Berlin – Museum für Naturkunde – Collection of minerals 02
Image by Daniel Mennerich
The Museum of Natural History has the largest mineral collection in Germany. In total, it comprises 200,000 pieces and contains 65% of all known minerals.
The mineralogical collection shows 1077 species. The foundation stone of the collection is formed by minerals and rocks from the "Royal Mineral Collection" of 1781.
Some pieces come from famous expeditions, such as gems brought by Alexander von Humboldt from Russia.
The largely original 19th-century hall presents the collection in historical showcases. New display cases bring the history of mineralogy to life with the help of busts, minerals, models and historical devices. But they also shed light on the aspect of why minerals were the basis for the technical development of mankind in the past and why our lives are indispensable in the future.
Precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum have had a jewellery and coin value since ancient times, today they are an indispensable part of medical and catalyst technology. Glass and ceramics have developed into true high-tech materials and without the element of silicon there is no computer today.
