The rock collection of the mineralogical-petrographic department contains several ten thousand objects from occurrence of the whole world. The rock showcases are currently being redesigned.
The variety of rocks is presented in 21 comprehensive showcases in Saal 4. In the course of a redesign of the first three showcases, new labels, with rock names in German and English and updated, foundation in the state language, as well as new headings, also in German and English, were attached. A self -explanatory color coding serves to quickly assign the rocks according to their process.
The first three showcases were completely renovated. The focus is on the circulation of the rocks. The development of the most important rock groups is shown using examples. Everything is recycled on earth. In this way, the interior of the magma can slowly crystallize or quickly break out and freeze as a lava. Erosion and chemical deposition form the sediments that solidify to rock. Regardless of their origin, rocks are converted by pressure and temperature due to tectonic deformation. These rocks can then either be melted or raised again and eroded. That is the circulation of the rock formation.
“Some special examples are shown on the side in the showcases,” explains Lidia Pittarello, curator of the rock collection and the concept of redesign. “These examples cannot be classified in this scheme. They only occur locally and form under extreme conditions. For example, you can see the pumice -like melt that arises in large rock falls. The impressive melting of friction that forms in seismic events is another example. The deformation is also shown in a joke zone in which the rocks appear butter -soft. The showcase also houses a fulgurite that arises when a flash is taken. “
Only a very limited part of the collection is accessible to the public, mainly in Hall 4where the rocks are systematically arranged and (almost) all important types of rock from various occurrences in Austria and all over the world represent.
The rock collection contains many historical samples. Some of them were collected in numerous overseas expeditions in the 19th century. The rock collection grows primarily through rock samples that are collected by the museum employees or who come to the museum as gifts. This increases the scientific value of the collection and its completeness.
The collection serves as a research tool that is regularly used by national and international geoscientists. However, it also provides objects for exhibitions and is used as a collection of reference for architect, conservator and stonemasons that require information about historical rocks, building materials and quarries.
In order to give the public and interested scientists a virtual view of more objects of the rock collection, a computer database was developed (including pictures of the objects and scans of the inventory labels), some of which is public.
Public database Europeana About the construction and decorative rocks of the NHM Vienna: https://www.europeana.eu/de/collections/organisation/2559-natural-history-museum-vienna
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