Inhalt

Natural History

The natural history collection outlines the evolvement and population of the Upper Swabian landscape. Fossils of ichthyosaurs, sharks, and mammoths transport viewers millions of years back to the past. True-to-life specimens from the world of natural history bring the regional habitats to life.

A donation by the eminent Upper Swabian naturalist and priest Dr. Josef Probst (1823-1905) from 1898 provided the basis for the natural history collection. Over the course of more than 100 years, the Biberach Museum acquired an array of additional scientific collections of rocks, minerals, and fossils as well as botanical and zoological specimens.

The collection of fossils primarily documents the fauna of Upper Swabia during the mid-Tertiary period about 19 million years ago and includes shark teeth as well as the bones of see cows and the elephant-like gomphotheres.

The historical collections of insects are partly over 100 years old. Local and exotic butterflies play a significant role this display.

In 1913 the museum’s bird collections were expanded to include not only local species but also a selection of Arctic birds and Australian parrots which had belonged to Count Karl Waldburg-Zeil-Syrgenstein. Parts of the collection are on loan to the Stuttgart Natural History Museum.

The chemist Dr. Joachim Heider’s mineralogical collection has enriched the museum since 1998. Computer games, models, videos, and test stations allow visitors to conduct their own experiments – a fascinating adventure for children and adults alike!