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The Museum

Beleuchtete Fassade des Museums für Naturkunde

The "Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science" is an integrated research museum within the Leibniz Association. It is one of the most important research institutions worldwide in the areas of biological and geological evolution and biodiversity.

Our mission is to discover and describe life and earth – with people, through dialogue. As an excellent research museum and innovative communication platform, we want to engage with and influence the scientific and societal discourse about the future of our planet, worldwide. Our vision, strategy and structure make the museum an excellent research museum. We have research partners in Berlin, Germany and approximately 60 other countries. Over 700,000 visitors per year as well as steadily increasing participation in educational and other events show that we have become an innovative communication centre that helps shaping the scientific and social dialogue about the future of our earth. 

Alongside knowledge transfer, our research and our collection are the main pillars of the museum’s work. The collection is a unique natural and cultural asset, inextricably linked to our research and comprises over 30 million items covering zoology, palaeontology, geology and mineralogy and is of highest scientific and historical importance.

The permanent exhibitions together with regular special exhibitions give the public insights into current research at the museum and highlight original research objects. Visitors are encouraged and inspired to find their own route into science and experience ‘Evolution in Action’ rather than following a given pathway.

Learn more about the museum's future here.