural History are extensive scientific
collections from the fields of Geoscience
and life sciences. The main emphases of
the collection have grown through the times
and accentuate the profile of the museum
and the concept of its collections,
its research activities and its exhibitions.
The Museum of Natural History owns almost
270,000 items and is thus the largest
municipal collection in Chemnitz.
“A forest of precious stones – a gift of the
volcanoes” is the title of the permanent
exhibition about the “Petrified Forest” in
Chemnitz, which has developed into a
major tourist attraction. The show with
focus on the experience of the visitor features
several interactive elements and
large stand-alone objects in the newly restored
cross-vaulted hall of the King-
Albert-Museum. Besides experiencing
the fascination of precious silicified
wood, visitors are carried away by a
steaming landscape full of fens, deserts
and the rumble of volcanoes that characterised
the valley of the river Chemnitz
in days long past.
Moreover, the museum invites its visitors
to explore the exotic flora and fauna of
an epoch when dinosaurs, flowers and
blossoms still belonged to the far future.
The insectarium is the largest presentation
of its kind in east Germany and a
special visitors’ attraction. Numerous terrariums
showcase living insects, including
ants, bird spiders, scorpions, grasshoppers
and bee colonies.
In spring 2004, the collections of natural
history will move into the TIETZ-House in
the centre of Chemnitz.
Museums of Chemnitz
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