Meteorites
The sub-collection comprises around 18,000 specimens from all over the world. It is one of the most historically significant collections of its kind in Europe and serves as a key research resource for studies into the formation of the solar system and impact research.
Overview
The meteorite sub-collection comprises around 18,000 specimens from some 5,400 different meteorites. It is one of the oldest and most internationally significant meteorite collections in Europe.
The collection includes stony, stony-iron and iron meteorites from all parts of the world. Particular emphasis is placed on meteorite falls and finds from Europe, as well as on the main masses of celestial bodies that have fallen in Germany. The sub-collection comprises complete specimens, fragments and around 1,300 thin-section slides.
As physical evidence of the formation of the Solar System, meteorites are also a central feature of the museum’s permanent exhibition.
Access
The sub-collection has been fully digitised and is available for research purposes.
The naming and registration of meteorites is carried out by the Meteoritical Society. The relevant records can be searched online via the Meteoritical Bulletin Database. In addition, we maintain the holdings in a local collection database.
A specialist library containing textbooks, catalogues and historical writings complements the sub-collection and is available for specialist enquiries.
Contact
Dr Ansgar Greshake
Scientific Head of Collection
Email: ansgar.greshake@mfn.berlin
Telephone: +49 30 889140-8858
History
The origins of this sub-collection date back to the late 18th century. It began with the mineral collection of Carl Abraham Gerhard (1738–1821), which already contained early meteorite fragments, including material from the Krasnoyarsk stony-iron meteorite described by Peter Simon Pallas (1741–1811).
In the early 19th century, further significant pieces were added to the collection, partly through donations from the Russian Tsar Alexander I and partly through the purchase and acquisition of major private collections. These included the collection of Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni (1756–1827), who bequeathed what was then the world’s largest private collection to the Berlin Museum.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the sub-collection grew steadily through targeted acquisitions, expeditions and discoveries. The first scientific classification of meteorites was developed in 1864 by Gustav Rose (1798–1873) on the basis of the Berlin holdings and continues to shape the taxonomy to this day.
Research
The meteorite sub-collection forms a key research infrastructure for planetology, cosmochemistry and impact research. It enables studies into the formation and evolution of the Solar System, as well as the transport of organic compounds in space.
A recent example is the Ribbeck (Brandenburg) aubrite, which fell in January 2024. It belongs to one of the rarest known meteorite classes and was already detected astronomically before its impact. The investigation of this meteorite is being carried out in close international cooperation, including with research institutions in Europe and the USA.
Furthermore, the holdings of this sub-collection are incorporated into research on the impact hazard posed by near-Earth objects. Scientists at the museum are involved in international projects analysing and simulating asteroid impacts and are contributing to planetary defence missions.