Jura-Museum Eichstätt
Website: https://jura-museum.de
Management
PD Dr.Christina Ifrim
Museum
The Jura-Museum at the Willibaldsburg Castle in Eichstätt, high above the Altmühl Valley, is one of the most beautifully situated natural history museums in Germany. The focus of the exhibition is on the fossils of the Solnhofen plate limestones, which were unearthed by the intensive quarrying activity in the region.
The fossils allow visitors to travel back in time to a tropical island, reef and lagoon landscape around 150 million years ago, which was populated by fish dinosaurs and crocodiles, coral fish and crabs, insects and pterosaurs. Among the most impressive fossils are the world’s only specimen of the predatory dinosaur Juravenator and an original of the famous prehistoric bird Archaeopteryx. Magnificent aquariums with reef corals, colourful coral fish and “living fossils” bring to life the colourful diversity of marine life from the Jurassic period, 150 million years before today. A multimedia museum guide, which guests can use on their own smartphones, offers a tour of the most important exhibits. Videos and interactive elements provide exciting insights into the Jurassic period.
Changing special exhibitions offer deep insights into the museum’s main research areas or natural history topics. The Jura Museum also offers an extensive programme of guided tours, workshops and lectures. Its proximity to other attractions at Willibaldsburg Castle (e.g. the Museum of Prehistory and Early History and the Bastion Garden) make the Jura Museum a worthwhile destination for an excursion.
The Jura Museum is responsible for curating the collection of the Bischöfliche Seminar Eichstätt. It is the largest collection of fossils from the Solnhofen plate limestones, which are justifiably world-famous for the uniquely good preservation of their fossils. They represent a window into the world 150 million years ago that is unrivalled in its quality. Researchers from all over the world visit the collection. In addition to its own research projects, the Jura Museum also maintains its own fossil excavation. The excavation dates are published on www.jura-museum.de/Forschung. The research results are published in high-ranking journals and communicated directly at the Jura Museum.
Contact
Burgstraße 19
85072 Eichstätt
Tel.: 08421 602980
Fax: 08421 6029835
info@jura-museum.de
