Naturkundemuseum

The Universalmuseum Joanneum’s natural history collections, established by Archduke Johann in 1811, are regarded as the foundation of this institution. Initially, the institution was a blend of a scientific and technical school along with a museum.The main building of the Joanneum, known as the Lesliehof, is located at Raubergasse 10 in Graz. It houses collections and serves as a teaching facility.The botanical garden was established right after the museum was founded, and it was located on the present-day Joanneumsviertelplatz.The Joanneum Garden, once a vast and highly frequented park, fell into abandonment during the late 1880s.

The collection and display areas for natural history were already experiencing steady growth during the 19th century.Franz Unger, known as the “founder of paleobotany,” established one of the earliest display collections in this field during his time at the Joanneum.In the 1880s, the separation of museum and teaching operations was implemented, and this was also reflected in the physical layout. The showrooms were rearranged, with a focus on creating dense object arrangements.The establishment of the classic systematic lists occurred at the end of the 19th century.A temporary seawater aquarium was created and filled with seawater from Trieste.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Norbertine Bresslern-Roth, a renowned animal painter, was responsible for creating large-scale background paintings for the dioramas in the zoological section of the museum.During the Second World War, themed rooms were established in the Geology & Paleontology Collection to showcase the most significant raw materials found in Styria.During the first half of the 20th century, the botanical collection showcased a variety of fruits and seeds, along with extracts from the herbarium.

During the 1990s, the initial ideas for a completely new design of the Natural History Museum were formulated as a part of the restructuring of the Landesmuseum Joanneum at that time.The construction project Joanneumsviertel was finally completed between 2010 and 2013. This project successfully brought together the main building of the Joanneum, the neo-baroque museum building Neutorgasse, and the Styrian State Library to create an underground cultural center.The Natural History Museum, located within the Joanneum Quarter, is housed in its original building known as the Lesliehof.