The Senckenberg Society for Nature Research looks back on a 200-year history. From the founding of the civic society in 1817 to the present day, it has consistently faced new challenges and has grown alongside its mission. Throughout this time, it has remained true to its long-standing motto: to conduct research and share the results with the public. With its scientific research, collections, and museums, Senckenberg holds a prominent position in German biodiversity research.
History
History
In 1763, the Frankfurt physician and naturalist Dr. Johann Christian Senckenberg donated his entire fortune of 95,000 guilders to a foundation. Over the years, this led to the establishment of, among other things, a medical institute, a library open to everyone, a chemistry laboratory, and a greenhouse for medicinal plants. The public hospital, also initiated by Senckenberg, which was intended to treat the poor as well, began operations in 1779. Senckenberg did not live to see the completion of his work. He died on November 15, 1772.
While the Bürgerhospital continued to grow, the scientific institutes made only limited progress following Johann Christian Senckenberg’s death. During a visit to his hometown in 1815, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lamented that Senckenberg’s legacy was not being adequately carried forward.
On November 22, 1817, 32 Frankfurt citizens with an interest in science founded the Senckenberg Society for Natural History, now known as the Senckenberg Society for Natural History. Although it bears the name Senckenberg, it remains institutionally independent of the Dr. Senckenberg Foundation.
The catalyst for the society’s founding was a macabre scandal: a rare black seal from the Adriatic Sea was presented as a curiosity at the Frankfurt Fair in 1817. When the animal died, no one took care of the carcass, which eventually rotted away. This incident outraged many nature-loving citizens of Frankfurt and spurred them to create an institution that would protect and care for such specimens in the future. The foundation for today’s Senckenberg Natural History Museum was laid by Dr. Johann Georg Neuburg, who bequeathed his valuable collection of mammals and birds to the newly founded society.
Senckenberg takes over parts of the library and the natural history collection of the Dr. Senckenberg Foundation at the Eschenheimer Turm, where it also has its first headquarters. The Senckenberg Museum is built in just four years. It owes its rise to the top tier of German research museums to renowned and ambitious members such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the physicians Dr. Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar and Dr. Johann Georg Neuburg. The objects collected on numerous expeditions by the second Senckenberg director, Dr. Eduard Rüppell, good relations with State Councilor Simon Moritz von Bethmann and the Frankfurt Senate, as well as donations from wealthy Frankfurt citizens, do the rest.
With the museum building at the Eschenheimer Tower bursting at the seams, construction of a new exhibition hall began in 1904, and it was officially opened on October 13, 1907, at its current location. For the inauguration, the American Museum of Natural History donated an original skeleton of Diplodocus longus, the first dinosaur skeleton at the Senckenberg Natural History Museum—a crowd-pleaser from the very beginning.
The move marked the introduction of a new concept: the museum, with its public collection, and the research institute, with its research collection, were separated organizationally but remained closely intertwined. To this day, a shared director ensures that the two units do not drift apart: the museum is not intended to become a science center operating in isolation from current research. On the other hand, research should not withdraw from the public eye. Dr. Fritz Römer becomes the first director to lead the new museum.
In 1914, the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main was founded as a foundation university. Senckenberg was one of the founders; he added a south wing to the museum building and ceded it to the university for use by the Institute of Zoology and the Institute of Geology and Paleontology. Senckenberg’s Prof. Dr. Otto zur Strassen, Prof. Dr. Martin Moebius, and later Prof. Dr. Fritz Drevermann were appointed to university chairs, laying the foundation for a partnership that remains fruitful to this day.
Research in the 1920s was overshadowed by inflation and the Great Depression. Despite these difficult times, Director Fritz Drevermann succeeded in increasing the number of paying members to 14,000 through intensive advertising campaigns. In doing so, he received financial support from Dr. Arthur von Weinberg, a prominent patron who was later persecuted by the Nazis and died in 1943 at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. On the occasion of its 200th anniversary, the Senckenberg Society commissioned an independent investigation into its own history during the Nazi era and published the findings as a book.
In 1928, Prof. Dr. Rudolf Richter founded “Senckenberg am Meer” in Wilhelmshaven, the world’s first scientifically oriented marine research station. His simple yet ingenious idea was this: The laws of physics do not change, and therefore the present is the key to the past—from which, in turn, we can learn for the future! With this approach, Richter laid the foundation for the future expansion of (marine) research at Senckenberg.
Starting in 1934, Senckenberg’s paleontology department flourished under museum director Rudolf Richter. “Senckenberg by the Sea” was expanded into a permanently staffed research station. During World War II, however, research came to a near standstill as many scientists were drafted into the military. The staff who remained behind managed to relocate the valuable collections from Frankfurt and the surrounding area to numerous locations. And so, during a heavy air raid on March 22, 1944—a blessing in disguise—the bombs struck a building that was virtually empty.
