naturhistorisches

Naturhistorisches is a German term that translates to natural history, referring to the study of the natural world, including living organisms, geology, paleontology, and minerals. In German-speaking countries, the phrase is commonly used in the names of museums and scientific institutions that collect, study, and exhibit natural specimens.

Historically, natural history emerged in the Enlightenment and developed into organized disciplines within universities and specialized museums. In the 18th and 19th centuries, public museums dedicated to natural history were established to educate citizens, support scientific research, and promote exploration.

Notable examples include the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Natural History Museum Vienna), one of the world's major natural history museums, housing extensive collections in zoology, paleontology and mineralogy. Other institutions with the naming form Naturhistorisches Museum Basel in Switzerland and Naturhistorisches Museum Bern similarly curate large public collections.

In museums, permanents and temporary exhibitions cover evolution, biodiversity, geology, and anthropogenic changes. Beyond museums, Naturhistorisches is used in German for the study and teaching of natural history in universities and research institutes.

The term denotes both a scholarly field and a public-facing collection activity intended to document, conserve, and explain the natural world.