Tour 6: The rock collection at the Natural History Museum of Vienna (NHMW)

back to: Social program

The rock collection of the NHM contains more than 104 specimens from all over the world. It is subdivided into several "sub-collections", including the famous collection of building and decorative stones. The largest part of the collection is stored in a basement depot. In order to make the specimens virtually available to the public and scientists, a digital database (including photographs of the objects and scans of the original inventory cards) is currently on development and partly online already. A special focus is drawn to decorative and building stones as they are not only of interest for scientists but also serve as reference for architects, conservators, and masons, who need information about historical rocks, building materials and quarries.

The collection is still growing, continuously increasing its scientific value and completeness. It contains many historical samples (some of them were collected during the course of the Austrian Brazilian expedition in the early 19th century). New rock specimens are mainly provided by researchers of the Museum, who collect them during expeditions, as well as through donations.

Just recently, a completely new exhibition in the "Kaisersaal", curated by the Department of Geology and Paleontology and focused on the Earth, from geology to the origin of life, was opened. This exhibition works as transition between the rock (and mineral) systematics and the geological record of life on the Earth.

back to: Social program