The Bamberg Natural History Museum is planning to acquire high-quality skeleton casts of the dinosaur Europasaurus holgeri discovered in northern Germany – both an adult specimen and a juvenile – as part of its refurbishment and reorientation. We would like to invite you to become part of this fascinating project and support us in the realization of our new permanent exhibition!

Europasaurus holgeri is a remarkable testimony to the history of the earth and will not only inspire our visitors, but will also make a valuable contribution to the museum’s educational work. This dinosaur lived in the Upper Jurassic period, around 154 million years ago, and is therefore exactly the same age as the unique Wattendorf slab limestone fossils that can already be admired in the museum. The Europasaurus to be acquired is one of the few sauropods found in Germany (northern edge of the Harz Mountains near Goslar) and, with more than 95% original skeletal parts, is one of the most complete dinosaur genera in the world.

Its excellent preservation and numerous anatomical features will make it a new attraction at the Natural History Museum. The two skeletons, measuring approx. 2 and 6 m in length respectively, will be on permanent display on the ground floor together with the Wattendorf fossils and other Jurassic highlights such as local ichthyosaurs, a 4 m² slab with around 150 ammonites and a media station entitled “Europe in the Jurassic period”. This gives visitors the opportunity to obtain comprehensive information about the former habitat in Franconia and Germany.

The acquisition costs for the adult (54,000 EUR) and juvenile (18,000 EUR) Europasaurus amount to a total of 72,000 EUR. Around 36,000 EUR has already been raised through the Science Communication Committee of the Bavarian State Natural History Collections.

In order to guarantee the financing of the remaining 36,000 EUR for both animals, we, together with the Friends of the Bamberg Natural History Museum, would like to ask for your financial support! Your donation will enable us to acquire these unique skeleton casts and thus expand our offer for young and old. Every contribution, regardless of the amount, is of great importance and helps us to achieve this goal together.

If you would like to support this promising project, please transfer your donation to:

Your donation will of course be recognized as a tax-reducing expense. Up to an amount of 300 EUR, the bank transfer slip or the debit slip is sufficient as proof for the tax office. From 300 EUR you will automatically receive a donation receipt from our treasurer. Therefore, please be sure to state your postal address when making the transfer!

And as a special bonus:
Donors who give more than 300 EUR will be mentioned by name on a donation board next to the pair of dinosaurs!

1. Aug. 2024 – 30. March 2025

Time determines our lives. Almost all of us are guided by the clock day in, day out – by deadlines and schedules. We take for granted how days, weeks, months and years pass – and realise that our own lifetime is limited. Time is therefore something quite commonplace, something that affects us all directly and yet is difficult or impossible for us to understand and explain. In the exhibition ‘All time in the world’, the Bamberg Natural History Museum and the Bayreuth Prehistoric Museum are focussing on this multifaceted topic.

In the exhibition, the well-known astrophysicist and science journalist Harald Lesch accompanies visitors on their journey through time and space. Numerous exhibits, spectacular images and stagings as well as hands-on objects and special children’s stations make the exhibition an experience for young and old alike.

The content of the exhibition was developed by the Museum Mensch und Natur team together with members of the planning staff of the Bavarian Natural History Museum. The collections and regional museums of the Bavarian State Natural History Collections were also involved in the project. The exhibition is also supported by a large number of other institutions worldwide.

Through time and space

With an impressive installation, the exhibition takes us back to the beginning of all things – the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. Today, ever larger and better telescopes allow us to look not only to incredible distances, but also ever deeper into the past and thus into the early days of the universe. The history of the Earth, which was formed around 4.55 billion years ago, forms the second part of the exhibition. Among other things, the oldest minerals and rocks on earth, which are more than 4 billion years old, can be admired here. Numerous exhibits show how the earth is still in a constant process of change today and fossils show us different periods of the earth’s history.

Who actually turns the internal clock?

At the same time as the Bamberg Natural History Museum, the Urwelt-Museum Oberfranken in Bayreuth is showing another aspect of the special exhibition, showing how time is an elementary factor affecting living beings and their evolution. All higher organisms go through a cycle of growth, reproduction and ageing, which ultimately leads to death. However, the duration and course of this process differ significantly – some plants and animals only live for a few weeks, while others reach an age of hundreds or even over 1,000 years. The Bayreuth exhibition shows examples of particularly extreme lifespans and developmental paths.

Visitors with an admission ticket for the other museum receive reduced admission to the current museum.

24. April 2024 – 30. June 2024

In 2024, the Bamberg Natural History Museum will once again present the highlights of nature photography in the tried and tested tradition. The international photo competition is organised by Mara Fuhrmann and Udo Höcke from ‘projekt natur & fotografie’. This year marks the 26th edition of the competition.

Every year, a changing jury led by Mara Fuhrmann selects the best nature photographs, true ‘highlights’, in nine different categories, which are presented together with the winners of the Fritz Pölking Award and the Junior Award in our special exhibition.

Click here for the competition website: https://www.glanzlichter.com/