Geiseltalmuseum

The Geiseltalmuseum stands in Halle (Saale) inside the former chapel built in 1531 by Cardinal Albrecht II of Brandenburg. The chapel sits in the north wing of the Neue Residenz, not far from the market square. It is a geological and palaeontological museum focused on the Geiseltal fossil site. The site lies southwest of Halle and was once a brown-coal mining area until 1993. The museum displays finds from the middle Eocene epoch, including plant remains that may still contain chlorophyll. The collection includes the early horse Propalaeotherium, crocodiles and beetles, all exceptionally well preserved. Johannes Weigelt, director of the Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut, opened the museum on 23 November 1934. It holds about 50,000 fossils and forms part of the Martin-Luther-Universität’s central natural-science collections. The building was closed to the public from 2011 until 2018 while work took place. Visitors enter the chapel rooms to see fossils arranged in glass cases along the walls. The displays show how the Geiseltal once supported lush vegetation and diverse animal life. A small central area allows space to stand and study the exhibits. The stone vaulting and original chapel windows frame the fossils, linking the building’s 16th-century history with its scientific purpose. Outside, the Neue Residenz courtyard offers a quiet spot before or after the visit.