the mineral exhibition of the NHM Vienna / pt. 1
by Robert Kunze
![Aragonite_Erzberg_3 Aragonite_Erzberg_3](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Erzberg_11.jpg)
The museum
The museum of natrual history in Vienna is located in the center of the Austria capital. Based in a very large, historic building it shows very relevant collections of biology, geology, anthropology, archeology and many more.
The building itself is about 270 years old and looks like a palace. Some of the rooms are very large and capable of presenting even large collections or exhibits.
The museum is open all days, it is ideal for visiting also with children.
Click here to vitit the museums’ website.
![OEK_50 Map Vienna](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/OEK_50.jpg)
![Von C.Stadler/Bwag - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49847481 Wien_-_Naturhistorisches_Museum](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Wien_-_Naturhistorisches_Museum_k.jpg)
The mineral collection
The mineral collection is a centerpiece of the exhibitions. In several huge rooms, decorated with large historical pictures, the pieces are presented.
The display cases are historical throughout, made of dark wood. Hundreds of linear meters of display cases house thousands of mineral specimens. However, this also means that the lighting cannot meet today’s requirements for full illumination of the mineral specimens.
Since the collection was established more than a hundred years ago, Austria was then still an empire and much larger than today, one finds there especially many specimens of the former empire.
Many minerals on display come from deposits that are no longer located in Austria, but in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia or Italy.
Since these are often very old, historical pieces, the German name of the locality is mentioned throughout. An example is Felsöbanya, today’s Baia Sprie in Romania. You will be amazed, as I was, what mineral specimens were found in the respective deposits, often in exceptional quality.
Another difference from today’s way of collecting: The mineral specimens do not necessarily meet today’s demands in terms of aesthetics.
Only rarely will you find a piece that shows only one crystal on a small piece of matrix (today’s demand for aesthetics). But exactly this makes the old pieces mostly distinctive.
![Raum_2 NHM collection room 2](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Raum_2.jpg)
![Gemälde_1 NHM collection picture 1](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Gemalde_1.jpg)
![Von Henry Lange - "Volksschul-Atlas", Dreihundertste Auflage, George Westermann in Braunschweig, 1899. Scan made by Olahus, Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1639054 Austria-Hungary1899_k](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Austria-Hungary1899_k.jpg)
My visit of the collection
I visited the mineral collection for about 3 hours. In this time I got a good overview, but I could not look at every piece more closely. You will know this, with time the eye gets tired and it is hard to concentrate.
I tried to find the pieces that were interesting for me and also to take pictures. This is not easy, because of the shape of the showcases many pieces are not well lit. Of course, this also shows in the pictures (I had to use a mobile phone). The quality of the photos is not comparable to pieces in new display cases or even studio photos.
I hope it is still interesting to look at pieces of such an old collection.
In this first part are the pictures of about 70 specimens, more articles with pictures from the collection will follow.
I hope you’ll enjoy! Robert
Aragonite (11 photos)
![Aragonite_Meiselding Aragonite_Meiselding](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Meiselding.jpg)
![Aragonite_NovaScotia Aragonite_NovaScotia](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_NovaScotia.jpg)
![Aragonite_Altvatergebirge Aragonite_Altvatergebirge](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Altvatergebirge.jpg)
![Aragonite_Eisenerz Aragonite_Eisenerz](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Eisenerz.jpg)
![Aragonite_Zapuri Aragonite_Zapuri](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Zapuri.jpg)
![Aragonite_Karlsbad Aragonite_Karlsbad](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Karlsbad.jpg)
![Aragonite_Erzberg_4 Aragonite_Erzberg_4](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Eisenerz_3.jpg)
![Aragonite_Schemnitz_2 Aragonite_Schemnitz](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Schemnitz_2-1.jpg)
![Aragonite_Siena Aragonite_Siena](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Siena-1.jpg)
![Aragonite_Eisenerz_2 Aragonite_Eisenerz_2](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_Eisenerz_2.jpg)
![Aragonite_display_Erzberg Aragonite_display_Erzberg](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Aragonite_display_Erzberg.jpg)
Arsenic (1 photo)
![Arsenic_StAndreasberg Arsenic_StAndreasberg](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Arsenic_StAndreasberg.jpg)
Bismuth (1 photo)
![Bismuth_Jachymov Bismuth_Jachymov](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Bismuth_Jachymov.jpg)
Calcite (30 photos)
![Calcite_Untersulzbachtal Calcite_Untersulzbachtal](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Untersulzbachtal.jpg)
![Calcite_Trepca Calcite_Trepca](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Trepca.jpg)
![Calcite_StAndreasberg_4 Calcite_StAndreasberg_4](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_StAndreasberg_4.jpg)
![Calcite_StAndreasberg_3 Calcite_StAndreasberg_3](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_StAndreasberg_3.jpg)
![Calcite_Serifos Calcite_Serifos](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Serifos.jpg)
![Calcite_Schemnitz_3 Calcite_Schemnitz_3](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Schemnitz_3.jpg)
![Calcite_Pribram_2 Calcite_Pribram_2](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Pribram_2.jpg)
![Calcite_StAndreasberg_2 Calcite_StAndreasberg_2](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_StAndreasberg_2.jpg)
