January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Ach du dickes Dino-Ei – oder warum der Oviraptor keine Eier raubte
Small show in the foyer on dinosaur eggs, feathers from the age of dinosaurs and extinct elephant birds, based on new additions to the collection.
Mauritianum
Natural history museum in Altenburg with collections on the geology, fauna and flora of the Osterland region – and the famous Altenburg rat king.
Opening hoursFree admission
Current exhibitions
January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Das zarte Fräulein Zartschrecke – Der Altenburger Schlosspark als Refugium
The exhibition presents rare insects that find a refuge among the old trees of the palace park.
January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Auerochse, Wildpferd & Co. – Mitteleuropas ausgestorbene BIG FIVE
Large herbivores such as the aurochs, European bison and wild horse, and their role in the formation of open landscapes.
January 1, 2026 – November 3, 2026
Feldpost aus dem Donbass 1944 und 2022
Letters and drawings from two wars in the same region are juxtaposed.
About the museum
The Mauritianum is run by the Naturforschende Gesellschaft des Osterlandes (Natural Research Society of the Osterland), which was founded in Altenburg in 1817 and still exists today. Its members included representatives of the Brehm family of naturalists. For a long time, its collections were scattered across various unsuitable rooms in the town.
It was not until 1907/08 that a dedicated museum building was erected at the edge of the palace park, to plans by Alfred Wanckel, director of state building works for Saxe-Altenburg, on a plot provided by the ducal family. It was named after Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg, the society's former president. The official opening took place on November 1, 1908.
The building underwent a comprehensive renovation in 2004/05. In 2011, around 1,500 ethnographic objects returned that had been on loan in Wittenberg for decades. Today, the holdings include objects from geology, paleontology, zoology and botany, among them an important bird collection from the 19th and 20th centuries, fossils from the lignite open-pit mines south of Leipzig and an extensive herbarium.
The best-known exhibit is the Altenburg rat king of 1828, a tangle of 32 mummified rats with their tails knotted together. The museum is run by the Naturforschende Gesellschaft Altenburg e. V., which also operates branch sites and teaches natural history to young people through its Kinderkolleg (children's college).
Highlights
- Altenburg rat king of 1828 (32 mummified rats)
- Bird collection from the 19th and 20th centuries
- Fossils and minerals from the region
- Herbarium with around 10,500 plant specimens
- Purpose-built museum building from 1908 at the edge of the palace park
Permanent exhibitions
- Der Altenburger Rattenkönig – The rat king found in 1828, made up of 32 knotted, mummified animals – one of the largest surviving specimens.
- Sammlungen zu Geologie, Zoologie und Botanik – Fossils and minerals, vertebrates with a focus on birds, insects and a large herbarium from the region.
- Founded
- 1817
- Operated by
- Naturforschende Gesellschaft Altenburg e. V.
- Director
- Mike Jessat
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | –Free admission for everyone. |
|---|---|
| Seniors | –Free admission for everyone. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –Free admission for everyone. |
| Students & apprentices | –Free admission for everyone. |
| Families | –Free admission for everyone. |
| Kinderkolleg (children's college, per session) | €6Monthly courses for children aged 5 and up, registration required |
Admission is free; donations support specimen preparation.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Kinderkolleg "Beobachten, Forschen und Experimentieren" (observing, researching, and experimenting): monthly courses from October to June in five age groups (from age 5 to from age 10) with microscopy and small expeditions into the palace park; registration forms in the download area of the website.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
