Spix-Museum
Museum in the birthplace of the naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix in Höchstadt an der Aisch on his journey to Brazil and the fauna of the Amazon.
About the museum
Johann Baptist Spix was born in 1781 in the house on Badgasse, where his grandfather and father operated a public bathhouse as bathkeepers – hence the street name. Spix became a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, took charge from 1811 of its zoological collection, from which the Zoologische Staatssammlung München (Zoological State Collection Munich) emerged, and from 1817 to 1820, together with the botanist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, explored Brazil on behalf of the Bavarian king.
His parents' house later served as a shoemaker's workshop, from 1830 as a tannery, and finally as a farmer-citizen's house. After the death of the last owner in 1975 it passed to the town and narrowly escaped demolition. The Ritter von Spix Förderverein, founded in 1994, campaigned for its rescue; after renovation, the municipal Spix Museum opened on the ground floor on June 25, 2004, and is run by the association on a volunteer basis.
In 2018/19 the exhibition was redesigned with the support of the Landesstelle für die nichtstaatlichen Museen (state office for non-state museums) and reopened in March 2019; in 2021 the museum received the Bavarian Museum Prize. Thematic areas introduce the researcher and his journey, the fauna of the Amazon, and humankind's treatment of nature, up to species extinction and rainforest clearing. Also on view are animals prepared by Spix himself and long-term loans from the Munich Museum Mensch und Natur, short films, and a jungle diorama with light and sound effects. Another topic is the fate of two Indigenous teenagers whom Spix and Martius brought to Munich.
Highlights
- Jungle diorama with light and sound effects
- Animals from Brazil prepared by Spix himself
- Animal specimens on long-term loan from the Museum Mensch und Natur Munich
- Short films on the Brazil journey 1817–1820
- Birthplace with a history as a former bathhouse
Permanent exhibitions
- Ritter von Spix und Lebensraum Amazonas – The naturalist's life and journey to Brazil, the fauna of the Amazon with specimens and a jungle diorama, and questions about species extinction and rainforest protection.
- Founded
- 2004
- Operated by
- Stadt Höchstadt a. d. Aisch; ehrenamtlich betreut vom Ritter von Spix Förderverein e. V.
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By car
The museum is in the old town, where parking is very limited; it is recommended to walk from the nearby free parking lots.
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.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Tours by registration via the Höchstadt tourism office or the Spix association (0176 83518222); for groups, the museum also opens outside the regular times. |
