War, Destruction and Rescue (1939–1945)

Bombing raids and rescue operations

“Whilst the building sustained considerable damage, around 75 per cent of the collections have been saved; the essentials have therefore been preserved,” 

according to a report from 1948. The museum owes the fact that so many objects survived the destruction to the prudence and great dedication of its staff.

As early as April 1943, they began moving key parts of the collection to safety – including the ‘Brachiosaurus brancai’ (now Giraffatitan brancai), which had only recently been installed, and the primitive bird Archaeopteryx lithographica. They protected many objects in the basement under layers of sand or stored them outside the museum. Not everything returned after the war: minerals and parts of the palaeontological library are still considered lost or were stolen and remain in Russia.

Destruction in February 1945

The first serious damage occurred as early as November 1943. However, the most devastating attack took place on 3 February 1945, when the US Air Force carried out a massive bombing raid on Berlin. The museum was also hit:

• The east wing suffered severe damage and later collapsed.
• The hall containing whale skeletons in one of the inner courtyards was completely destroyed.
• There were fatalities and injuries in one of the museum’s air-raid shelters.

In the days that followed, further parts of the building caught fire. Shells tore large holes in walls and façades. Windows and glass roofs shattered, and falling debris buried numerous specimens that had not been moved to safety. Some objects still contain shrapnel to this day.

Damage to the bird collection

The historical bird collection was also severely affected by the attacks. The display cases in the Bird Hall – many of which date back to the museum’s opening year, 1889 – were partially destroyed by shock waves. The explosions hurled some specimens so far out of their display cases that they flew as far as the museum courtyard. Many could only be restored years later, requiring considerable craftsmanship. Taxidermists are still working today to stabilise damaged mounted specimens.

As part of the Museum Evolution project, the museum is currently carrying out a comprehensive renovation of the historic collection room in accordance with heritage conservation standards. The approximately 11,500 specimens were cleaned, photographed and packed into transport boxes as part of the collection cataloguing process.

This temporary relocation forms the basis of the special exhibition ‘ZUGvögel – A Collection in Motion’. For the first time, it allows the public to explore these historical holdings up close. The special exhibition links the turbulent history of the specimens during the Second World War with contemporary perspectives and demonstrates how natural history collections can evolve into open and dialogue-oriented spaces.

A fresh start amidst the ruins

The attacks came to an end on 2 May 1945. Just five days later, on 7 May 1945 – one day before Germany’s surrender – the few remaining employees returned to work. They were confronted with a scene of devastation.