So why did they decide against the much more popular Tyrannosaurus rex and in favor of the Allosaurus in 1997? Apart from the availability of models, this was probably also due to the fact that remains of allosaurs have been found in Europe.

Today, an Allosaurus (Jurassic period, 163–145 million years old) and an Iguanodon (Cretaceous period, 139–112 million years old) face each other. The two never met, as the Allosaurus died out 6 million years before the Iguanodon. The Allosaurus model corresponds to current scientific findings, while the Iguanodon shows an outdated interpretation.

Photo: Archive HdN, 1997

A unique museum treasure

With a total weight of almost 1622 kg, the “Riesenbergkristalle” on display here are considered the heaviest crystal find in the Alps. According to the discoverers Peter Meilinger and Hans Hofer, the site also contained other minerals, including four similarly sized specimens.

Between the discovery in July 1965 and the salvage in September 1966, up to three tons of rock crystal were broken from the site by collectors and disappeared into private hands or were sold. Today, the site is located in the Hohe Tauern National Park, where the collection of minerals is subject to strict regulations.

Photo: Archive HdN, 1966

On the spot

After moving to its current location in 1959, the museum was able to present more marine biology objects. The orca model was created by Wolfgang Grassberger in 1960.

The killer whale (Orcinus orca), which is about 6 m long, was probably chosen for reasons of space. This meant that a life-size model of this largest dolphin species could be displayed.

However, as the finished model did not fit through the doors of the studio or the corridors of the museum, Wolfgang Grassberger created it directly in the museum's exhibition rooms.

Photo: Archive HdN, 1960

A difficult task

The 10 m long model was created in 1972 by Wolfgang Grassberger on behalf of the Haus der Natur.

For a long time, Giant Squid (Architeuthis dux) were considered a sailor's yarn. However, with the upswing in marine research in the 1950s and 1960s, numerous finds became known.

Under the impression of these discoveries, the Haus der Natur decided to exhibit a model of this extraordinary animal. At the time of its creation, the model was considered “medium-sized”, whereas today's researchers tend to regard this length as the maximum size of the Giant Squid.

Photo: Archive HdN, 1978

A walk-in diorama

In 1998, the “Mammals” exhibition on the 2nd floor of the museum was extensively renovated and redesigned as “Wild Animals of Europe”. The impressive brown bear specimens found a new home thanks to the painter and sculptor Georg Klingersberger. In the naturally designed cave with a view of a wild mountain valley, the visitors now come face to face with brown bears from the Alps, the Carpathians, Russia, Siberia, Alaska and North America. The specimens were donated to the Haus der Natur in the 1920s. This means they are older than the museum itself! They have been prepared in “typical” trophy posture.

Photo: Georg Klingersberger, 1998

A unique opportunity!

This lift is unique in the world: it allows visitors to take to the skies at the touch of a button. Thanks to its particular safety concept - specially developed for use in a Science Center - it can be used independently. The lift has been in use almost daily for over 15 years and has already completed more than 20,000 operating hours. It was developed in-house by Haus der Natur in collaboration with Palfinger AG, TÜV Austria and SICK Sensor Intelligence. For 99.9% of all museum guests, it is the only way to control such a lifting platform.

In the course of the first expansion of the museum at the beginning of the 1980s, the Space Hall was created - one of the few rooms in the Haus der Natur that was planned specifically for exhibition purposes.

Models of various large rockets are still on display there today. The Saturn V rocket is the central eye-catcher. With a height of 4.5 m (the original measures 111 m), the model gives an impression of the immense dimensions of this successful rocket. Saturn V was used for all manned moon missions and was launched a total of 13 times.

Photo: Anrather Oskar

An almost 100-year-old contemporary witness

Our elephant seal comes from Berlin Zoo. Elephant seals were kept there from the 1930s - the males all had the name “Roland”. The deceased animals were mounted by the well-known taxidermists Karl Kästner and Gerhard Schröder.

At least two similar specimens were created: “Roland I” was destroyed in 1944, the second specimen (“Roland II”, who died in 1938) was donated to the Haus der Natur during the Second World War and is therefore the last of the Berlin elephant seal skin sculptures.

Photo: Archive HdN

The interactive giant model of a dental drill on a scale of 25:1 is a visual highlight in the Science Center and unique in the world. It was developed in collaboration between W&H Dentalwerk, Haus der Natur and Atelier Macala and is an exact replica of the drill used by dentists.

The dental drill was the first exhibit to be completed for the Science Center, which opened in 2009. It sets an example for the development of all other stations: It shows how physical-technical principles are translated into interactive stations - here: the fastest gears in the world.

Vultures in a long slumber

The original diorama, created by Franz Pichler in 1923/24, was already one of the highlights of the museum in the old Haus der Natur in the Hofstallkaserne. At that time, bearded vultures were already extinct in the Alps. When the museum moved to its current location in 1959, only the vulture specimens remained. In 2017, artists Georg Klingersberger and Stephan Macala recreated the historical diorama in great detail.

Photo: Archive HdN