Braunschweig - Natural History Museum

The State Natural History Museum (SNHM) was opened to the public in 1754 as the Ducal-Brunswick Natural Cabinet. He is a child of enlightenment and is committed to this tradition. Today we also see ourselves as a natural history centre beyond the Braunschweig region.

With an age of over 250 years, our collections are among the oldest in the world. With around 440,000 objects (approximately 320,000 invertebrates, 75,000 vertebrates and 45,000 fossils), they are among the three largest natural history collections in Lower Saxony. In particular, our bird collection is one of the most extensive in Germany and of international importance with more than 50,000 specimens. In addition, our collections contain a large number of type specimens and extinct species. Type specimens are based on the initial description of a species. They must be permanently deposited in scientific collections. Many of our collections come from regional collectors and thus form a very special treasure.

Our collections are irreplaceable archives of life in our region and beyond. Their value is therefore invaluable and must be preserved for future generations. We capture, maintain and research them using state-of-the-art methods. In order to make it accessible to the scientific public via the Internet, the collection data is transferred to modern databases. The collections enable well-founded statements on fundamental and current natural history issues, e.g. on the development of the diversity of life, on species extinction and on climate change.

Braunschweig State Natural History Museum
Pockelsstraße 10
38106 Brunswick

Phone: 0531 – 28892-0
Fax: 0531 – 28892-50

Email: info.snhm@3landesmuseen.de
Internet: www.naturhistorisches-museum.de

Opening hours:
Mo closed
Tue 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wed 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thu – Sun 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Opening hours during the holidays:
Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Pentecost Sunday, Day of German Unity, 2nd Christmas Day open. New Year’s Day, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve closed.