Skip to main content
Trilobit, Hydrocephalus, Kambrium, Jince bei Prag, Tschechien
Hartmut Meyer
fossiler Fisch, Neopterygii, Holostei, Unterjura, Holzmaden, Dapedius
Hartmut Meyer
Tietia singularis, Perm, Brasilien
Hartmut Meyer
Trilobit, Ordovizium, Calymene declinata
Hartmut Meyer

History

The origins of the collection lie in the pre-WERNER period, i.e. in the academic mineral cabinet and its predecessors. This oldest collection includes plant remains from the Rotliegend of Hilbersdorf and very representative specimens that were included in what was probably the most important palaeontological work of its time, "Die Naturgeschichte der Versteinerungen..." by Georg Wolfgang KNORR (1705-1761) and Johann Ernst Immanuel WALCH (1725-1778), written between 1755 and 1773.

In 1799, Abraham Gottlob WERNER (1749-1817) began the world's first palaeontology lecture in the history of the geosciences to substantiate his neptunist ideas. According to the lecture notes for WERNER's lecture on "Geognosy" by Heinrich Adolf Leberecht SCHIPPAN (1794-1837) from 1814/15, he regarded this "petrification theory" or "petrefactology" as a subfield of his "Geognosy". For this lecture and for practice purposes, he created his own collections of "conchylia", "zoophytes" and "petrefacts", which were later incorporated into the Bergakademische Sammlung.

After WERNER's death, the Freiberg professors Friedrich August BREITHAUPT (1791-1873), Ferdinand REICH (1799-1882), Bernhard v.COTTA (1808-1879), Alfred Wilhelm STELZNER (1840-1895) and Richard BECK (1858-1919) in particular contributed to the expansion of this collection through their own collections and worldwide connections.

Following a request from Chief Mining Governor J.C. FREIESLEBEN (1774-1846), K.G.A. v.WEISSENBACH (1797-1846) initially catalogued the fossils available at the Bergakademie between 1822 and 1824, F. REICH reclassified them, gave all the specimens the binary nomenclature of v. LINNÉ (1707-1778) and resumed lecturing on fossilisation in 1830/31, 13 years after WERNER's death. His successor B. v.COTTA had his former student E.L. WEISS (died 1898) compile a catalogue of the existing fossils in 1859. According to this catalogue, 8459 animal and 982 plant fossils as well as around 2500 duplicates existed at the Bergakademie. Their value was estimated at 4500 talers (REICH, 1866).

The historically most valuable pieces are:

  • Originals to KNORR & WALCH's "Die Naturgeschichte der Versteinerungen..." (1755-1773). (1755-1773).
  • KAUP's Fährtenplatten von Hildburghausen (1835).
  • Originals and first determinations (types) of A.v. GUTBIER (plant fossils from the Saxonian Upper Carboniferous and Permian, 1836 and 1842).
  • ROSSMÄSSLER's herbaria (before 1848).
  • First determinations of C.G.A. GIEBEL (Fishes from the Muschelkalk of Esperstädt, 1848).
  • Originals of F.A. BREITHAUPT (Fossils and rocks from the Banat, 1856).
  • Originals and first determinations of H.B. GEINITZ (Fossils from the Saxon Upper Carboniferous, the Zechstein and the Upper Cretaceous, 1855-1870).
  • Originals of B.v. COTTA (silicified wood from Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf, 1832; fossils from the Oligocene of Seifhennersdorf, 1868; specimens from the Altai, with travel report from 1871).
  • Originals of A.W. STELZNER (crinoid remains from Upper Franconia, 1864).
  • Originals to G. STEINMANN (Jurassic/Cretaceous fossils from Bolivia, Peru and Chile, 1881/1882).
  • DEICHMÜLLER's insects from the burnt shale of Weissig, 1882.
  • Originals to G. BRUDER (Fauna from the Jurassic of Hohnstein/Sa., 1885 ).
  • Originals to R. BECK (Flora from the Oligocene of Mittweida, 1882; Tracks and plant fossils from the Upper Carboniferous of Oelsnitz, 1914 and 1917; Ferns from the Rotliegend of Chemnitz, 1920).
  • Further unique specimens, originals and types by A.G. WERNER, E.F.v. SCHLOTHEIM, F. REICH, J.T. STERZEL and others.

Under Friedrich SCHUMACHER (1884-1975), the first half of the 20th century saw the emergence of a new, more specialised collection. Under Friedrich SCHUMACHER (1884-1975) in the first half of the 20th century, progressive specialisation led to the thematic separation of this collection and the development of a palaeontological and a stratigraphic collection.

From 1958, the palaeontological collection received a significant boost from the world-famous Freiberg palaeontologist Arno Hermann MÜLLER (born 1916), which continued with his student Jörg SCHNEIDER (born 1948). Gerhard ROSELT (1915-2000) and Yvonne KIESEL (born 1931) contributed significantly to the separation and specific development of a palaeobotanical collection.

Collection

The collection comprises around 114,000 macrofossils and almost one million microfossils.

This includes the globally important "Types and Originals Collection" (around 9,000 published originals, including numerous first determinations). In addition, there are around 10,000 specimens and polished sections as well as over 10,000 rock samples.

Contact us

Curator Dr. Birgit Gaitzsch