Naturwissenschaftliches Museum

Description

On the Museumsberg in Flensburg, the Naturwissenschaftliche Museum Flensburg presents natural history collections and permanent exhibitions on the ground floor of the Heinrich-Sauermann-Haus. It is part of the Städtischen Museen der Stadt Flensburg; the geological-palaeontological Schaumagazin is included in the building as the Eiszeit-Haus. The institute provides knowledge about the formation and settlement of the landscape between northern Schleswig-Holstein and southern Denmark, as well as about the local fauna and flora under the influence of natural and human factors. Its historic collections are important sources for regional research. The museum is registered in the Central Register of Biological Research Collections.

The history of the collections begins with the purchase of a geological collection in 1913; since then the holdings have grown through numerous purchases, estates and donations from the region. During the 20th century the collections changed location several times and were partly relocated for conservation reasons. At the beginning of the 21st century the museum moved into its renovated rooms in the Heinrich-Sauermann-Haus; the Eiszeit-Haus, as a specialised Schaumagazin, was established within the holdings and complements the central exhibition spaces.

The holdings include a scientific study collection, a museum library, an image and document archive, and museum-education teaching collections. The oldest objects date to the 19th century; diaries and provenance records provide insights into their origins. The majority of the material comes from northern Schleswig-Holstein and southern Denmark; supplementary objects allow comparisons with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Scandinavia and the Baltic region.

Special emphases are the biological collections (insects, birds, mammals), extensive herbaria, and rich geological and palaeontological holdings. The butterfly collection, with specimens from the 19th century, and the bird collection, containing historically significant items, provide important reference material for research and species conservation projects. In the Eiszeit-Haus display cases, models and an extensive glacial-erratic collection document the ice ages, fossil finds from the Cambrian to the Quaternary, and the provenance of rocks.

The permanent exhibition, covering approximately 510 m², presents the region’s characteristic landscapes as well as a dedicated Ice Age section. Educational programmes, media stations and learning spaces complement the exhibits; the outdoor area, with a glacial boulder garden and insect-friendly plantings, is used for educational activities. The library and archive serve as a working legacy for natural science research.