Kiel Zoological Museum: 250 years of research and a new species of crab!

Kiel Zoological Museum: 250 years of research and a new species of crab!

On October 17, 2025, the Zoological Museum of the Christian Albrechts University of Kiel (CAU) will celebrate a remarkable 250th anniversary. As part of these celebrations, the Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther, received a very special gift: a newly discovered species of crab, the Erebusa danielguentheri, was named in honor of his name. The certificate was handed over in the historic museum building, designed by Martin Gropius. The naming of this crab aims to draw attention to the important role of natural history museums and biodiversity research.

The crab species comes from the limestone caves of Khammuan Province in Laos. It was discovered by scientists from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt. The student Myria Schröder worked on the crab as part of her bachelor's thesis and identified it as an undescribed species with the support of students and a scientist from the National University of Laos. Prof. Dirk Brandis, the museum director, emphasized the importance of young researchers in expanding knowledge about biodiversity.

The highlights of the anniversary

There will be another highlight during the official ceremony: the unveiling of a 3.8 meter long fossilized Ichthyosaurus, which will be on permanent loan from the Braunschweig State Natural History Museum. The fossil was recently brought to the museum on May 7, 2025. Prime Minister Günther expressed pride at the special honor associated with naming the crab after him.

The Zoological Museum in Kiel is one of the oldest natural history museums in Germany and was founded in the 17th century. It is considered one of the first museums of the 19th century to combine scientific research with an educational concept. With over 550,000 exhibits, it has earned an international reputation in marine biology over the last two centuries.

Special features of the exhibition

A central feature of the museum is the Walhalle, which opened in 1881. Here, visitors can admire the skeleton of a blue whale, which is on display along with a beluga whale skeleton. A total of 13 whale skeletons can be seen in the museum. In the deep-sea exhibition, which covers over 60% of the Earth's surface, the museum presents animals such as viper fish, bright red crabs, glowing jellyfish and a giant squid.

There are also exhibitions dedicated to butterflies, birds and the ocean. The permanent exhibition “Ocean of the Future” deals with current findings in marine research, particularly on topics such as fisheries, sea level rise and ocean circulation. For those interested, the Zoological Museum can be reached at Hegewischstrasse 32, 24105 Kiel and offers further information on 0431-880-5170. Additional details are on the website zoological-museum.uni-kiel.de to find.

Overall, the anniversary celebration of the Kiel Zoological Museum highlights both the historical achievements and the current challenges of natural history museums today.