Person mit Laptop in der Forschungssammlung des Museums für Naturkunde Berlin, umgeben von aufgereihten Schädeln und Hörnern großer Säugetiere in Regalsystemen

Services for researchers

Infrastructure, data and expertise

Research collection

The Research Collection is the central infrastructure of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. With over 30 million objects, it documents 4.5 billion years of Earth’s history and the history of life, and includes numerous type specimens that serve as scientific references.

It supports researchers by providing access to objects, data and historical sources. Linked collection data connects objects, media and metadata, making the holdings usable for research into biodiversity, evolution, Earth systems, science and provenance.

 

Enquiries to the collection

Initial contact should be made via the relevant collection departments or sub-collections. There, we will check the availability and suitability for processing of the requested items and provide information on any existing digital data, including images. They will then coordinate further use and access to physical and digital holdings.

For general inquiries that cannot be assigned to a specific collection area, please contact info@mfn.berlin. We will then forward your email to the appropriate department.

Exhibition-related loans

For exhibitions, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin also makes selected collection objects available on loan. Exhibition-related loans enable scientific objects to be placed in new contexts and made accessible to a wider audience – whilst taking into account conservation, legal and scientific requirements.

Collection areas

Person steht auf Trittleiter und entnimmt Archivbox aus Regalgang mit systematisch geordneten Beständen

Archive

Historical documents and research findings are available as valuable resources for study.

Person entnimmt Buch aus Regalgang der Bibliothek

Library

Make use of our scientific and historical collections to support research, teaching and knowledge dissemination.

Forschende prüft ein Probenröhrchen mit Gewebe- oder DNA-Material im Labor.

Biorepository

Our research collection's biorepository stores over 58,000 DNA and tissue samples, which are available for interdisciplinary research.

Ausschnitt der Insektenwand: Ein Insektenkasten scheint sich aus der Sammlung zu lösen und ragt plastisch aus der Wand heraus.

Entomology

The entomology department houses extensive collections of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and other orders of insects.

Mehrere Mineralproben aus Russland liegen in kleinen Sammlungsschachteln. Hinter den Stücken befinden sich historische handschriftliche Etiketten mit Fundort- und Bestimmungsangaben.

Mineralogy

The mineralogy department houses extensive collections of meteorites, minerals, rocks and ores. It also provides the infrastructure for deposit and impact research.

Person hält Fossil eines Fisches mit gut erhaltenem Schuppen- und Skelettabdruck auf Gesteinsplatte

Palaeontology

The palaeontology department brings together extensive collections of fossil vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as collections of recent and fossil plants.

Ein Weichtiergehäuse wird in der Digitalisierungsstation DORA positioniert.

Recent invertebrates

The Recent Invertebrates collection comprises more than ten million specimens from all biogeographical regions and includes, amongst others, marine invertebrates, crustaceans and molluscs, as well as arachnids and millipedes.

In Alkohol konservierte Schlange in einem Glasgefäß auf einem CT-Scanner in der Sammlung

Recent vertebrates

The Recent Vertebrates collection comprises specimens from all major groups of Craniota and Vertebrata. Having grown since the 18th century, it contains numerous type specimens as well as rare and extinct species.

Magnetband auf offener Tonbandspule, Teil eines analogen Tonträgers aus dem Tierstimmenarchiv, in schützender Verpackung
Collection

Animal Sounds Archive

The Animal Sounds Archive contains over 120,000 audio recordings of around 1,800 bird species, 580 mammal species and numerous species from other animal groups, including fish, amphibians, reptiles and insects.

WiNoDa Knowledge Lab

The WiNoDa Knowledge Lab supports researchers in making effective use of natural history collections and object-centred research data. It provides access to data infrastructures, develops practical training programmes and equips participants with the skills needed to analyse and evaluate complex research data.

The programme is aimed at researchers from all disciplines who work with collections or wish to integrate them more closely into their research. WiNoDa strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration, promotes open access to data in the spirit of Open Science, and contributes to the networking of science, industry and society.

Learning platform

On the learning platform, you will find various self-study courses on working with scientific collections and object-centred data. The courses cover key topics such as the handling and reuse of research data, legal and ethical issues in field research, the improvement and enrichment of data, text recognition, machine learning and Open Science.

Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science

The Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science supports researchers in making their work open, accessible and impactful. It strengthens public engagement as an integral part of academic practice and promotes a diverse and democratic research culture.

The Berlin School offers training across the entire public engagement process, creates spaces for international exchange and networking, and supports institutions in developing sustainable structures and career pathways. Furthermore, through its own research, it contributes to further establishing public engagement as an integral part of academic work.