TMuseum

EXHIBITIONS

HALL I welcomes you with over 600 minerals from all over the world and shows the whole wealth of colors and shapes of the small and large treasures.

HALL II is reserved for special exhibitions. It is currently being renovated. Despite the renovation, you will find our meteorite exhibition and the world's largest tiger's eye here.

HALL III is dedicated to ores, i.e. metallic raw materials. Here we explain how and where they are mined and where we encounter them in our daily lives.

Our gemstone hall - HALL IV - is dedicated to the sparkling and glittering world of gemstones. You can admire classics such as rubies and emeralds, but also exotic stones. Here you will also find the mysterious glow of our fluorescent minerals.

COLLECTIONS

In the more than two centuries of its existence, the museum's collection has grown significantly through acquisitions and donations. In its founding years, the then still Natural History Museum already housed 13,500 objects, and by the Second World War the holdings had grown to 38,000. The destruction during the Second World War resulted in major losses to the collection. After the war, the castle was rebuilt, the museum was refurnished with considerable funds and the collection was supplemented and increased through large donations and purchases. Today, the Mineralogical Museum owns over 65,000 minerals, rocks and meteorites.

• The NOEGGERATH Collection goes back to the second director of the then Natural History Museum. Johann Jacob Noeggerath (1788 -1877) was even contractually obliged by his employer, the university, to hand over all the minerals and rocks he collected to the museum. The pieces in his collection are among the oldest in the museum's holdings.

• ADAM AUGUST KRANTZ's collection came to the museum in 1872. It was purchased by the university for 144,000 marks. The mineral dealer Adam August Krantz (1808 - 1872) not only traded in minerals, but also compiled an extensive private collection as a mineralogist with a doctorate. With the purchase, the museum was able to incorporate 14,000 minerals and 184 meteorites into its holdings.

• After the war, many collections were added to make up for the losses caused by the war. The collection of the former General Director of Bayer AG CARL DUISBERG (1861-1935) deserves special mention due to its size and quality. It came to the museum in 1954.

• In the same year, the collection of mining assessor REINHARD WÜSTER (1892 - 1954) was added. At the time, it was considered the largest private collection in the German-speaking world.

Every single piece in the display cases and in the collection cabinets has its own individual story, and there are some very special pieces. These are not necessarily the most precious or the largest, but often rather inconspicuous pieces. We would like to present some of these special pieces here.

Marra Mamba tiger's eye (228 x 58 x 4 cm | 250 kg | Hammerslay Range, Western Australia | 2.5 billion years old)
The five-ton tiger's eye was found in Western Australia in 2005, sawed into several slices, polished and sent on its journey. In 2007, it was first exhibited in Tucson, Arizona, as a highlight at the world's largest mineral fair. Then in 2008 it made the journey across the Atlantic to Europe. It was presented in the Bavarian capital as part of the 'Mineralientage München'. The magnificent piece initially came to Bonn on loan. In 2012, it became the property of the museum - thanks to a large and successful fundraising campaign.

Uranium cube (National Socialist uranium project 1939 - 1945 | edge length 5 cm | 2.3 kg)
The cube is one of 664 cubes that were used in an experimental facility, first in Berlin-Dahlem and then in Haigerloch, Baden-Württemberg, for large-scale nuclear research experiments under the direction of Werner Heisenberg. The facility was discovered and dismantled by the American Alsos secret mission in the spring of 1945, and only 13 of the 664 cubes are known to have survived. Our cube was presented to the house on October 26, 1954 as a gift from the Scientific Research Division of the Military Security Board in Koblenz. The original of the accompanying letter is also in the Mineralogical Museum.

Forsbach meteorite (3 x 4 x 5 cm | 137 g | Rösrath-Forsbach, North Rhine-Westphalia)
The stony meteorite fell onto the field of farmer Johann Peter Volberg on June 12, 1900. He heard the fall and found the meteorite in the immediate vicinity. After a short odyssey, the piece came to the Mineralogical Museum in 1914.

In our museum, minerals are not only available behind glass, but also to take away. In our small but fine museum store, everyone will find something suitable: small or large minerals to give as gifts, jewelry, meteorites, our wonder bag for children aged 6 and over or books on the subject of minerals.

With the purchase of our exhibition catalog, you can virtually take some of the most beautiful pieces home with you. With high-quality photos, bilingual and with lots of information about the history of the museum and of course about very special exhibits, the catalog is a beautiful memento or always a suitable gift.

Many dedicated people work in our team. They make sure our guests have a pleasant stay during our opening hours, guide groups, organize birthday programs, manage inquiries and are available as contact persons.

PS: Photo coming soon!