Augsburg Nature Museum

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Showcases in the Augsburg Nature Museum

The Augsburg Nature Museum is operated by the city ​​of Augsburg and is located in the "Augusta Arcaden" (formerly called "Ludwigpassagen") in the northern old town . The focus of the exhibitions from the fields of geology , mineralogy , botany , zoology and paleontology ( fossils , palaeobotany ) is the molasse , a layer of soil made up of weathered debris that makes up the subsurface of much of the Alpine foothills and southern Germany . The Augsburg Natural History Museum is the only one in Germany that specializes in this area.

history

In the Maximiliansmuseum (1856–1905)

Christian Friedrich Freyer , Conservator for Entomology at the Natural History Association in Augsburg

The Natural History Museum in Augsburg changed operator, location and name several times. Its beginnings go back to the Natural History Association of Augsburg , which was founded in 1846 . In 1854 he opened a presentation of his natural history collection as part of the first Augsburg museum, which was named Maximiliansmuseum from 1856 . The collections of the prosperous association, which was renamed the Natural Science Association for Swabia and Neuburg (aV) in 1887 , grew steadily and were divided into zoological, botanical, mineralogical, paleontological and ethnographic departments. Among the scientists from this time the butterfly scientist Christian Friedrich Freyer and among the taxidermists of the museum Johann Friedrich Leu should be emphasized.

In the Stettenhaus (1906–1944)

In 1904 it was decided that after more than 50 years the natural history collection should separate from the Maximiliansmuseum and move to its own building, the Stettenhaus am Obstmarkt. This complex of several historical buildings was named after the Stetten patrician family . After the necessary renovation work, the move to the new building took place under the direction of the association's board member Lorenz Gerstlauer , where the museum was opened on November 18, 1906. The now independent institution gained again through the move and subsequent acquisitions and donations and was now considered the most important natural history museum in Bavaria and one of the richest and most famous in Europe. In 1929, a full-time curator was appointed to manage the museum for the first time , Ludwig Wegele.

The Augsburg Zoo was founded in 1937 . In 1939, in accordance with the National Socialist cultural policy, the Tiergarten Association was merged with the Natural Science Association to form the natural history and zoo association for better controllable “large associations” . The war years brought troubled times for the association and the complete destruction of its museum. The museum burned down completely during the air raids on Augsburg in 1944. The association was forcibly dissolved at the end of the war. In 1946/1947 two associations were re-established, both of which wanted to resume the work of the natural science association. Since two clubs with the same name are not allowed to coexist, one of them had to rename itself. Thus, parallel to the Natural Science Association for Swabia eV (which according to the statutes worked closely with the zoo and zoo), the Natural Research Society Augsburg eV was created

In the water towers (1948–1953)

As early as 1946, on the 100th anniversary of the association, Anton Fischer, who was regarded as an ornithologist, entomologist and taxidermist, was appointed an honorary member of the association that was now called the Augsburg Natural Research Society . He was able to save several of his preparations. The association resolved to create a new natural science museum as soon as possible and in 1948 it was opened in one of the water towers at the Red Gate on the initiative of Anton and his son Heinz Fischer . Among other things, it contained more than 700 birds prepared by Anton Fischer. Initially housed on four floors of the hospital tower, the museum was soon expanded to include the small water tower. This post-war museum existed until 1953 or 1955 and ended with an abrupt closure by the city, which wanted to free the water towers for other uses.

In the Fuggerhaus (1964–1987)

The city of Augsburg decided to open a municipal natural history museum and in 1954 appointed the biologist Wilhelm Issel as museum director, who held this office until 1978. In 1960 Issel became managing director of the Natural Science Association for Swabia . The city acquired the basis for this museum from the museum that was dissolved in 1955. From 1964 to 1987, the Natural Science Museum existed in a 200 square meter apartment rented by the city in one of the Fugger houses at Maximilianstrasse 36.

In Ludwigstrasse (since 1991)

Entrance area

The natural science museum in the Fuggerhaus was spatially cramped and there were no rooms for workshops or collection depots, which is why makeshift remedies had to be used for these purposes. To remedy this problem, new and larger rooms were sought. They were finally found in the former printing building of the Augsburger Allgemeine , which the city of Augsburg bought and prepared for the new museum. It is located in Augsburg city center not far from the city ​​theater in almost the same place as the Stettenhaus, which was destroyed in 1944, and is part of the Augusta Arcaden shopping center (formerly Ludwigspassagen). It can be easily reached with the public transport of Stadtwerke Augsburg with several tram and city bus routes.

After several years of renewed closure due to the move, the museum reopened in parts in 1991 and in full in 1996. It now bears the name “Naturmuseum Augsburg” and covers an area of ​​966 m² on four floors. The re-establishment of the museum is a major achievement of Michael Achtelig, who was director of the museum from 1978 to 2003, and during the same period also managing director of the Natural Science Association for Swabia .