Over countless hours and days, the rubble is cleared away, and the research institute and the museum are initially restored on a temporary basis. On March 4, 1954, Senckenberg is included in the joint federal-state research funding program. The continued existence and expansion of the institution are of national importance for the Federal Republic, which had been founded five years earlier. From this point on, Senckenberg has a secure and adequate budget at its disposal for its scientific work—research becomes more professional.
The first postwar director, Prof. Dr. Robert Mertens, an internationally renowned herpetologist, ushered in a new era of fieldwork: the mere collection of animals took a back seat to their observation and study in their natural habitats. The goal is to view and understand ecosystems as a whole. During this phase, Senckenberg also expands its geographical horizons and turns its attention to global research topics in remote countries.
The 1960s were marked by a widespread focus on public education. Television, amusement parks, and increased travel opportunities presented new challenges to the natural history museum, which had previously been regarded as a window to the world. Bernard Grzimek, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and Heinz Sielmann “conjured” real nature and research directly into living rooms through their programs. In 1961, Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schäfer took over as director at Senckenberg and modernized the exhibitions, which had previously been organized in an encyclopedic manner. Graphic representations found their way into the museum, making the exhibits accessible to a broad audience.
Under Director Wilhelm Schäfer, “Senckenberg am Meer” expanded significantly. For example, he established several sections dedicated to marine invertebrates and encouraged researchers from related fields to also focus on marine research. Senckenberg scientists now regularly participate in expeditions aboard large research vessels such as the “Meteor” and the “Sonne.” With the acquisition of the research cutter “Senckenberg,” based in Wilhelmshaven, research activities can be expanded from the German Bight to the entire North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Inland, environmental research is increasingly coming into focus. The Section for Limnological Ecology and Entomology IV focuses on heavily polluted rivers such as the Rhine and the Main. In the exhibition “Environment 2000,” Senckenberg brings this issue to the public’s attention—much to the displeasure of the industry associations of the time. The increasingly ecologically oriented research also requires a direct “on-site” presence. For this reason, a branch office for low-mountain range research is established in the Spessart in 1969: the Lochmühle in Bieber.
In the 1980s, a results-oriented mindset took hold, one that had almost economic characteristics. Research institutions came under increasing pressure to disclose their plans, goals, and achievements to the public—the individual interests of researchers took a back seat to collective tasks. The Science Council began conducting regular evaluations. Under Director Prof. Dr. Willi Ziegler, the administration was modernized and adapted to the new requirements. Starting in 1989, computer systems were introduced at Senckenberg. It was an era of large-scale projects that required teamwork and networking as well as professional commercial and administrative management.
In 1991, following intense protests, the Hessian state government acquired the world-famous Grube Messel fossil site—thus saving it from being filled in with garbage as originally planned. Senckenberg had been conducting intensive excavations there since the 1970s and had repeatedly made spectacular discoveries—the Eohippus is arguably one of the most famous. In 1992, the State of Hesse entrusted Senckenberg with scientific management of the site. This led to the creation of a dedicated department for Messel research and a field station directly at the pit. Since then, domestic and international research teams have unearthed sensational fossils from the world of 47 million years ago every year. The efforts paid off: in 1995, the highest recognition followed—UNESCO declared the Messel Pit a World Natural Heritage Site.
Throughout the 1990s, numerous large-scale research projects emerged that brought together various disciplines. As early as 1985, the “Biotope Mapping of the City of Frankfurt am Main” provided valuable foundational data that is still used today for spatial planning. The “Hessian Natural Forest Reserves” project focuses on the wildlife of forest areas that have been deliberately removed from commercial forestry use, thereby generating important insights for nature conservation and sustainable forest management.
Senckenberg also sets standards internationally: During the first Gulf War, millions of tons of crude oil spilled into the Persian Gulf. In 1991, the “Gulf Project” was launched to document the flora and fauna of the affected coastal regions. Later, a marine protected area was established, which continues to ensure the preservation of these unique habitats to this day.
The period following German reunification was marked by several major collaborations and mergers. In 1998, the Taxonomic Working Group of the Helgoland Biological Research Station became part of Senckenberg. In 2000, the “German Center for Marine Biodiversity” was established in Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg. In the same year, the “Institute for Quaternary Paleontology” in Weimar joined Senckenberg.
New large-scale projects are emerging in many fields: In the Atlantic Ocean and the deep basins of the Mediterranean Sea, researchers are mapping the largely unknown deep-sea fauna. These activities are part of the “Census of Marine Life,” an international project aimed at systematically documenting biodiversity in the world’s oceans. As part of the BIOTA-West Africa initiative, the Department of Botany is investigating how climate and human activity influence the plant world. Senckenberg’s Devonian research dates back to the Paleozoic era and focuses on climatic changes that occurred around 400 million years ago. Since 2006, the research station in Gelnhausen has been conducting intensive work on methods of genetic wildlife monitoring and DNA barcoding. In 2008, the “Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center” (SBiK-F) was established at the Frankfurt site.
