Natural History Museum, Vienna

To mark the marriage of his daughter Leopoldine to the heir to the Portuguese throne, Dom Pedro, Emperor Franz II organized an expedition to her new home country of Brazil in 1817. Two Austrian frigates accompanied the archduchess on her journey to Rio de Janeiro.

Those taking part in the expedition, carried out under the scientific direction of the head of the history collection, included the researchers Johann Mikan and Johann Emmanuel, as well as the taxidermist Johann Natterer and the landscape painter Thomas Ender. The expedition lasted 18 years aimed to collect all plants, animals, and minerals of scientific interest and bring them back to Vienna.[5]

The most ambitious Austrian expedition was carried out by the SMS Novara, a frigate which sailed the world between 1857 and 1859. The scientific responsibility for this expedition was shared by the Academy of Sciences and the Geography Society. The man behind the project was Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, Commander in Chief of the Austrian Navy.

Among the advisors was the famous naturalist and researcher Alexander von Humboldt. Many well-known scientists took part in the two-year journey, including the geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter, ethnologist Karl von Scherzer and zoologist Georg Ritter von Frauenfeld. The entire journey was documented in hundreds of sketches and paintings by the landscape artist Josef Selleny. The scientists returned home with a vast haul of minerals, animals, plants and items of ethnological interest.[5]

The last significant research expedition of the 19th century was the Tegetthoff North Pole Expedition (1872 – 1874) led by Julius von Payer and Carl Weyprecht. On August 30, 1873 the participants on board discovered Franz Joseph Land.

With the Tegetthoff at risk of breaking up under the pressure of the ice, the members of the expedition were forced to leave the ship. On May 20, 1874 they began their long retreat to the south, transporting their equipment and provisions on sleds and boats. Despite many sacrifices and great danger, the scientists returned to Vienna with both their invaluable travel journals and observations of the landscape, as well as a number of natural history items of interest welded into metal cases.[5]

From 1876, Superintendents:

1876 – 1884 Ferdinand von Hochstetter

1885 – 1896 Franz von Hauer

1896 – 1897 no superintendent, but temporary director: Franz Steindachner

1898 – 1919 Franz Steindachner

From 1919, Chairmen of the Museum Council:

1919 – 1922 Ludwig Lorenz von Liburnau

1923 – 1924 Franz Xaver Schaffer

From 1924, First Directors

1925 – 1932 Hans Rebel

1933 – 1938 Hermann Michel

1938 – 1939 Otto Pesta, “Acting Director”

1939 – 1945 Hans Kummerlöwe, "First Director of the Scientific Museums in Vienna"

1945 – 1951 Hermann Michel

1951 – 1962 Hans Strouhal

1963 – 1971 Karl Heinz Rechinger

1972 – 1978 Friedrich Bachmayer

1979 – 1987 Oliver Paget

1987 – 1994 Heinz A. Kollmann

From 1994: Directors General

1994 – 2009 Bernd Lötsch

January 1, 2010 – May 31, 2010 Herbert Kritscher, “Acting Director”

Since June 1, 2010

Christian Köberl, Director General and Chief Executive Officer

Herbert Kritscher, Chief Financial Officer[6]

The historicism style of art and architecture was very popular in 19th century Austria.

The Natural History Museum Vienna incorporates style elements from many past periods, in particular the Renaissance. Work began on the building in 1871 and the facade was finished in 1881. It is around 170 meters long and 70 meters wide, comprising two courtyards that are each surrounded by working and exhibition rooms. The roof is crowned with a 65 m dome bearing a huge bronze statue of the Greek sun god Helios, a symbol of the life-giving element without which nature would not exist. The upper and middle levels (mezzanine and first floor) of the intricately decorated facade display allegorical and mythological figures representing key elements of the universe and its discovery and understanding by man. On the balustrade visitors can see sculptures of famous researchers and scientists who represent the continuing progress of human knowledge. These fundamental ideas are also the basis for the sculptures and paintings in the Dome Hall and the grand staircase; the highlight here is Hans Canon’s ceiling fresco “The Circle of Life”.

The internal structure of the building is dictated by the systematic organization of the exhibition and the individual departments. The mezzanine covers inanimate nature (Department of Mineralogy, Halls 1 – 5), sediments and traces of life early in Earth's history (Department of Geology & Paleontology, Halls 6 – 10), early human history (Department of Prehistory, Halls 11 – 13) and human development (Department of Anthropology, Halls 14 – 15).  The first floor presents the huge diversity of the animal world (Zoological Departments, Halls 22 – 39) as well as the fascinating realm of the Earth's smallest organisms ("Microtheater", Hall 21). The exhibits themselves are displayed in a systematic order according to how closely they are related to each other or their chronological position in the history of Planet Earth or human beings.[8]

The 100 m² ceiling painting above the grand staircase depicts "The Cycle of Life". Hans Canon (1829 – 1885) had the freedom to choose his subject and painted a dramatic allegory of the rise and decline of humanity. That humankind is the central theme of this painting also fulfills Hochstetter’s concept.

The cycle of growing and passing away in human existence is presented in a circular composition. It reflects the idea of the fight for existence, which dominated scientific thought at that time. At the same time the animal world was brought into this cycle as well: on one side “mankind made the Earth its servant” (it catches a catfish with its trident); on the other side, however, nature wins the upper hand (a vulture guards its prey). Nevertheless, mankind stands in the center of these events: a man, wrapped in a red cloth, holds an hourglass (presumably an allusion to Chronos, the god of time).[9]

The mezzanine is decorated with more than 100 oil paintings, illustrations which complement the objects displayed in the halls. Some halls are additionally decorated with figures.

This interplay between decoration and display objects gives the Natural History Museum Vienna is a unique artistic presentation.[10]

The exhibitions on mezzanine level:

Halls 1-4: Mineralogy & Petrography

Hall 5: Meteorites

Halls 6-10: Paleontology

Halls 11-13: Prehistory Halls 14-15: Anthropology

The famous large public displays in halls 1-5 show aesthetic and scientifically valuable minerals, ores, gemstones, rocks (including decorative and building stones) as well as meteorites and impactites (including tektites) collected over more than 500 years. All objects are arranged in a systematic way and new objects are added each year. Special temporary exhibitions may be presented as well in individual halls.

The first four halls show the systematic mineral exhibit. Hall 1 contains large mineral samples (in a glass cabinet in the middle of the room), a collection of building materials (samples) and the first part of the systematic mineral exhibit. Hall 2 continues with sulphides, halogenides, oxides, hydroxides, nitrates, iodates and carbonates), in hall 3 you see carbonates, borates, sulfates, chromates, phosphates, arsenates and vanadates.

Phosphates, arsenates and silicates, gemstones and the rock collection are exhibited in hall 4.

The collection of gems and precious stones can also be found in this Hall. This collection is one of the most comprehensive and valuable of its kind to be found on the European continent. One cabinet contains significant specimens of most of the well-known jewelry material today, whereby the raw material and the half-finished stones are placed alongside the finished cut and polished stones together with pieces of original jewelry. Two side cabinets contain larger samples of the precious stones collection.[11]