Mineralogy
The Mineralogical Collection at Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt is a treasure in true sense of the word. Since its establishment almost 250 years ago the collection has grown to over 20,000 minerals and gemstones today, including circa 7,500 specimens from the nearby Odenwald mountains.
Landgrave Louis X of Hesse-Darmstadt (1753–1830) founded this collection as part of his natural history cabinet in the 18th century, built upon the foundations of the collection of Landgravine Caroline (1721–1774). From this time, his natural history cabinet was open to the public in the Grand Ducal Museum at Darmstadt Castle. In the early 19th century, the cabinet of Baron von Hüpsch, the collections of mineralogist August von Klipstein, among others contributed to the Grand Ducal Museum. In recent years, the acquisition of Paul Ruppenthal’s collection in 1995 brought rare and precious minerals from around the globe to Darmstadt. In the 21st century the micro mount collection, a compilation of small mineral specimen, expanded the historical collection of regional rocks.
Today’s permanent exhibition presents minerals from southern Hesse and other parts the world in a specially designed showcase modelled on a mineral vein. In the systematic section minerals are organised according to their mineral class and crystal structure. The regional collection shows rare and significant minerals from various nearby locations in the Odenwald mountains. As mining activities decrease and quarries are no longer accessible due to reclamation, the Hessisches Landesmuseum thus preserves irreplaceable reference material.
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