Mineralogisches Museum Oberkirchen

About the museum

The museum goes back to a private collection which the mineral enthusiast Augustinus Stein opened to the public as a private museum in 1948. He had discovered his passion for stones around 1920, and many of his pieces came from the area around Freisen. From 1970 his niece Marga Alles continued his life's work.

In 1993 the municipality of Freisen bought the collection. In 1996, members of the Heimat- und Verkehrsverein Oberkirchen (local heritage and tourism association) set up a museum in the previously renovated Alte Schule, where the pieces have since been shown in a historic setting.

The collection includes about 1,500 stones from more than 90 types, mainly agates, jasper, petrified wood, quartz and amethyst. Many finds come from the Weiselberg and the Freisen valley basin, where volcanic activity in the Permian period laid the foundation for the region's wealth of gemstones. Among the most striking pieces is an agate known as "Untergehende Sonne" ("Setting Sun") because of its markings.

Highlights

• About 1,500 stones from more than 90 types
• Agates, jasper, petrified wood, quartz and amethyst
• Agate "Untergehende Sonne" ("Setting Sun") as a special piece
• Finds from the Freisen area and the Weiselberg
• Admission free

Permanent exhibition

• Mineraliensammlung Augustinus Stein – About 1,500 stones, mostly agates, jasper and petrified wood from the Freisen region, presented in the former village school.

Founded

1948

Operated by

Gemeinde Freisen

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Accessibility

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