Westfälisches Museum für Naturkunde

The LWL Museum of Natural History (also Westphalian Museum of Natural History ) in Münster is a state museum under the auspices of the Regional Association of Westphalia -Lippe ( LWL). To him belongs the State Museum, a planetarium, the Biological Station in the branch office Sacred Sea, located in the municipalities of distance and Hopsten, the field office and the Kahler Asten Paleontological Bodendenkmalpflege for Westphalia -Lippe. The museum is located in the neighborhood of the all-weather zoo Munster and Mühlenhof open -air museum Munster at Lake Aa at the Sentruper road.

History

Hermann Landois founded on the grounds of the zoo at the Himmelreichallee in Münster the " Provincial Museum of Natural History ". In 1892 it opened its doors, Landois was honorary head. The museum should first present the natural history testimonies of Westphalia.

The main component of the collections came in early from the collections of the Zoological and Botanical Section of the Westphalian provincial association. The museum also benefited from the deceased at the zoo animals that were prepared for collection. The building was heavily damaged by air raids in October and November 1944, the stocks were, however, largely outsourced precaution, so that the war damage limited only to the building. After the Second World War the means were scarce, so the issue could only be rebuilt in 1949.

1967 the decision was made to relocate the zoo from the city center to the outskirts, because a large bank wanted to cultivate the highly attractive grounds. For the museum, which had always benefited from the collaboration with the zoo, which was not beneficial. Formerly Provincial Club - - Therefore, the Regional Association of Westphalia -Lippe asked the city of Münster is a subsidy of a new museum building in the immediate vicinity of the new all-weather zoo. The presented concept with the planetarium was convincing, so that the city approved a subsidy of 8.5 million DM.

Also, the state of North Rhine -Westphalia took part in the construction and with all other grants remained DM only 14.5 million of the Regional Association of Westphalia -Lippe of the planned construction cost of DM 29 million had to pay. In 1981, the museum was opened at its current location.

Building

The building contains approximately 4,200 m2 of exhibition space and a museum courtyard with approximately 3,500 m2. The planetarium with a dome diameter of 20 m with 260 spectators.

Collections

The museum includes some scientific collections for research purposes or to be used as a resource for various exhibitions. There is a zoological collection with around 30,000 copies prepared and 1 million insects a botanical collection includes 300,000 plants evidence and a geoscience collection of 70,000 copies and an ethnological collection with 400 objects.

Exhibitions

Special

• Biomimicry - nature patents (July 1, 2011 - June 17, 2012 )
• Animals of the Bible (3 September 2010 - January 6, 2013 )
• Whales - Giants of the Sea (21 September 2012 - extended to 27 April 2014)
• S ex and Evolution ( October 11, 2013 - October 19, 2014 )

Permanent exhibitions

• Prairie and Plains Indians - change and tradition

The exhibition shows life and culture of the Plains Indians, as well as the influence of European immigrants.

• Changing Westphalia - From the mammoth steppe to agricultural landscape

This exhibition focuses on the period from the last Ice Age to the present.

Exhibition in the field office of the LWL Museum of Natural History

Special

The Natural History Museum is owned by the largest ammonites in the world. He stands with his 174.2 centimeters in diameter in the museum foyer. In 2008 he was appointed by the Paleontological Society for the Fossil of the Year.

In the Planetarium since the renovation in 2010, is the sharpest, air-conditioned Kosmokino Europe.