The city of Augsburg is still responsible for the financing of the facility, the exhibitions and the maintenance and thus also provides the full-time employees. In addition, the Natural Science Association for Swabia , which has its current office in the building of the Natural History Museum, is strongly committed to maintaining and further developing the museum. He not only supports the city with financial means, but also provides volunteers for normal operations and special events such as special excursions or lectures.

The Natural Science Association for Swabia , to which the museum can be traced back historically, had anchored the active support of the Natural History Museum Augsburg and the Augsburg Zoo in its statutes until 2012. In the statutes of March 29, 2012, this purpose of the association was deleted.

Construction and exhibitions

Primate showcase
Minerals

The nature museum consists of several interrelated solo exhibitions on thematically related areas and has a special focus on the molasses: The fossil fauna and flora of southern Germany from the Tertiary era is treated here. Since it is sometimes difficult for visitors to recognize and interpret the fossil exhibits on display, a complex silhouette was created for each of them and - if possible - contrasted with a living representative of the respective species.

Further exhibitions on their own floors deal with exhibits from the extensive collections of the Museum of Nature in the areas of geology , mineralogy , ecology and zoology , which are explained on extensive information boards.

When setting up the museum, special attention was paid to making the exhibitions as modern and interactive as possible (for example through video presentations) and not to neglect the didactic aspect. That is why the nature museum is often a destination for school classes or other larger groups.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum also has a room for temporary exhibitions and a seminar room. The museum also has a natural science house library, the basis of which goes back to the private library of Georg Steinbacher (Foundation 1979), preparation workshops and storage rooms with extensive, mostly unexploited collections.

planetarium

The Sparkasse Planetarium is located in the same building as the Nature Museum , which is connected to the exhibitions, but is otherwise operated independently by a separate foundation of the Stadtsparkasse Augsburg .

literature

  • Michael Achtelig: The Natural History Museum Augsburg , in: 150 Years of the Natural Science Association for Swabia , Augsburg, 1996, pp. 64–74

Web links

Commons : Naturmuseum Augsburg  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Renate Pfeuffer: The Maximiliansmuseum as home for the collections of the Natural History Association in Augsburg. A look at the annual reports between 1848 and 1906 , in: Reports of the Natural Science Association for Swabia , Volume 111, Augsburg, 2007, pp. 23–44
  2. ↑ Natural Science Association for Swabia and Neuburg: 29th report by the Natural Science Association for Swabia and Neuburg (aV) in Augsburg . Augsburg 1887.
  3. ↑ Natural Science Association for Swabia and Neuburg: 37th report of the Natural Science Association for Swabia and Neuburg (aV) in Augsburg . Augsburg 1906.
  4. ^ Fritz Hiemeyer: From the history of the Natural Science Association for Swabia , in: 150 Years of the Natural Science Association for Swabia , Augsburg, 1996, p. 36
  5. ↑ Michael Achtelig: Das Naturmuseum Augsburg , in: 150 Jahre Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein für Schwaben , Augsburg, 1996, p. 65
  6. ↑ Fritz Hiemeyer: From the history of the Natural Science Association for Swabia , in: 150 Years of the Natural Science Association for Swabia , Augsburg, 1996, p. 38
  7. ↑ Albert Teichner, Christoph Zieher (Ed.): Dr. Heinz Fischer - the life and work of a polymath . tape 2 . Königsbrunn 2015, p. 205 .
  8. ↑ Augsburger Stadtlexikon
  9. ↑ Albert Teichner, Christoph Zieher (Ed.): Dr. Heinz Fischer - the life and work of a polymath . tape 1 . Königsbrunn 2015, p. 88-99 . gives on p. 93 “(1948–1953); 1955 handover to the city ”
  10. ↑ Albert Teichner, Christoph Zieher (Ed.): Dr. Heinz Fischer - the life and work of a polymath . tape 2 . Königsbrunn 2015, p. 208 .
  11. ↑ Augsburger Stadtlexikon
  12. ^ Fritz Hiemeyer: From the history of the Natural Science Association for Swabia , in: 150 Years of the Natural Science Association for Swabia , Augsburg, 1996, pp. 39, 42
  13. ↑ Michael Achtelig: Das Naturmuseum Augsburg , in: 150 Jahre Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein für Schwaben , Augsburg, 1996, p. 66
  14. ^ Augsburger Allgemeine, May 27, 2009: Mourning Michael Achtelig. Retrieved February 21, 2016 .
  15. ↑ :: Natural Science Association for Swabia eV: Statutes ::. In: archive.org. March 10, 2012, archived from the original on March 10, 2012 ; accessed on March 4, 2016 . , § 2 Paragraph 1: "The purpose of the association is to disseminate scientific knowledge among the population of the administrative district of Swabia, to maintain and support scientific research, to promote nature, bird and landscape protection; it actively supports the Augsburg Nature Museum and the zoo Augsburg. (...) "
  16. ↑ Natural Science Association for Swabia eV: :: Natural Science Association for Swabia eV: Statute ::. In: nwv-schwaben.de. Retrieved March 4, 2016 .

Coordinates: 48 ° 22 '14.9 "  N , 10 ° 53' 43.8"  E