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The Natural History Museum of Geneva (French: Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève [myzeɔm distwaʁ natyʁɛl də ʒənɛv]; MHNG) is a natural history museum in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the largest natural history museum in Switzerland and one of the ten largest in Europe.[3][4] The museum is home to more than 15 million specimens of animals, rocks, and minerals from around the world, and is a centre of scientific research, conservation of natural and historical heritage, exhibitions, and the dissemination of knowledge.[5] Its collections, exhibited over four floors, represent nearly half of Switzerland's natural history collections.[6]
Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève | |
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 Front façade of the museum after restoration | |
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| Established | 9 March 1820[1] |
|---|---|
| Location | Route de Malagnou 1 Geneva, GE 1208 Switzerland |
| Coordinates | 46°11′58″N 6°9′29″E / 46.19944°N 6.15806°E |
| Type | Natural history museum |
Collection size | 15 million specimens [2] |
| Visitors | 300'000 per year |
| Director | Arnaud Maeder |
Public transit access | Geneva City Bus: Lines 1, 5, 8 and 25 stop Muséum Geneva City Tramway:   stop Villereuse |
| Website | mhn.ch |
Originating at the end of the 18th century, the institution underwent several relocations before moving to its present building in Malagnou Park.[7][8] The museum's collections include important scientific material associated with Geneva naturalists, and are continually expanded by field missions and research work.[9] The museum also maintains a scientific library,[10] has published the Revue suisse de Zoologie since 1893,[11] and is known for exhibiting the two-headed tortoise Janus.[12]
Like other publicly funded municipal museums in Geneva, the Natural History Museum of Geneva offers free access to its permanent collections.[13] The museum is part of Muséum Genève, an institution of the City of Geneva within the Department of Culture and Digital Transition.[14]
Since 1 January 2024, the museum has been closed to the public for renovation and extension works.[15][16]
Collections
editLouis Jurine’s collections of Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Hemiptera are held by the museum.
Other displays include a collection of intricate glass models of invertebrates by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka and a living specimen of a two headed tortoise named Janus. The tortoise is considered the mascot of the museum[17] and is one of their main attractions.[18]
Notable people who worked for the museum
edit- Aloïs Humbert, naturalist and paleontologist, curator since 1852
- Auguste Louis Brot, malacologist, curator and researcher (1855-1896)
- Emil Frey-Gessner, entomologist, conservator of the entomological collections from 1872
- Émile Dottrens, scientific assistant for zoology
- François Jules Pictet de la Rive, curator of paleontological collections
- Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure, member of the managing committee
- Jules Favre, curator (1915-1952)
- Perceval de Loriol, paleontologist and stratigraphist, associated with the museum for over 40 years
- Peter J. Schwendinger, curator
- Pierre Revilliod, curator and researcher
Collections of a number of prominent scientists are held in the museum.
References
edit- ↑ "Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève – Fonds d'archives". Archives du Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ↑ "Muséum d'histoire naturelle". Ville de Genève (in French). City of Geneva. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ↑ "Muséum d'histoire naturelle". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Natural History Museum". Monts du Genevois. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Muséum d'histoire naturelle". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Natural History Museum". Monts du Genevois. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Natural History Museum". Monts du Genevois. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Muséum Genève". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Muséum d'histoire naturelle". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Bibliothèque du Muséum d'histoire naturelle". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Revue suisse de zoologie : annales de la Société suisse de zoologie et du Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève". MHNG Collections (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Janus au Bioparc". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Les bons plans de la culture". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Muséum Genève". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Fermeture du Muséum d'histoire naturelle". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Extension du Muséum d'histoire naturelle". Ville de Genève (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ Chan, Justin (13 Aug 2020). "Let's get ready to shell-ebrate!". Yahoo News. Verizon Media. Retrieved 10 Aug 2021.
- ↑ Connolly, Lucy (11 Aug 2020). "Two-Headed Tortoise Believed To Be Oldest Of Her Kind Is Turning 23". Unilad. LADbible Group. Retrieved 10 Aug 2021.
- Aellen, W., 1970. 150 ans du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de Genève. A. Kundig Genève.
- Sigrist, R., 1990. Les origines de la Société de Physique et d'Histoire naturelle (1790–1822). La science genevoise face au modèle français, Genève. Mémoires de la SPHN, 45/1.
- Sigrist, R., 1995. Les origines du Muséum d'histoire naturelle: 1794–1820. Revue des Musées de Genève. (No spécial: Le Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève : 175 ans), 335, juin: 2–6.
External links
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