![Calcite_Schemnitz Calcite_Schemnitz](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Schemnitz.jpg)
![Calcite_StAndreasberg Calcite_StAndreasberg](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_StAndreasberg.jpg)
![Calcite_Schemnitz_2 Calcite_Schemnitz_2](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Schemnitz_2.jpg)
![Calcite_Rateboritz Calcite_Rateboritz](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Rateboritz.jpg)
![Calcite_Pribram Calcite_Pribram](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Pribram.jpg)
![Calcite_Niederrabenstein Calcite_Niederrabenstein](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Niederrabenstein.jpg)
![Calcite_Moldava Calcite_Moldava](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Moldava.jpg)
![Calcite_Malmberget Calcite_Malmberget](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Malmberget.jpg)
![Calcite_Lissabon Calcite_Lissabon](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Lissabon.jpg)
![Calcite_Lancashire Calcite_Lancashire](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Lancashire.jpg)
![Calcite_Jachymov Calcite_Jachymov](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Jachymov.jpg)
![Calcite_Irai Calcite_Irai](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Irai.jpg)
![Calcite_Huettenberg_2 Calcite_Huettenberg_2](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Huettenberg_2.jpg)
![Calcite_Huettenberg Calcite_Huettenberg](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Huettenberg.jpg)
![Calcite_Gyöngyösorozi Calcite_Gyöngyösorozi](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Gyongyosorozi.jpg)
![Calcite_Gongboi Calcite_Gongboi](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Gongboi.jpg)
![Calcite_Egremont Calcite_Egremont](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Egremont.jpg)
![Calcite_Dreistätten Calcite_Dreistätten](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Dreistatten.jpg)
![Calcite_Cumberland Calcite_Cumberland](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Cumberland.jpg)
![Calcite_Cornwall Calcite_Cornwall](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Cornwall.jpg)
![Calcite_Brixlegg Calcite_Brixlegg](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Brixlegg.jpg)
![Calcite_Bräunsdorf Calcite_Bräunsdorf](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Calcite_Braunsdorf.jpg)
Cassiterite (5 photos)
![Cassiterit_Zinnwald Cassiterit_Zinnwald](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cassiterit_Zinnwald.jpg)
![Cassiterit_Schlaggenwald Cassiterit_Schlaggenwald](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cassiterit_Schlaggenwald.jpg)
![Cassiterit_Krupka Cassiterit_Krupka](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cassiterit_Krupka.jpg)
![Cassiterit_Ehrenfriedersdorf Cassiterit_Ehrenfriedersdorf](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cassiterit_Ehrenfriedersdorf.jpg)
![Cassiterit_Cornwall Cassiterit_Cornwall](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cassiterit_Cornwall.jpg)
Cerussite (8 photos)
![Cerussite_Zellerfeld Cerussite_Zellerfeld](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cerussite_Zellerfeld.jpg)
![Cerussite_Tsumeb Cerussite_Tsumeb](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cerussite_Tsumeb.jpg)
![Cerussite_Pribram_3 Cerussite_Pribram_3](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cerussite_Pribram_3.jpg)
![Cerussite_Pribram_2 Cerussite_Pribram_2](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cerussite_Pribram_2.jpg)
![Cerussite_Pribram_1 Cerussite_Pribram_1](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cerussite_Pribram_1.jpg)
![Cerussite_Mies Cerussite_Mies](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cerussite_Mies.jpg)
![Cerussite_Langenstriegis Cerussite_Langenstriegis](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cerussite_Langenstriegis.jpg)
![Cerussite_Johanngeogenstadt Cerussite_Johanngeogenstadt](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cerussite_Johanngeogenstadt.jpg)
Goethite (7 photos)
![Goethite_Elba Goethite_Elba](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Goethite_Elba.jpg)
![Goethite_Horhausen Goethite_Horhausen](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Goethite_Horhausen.jpg)
![Goethite_Huettenberg Goethite_Huettenberg](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Goethite_Huettenberg.jpg)
![Goethite_Kamenitz Goethite_Kamenitz](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Goethite_Kamenitz.jpg)
![Goethite_LakeGeorge Goethite_LakeGeorge](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Goethite_LakeGeorge.jpg)
![Goethite_Nadabula Goethite_Nadabula](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Goethite_Nadabula.jpg)
![Goethite_Szirj Goethite_Szirj](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Goethite_Szirj.jpg)
Lithiophorite (1 photo)
![Lithiophorite_Rengersdorf Lithiophorite_Rengersdorf](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Lithiophorite_Rengersdorf.jpg)
Psilomelan (3 photos)
![Psilomelan_Reinwege Psilomelan_Reinwege](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Psilomelan_Reinwege.jpg)
![Psilomelan_Horhausen Psilomelan_Horhausen](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Psilomelan_Horhausen.jpg)
![Psilomelan_Hollerterzug Psilomelan_Hollerterzug](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Psilomelan_Hollerterzug.jpg)
Pyrolusite (1 photo)
![Pyrolusit_Platten Pyrolusit_Platten](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Pyrolusit_Platten.jpg)
Rhodochrosite (2 photos)
![Rhodochrosite_Nagyag Rhodochrosite_Nagyag](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rhodochrosite_Nagyag.jpg)
![Rhodochrosite_Jakuma Rhodochrosite_Jakuma](https://mistermineral.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rhodochrosite_Jakuma.jpg)
This was the 1st part of photos from this famous collection. I hope you enjoyed. Thank you very much!
Robert
Wow. Thanks so much Robert. My day is enriched. Cheers, Scott, Canada
Thank you very much for your feedback, Scott!