Geology
The geological exhibition examines the structure and past of our solar system, our planet and our home region of southern Hesse. While a large photo wallpaper of our solar system invites you to come closer, visitors of all ages can explore our solar system in a playful way, using an interactive media station, and marvel at rocks from the Moon, Mars and the vastness of the solar system in our meteorite display case. The interior of the Earth and geological processes are brought to life in a digital block model.
Travel through geological time and explore the Earth's past. Selected fossil organisms illustrate the diversity and evolution of life. A highlight of the exhibition is the reconstruction of a Cretaceous reef, which offers a unique insight into an extinct tropical marine ecosystem. Information on the geology of the Odenwald and a relief model of southern Hesse round off the exhibition.
The origins of the geological collections date back to Johann Heinrich Merck (1741–1791) and the 1780s. Grand Duke Ludwig I of Hesse-Darmstadt (1753–1830) acquired Merck's estate for his natural history cabinet, which was then under construction and formed the basis of today's collection. Until the first half of the 19th century, this consisted mainly of rocks from the Odenwald mountains and collected fossils – ammonites, shells, fish, corals and crinoids.
Today, the geological and palaeontological collections cover a much broader spectrum. The Hessian State Museum houses various collections of fossilised invertebrate organisms of unique diversity and scientific value: from collections of Devonian brachiopods (arm-footed animals) from the Rhenish Massif to Cretaceous rudists (fossilised mussels) from Oman. In addition, the stratigraphic collection includes rocks from all over the world and different geological eras.
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