More than 2500 specimens from all groups of organisms make up the University’s zoological collections. Their long and eventful history dates back to the 1830s.
The collection of the first zoological museum was opened in 1837 by Eduard Friedrich Poeppig, the first professor of zoology. From 1907, the taxidermist Hermanus Hendrikus ter Meer from the Dutch city of Leiden made a decisive contribution with the taxidermy technique: this made it possible to prepare vertebrate animals in a proportionally accurate manner, producing a highly lifelike result. The sixties were a watershed moment, with a large part of the holdings dissolved and distributed to other museums. The remaining specimens are now accessible in the refurbished rooms of the teaching and study collection and in depots.
Guided tours by appoinment
Guided tours of the collection premises are only possible by appointment.