The “Senckenberg Society for Natural History,” founded in 1817, is being renamed the “Senckenberg Society for Natural History.”
In 2009, Senckenberg merged with the Museum of Natural History in Görlitz, the Dresden Natural History Collections, and the German Entomological Institute in Müncheberg. The roots of the Dresden site date back to the 16th century. Even back then, natural history specimens were collected in the Saxon Elector’s art cabinet. 1728 is considered the founding year of the museum there, when Augustus the Strong first separated his natural history specimens into independent collections. The Senckenberg site in Görlitz also looks back on a centuries-old tradition. As early as 1811, the Ornithological Society of Görlitz was founded there, from which today’s Natural History Society and the museum emerged. Also part of the new research network: the “German Entomological Institute” in Müncheberg, which has existed for over 80 years. The merger with the three institutes strengthens Senckenberg’s expertise and creates a broad network for scientific research and biodiversity monitoring. Director Prof. Dr. Fritz Steininger spearheaded the merger until 2005, after which Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Volker Mosbrugger completed the successful integration.
In 2008, the Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (BiK-F) was established in Frankfurt. The driving force behind the integration was Director Prof. Dr. Fritz Steininger until 2005; since 2005, this role has been held by Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Volker Mosbrugger.
Senckenberg is significantly expanding its role in biodiversity research, thereby assuming a leading position in the scientific community. Under Director General Volker Mosbrugger, a new research portfolio is taking shape: Four overarching, major research questions are now taking center stage and are being addressed across all locations. Numerous collaborations in the research and collections sectors are developing between the various sites. The number of collection items has grown from 22 to 35 million, and additional exhibition venues have been added in Dresden and Görlitz.
Senckenberg continues to evolve: Following strong growth through 2010, the focus is now shifting to construction projects that will affect all areas: research, collections, and exhibitions. This also includes an expansion of the physical space. In Frankfurt, following the university’s move to the Westend campus, Senckenberg will take over the university’s main building as well as the historic headquarters of the Physikalischer Verein. The museum will also be significantly expanded. The “Biodiversity and Climate Research Center” will move into its own building in June 2013.
On January 1, 2017, Senckenberg expands its network with a seventh institute: the “Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment” (SHEP) at the University of Tübingen. It received the official research mandate from the state of Lower Saxony for the world-famous excavations in Schöningen, Lower Saxony, where Senckenberg operates its own research station. The most spectacular finds—including the oldest wooden spears known to humanity—are impressively displayed in the local research museum.
In 2020, Senckenberg, together with Goethe University and the Zoological Society, founded the Frankfurt Conservation Center (FCC). It brings together research, practice, and education for integrated nature conservation and sustainable development worldwide.
For Senckenberg, the decade 2021–2030 is marked by an ambitious commitment to addressing the biodiversity and climate crises.
The LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG) is a flagship project in modern natural science research. Since its launch in 2018, it has been dedicated to the genetic foundations of biological diversity and has since become a key player in this field of research.
In the 10-year “Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance” (SOSA) project—made possible by a major donation—marine researchers around the world are cataloging previously unknown species as quickly as possible in order to protect them. To this end, SOSA cooperates closely with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to accelerate species assessments for the Red List.
Under the “Anthropocene Biodiversity Loss” initiative, Senckenberg is intensively addressing the impacts of human activity on our planet. The focus is on measures to protect biological diversity and ensure a sustainable future. Three key areas are to be permanently established: “Collectomics,” “Biodiversity Genomics,” and the “Solutions Labs.” In the “Solutions Labs,” scientists work in direct collaboration with societal stakeholders—from affected citizens and government officials to businesses and politicians—to develop sustainable solutions for the pressing problems of our time.
The “Senckenberg Institute for Plant Diversity” (SIP) in Jena was established in 2024 as the Society’s eighth institute, in close cooperation with Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research. Using state-of-the-art, data-driven methods, the SIP studies changes in plant biodiversity.
In 2024, the federal government gave the green light for the “New Senckenberg Natural History Museum” in Frankfurt—the modernization and expansion of the research institute and natural history museum in Frankfurt is being generously co-funded. Planning is in full swing. Completion is scheduled for 2037. But the museum’s work is not standing still: the impressive new permanent exhibition “Deep Sea and Marine Research” is drawing many visitors to Frankfurt—as the first module of the modular renovation, followed in 2020 by the modules “Rivers” and “Tropical Coral Reef.”
