Naturalis has existed for 200 years and comes with 25 vulnerable pieces

A specimen of the extinct Cape lion, Darwin finches and the Diepenveen meteorite. These and 25 other objects are so vulnerable that they have been stored for a long time in the dark depot of Naturalis in Leiden. But in honor of the museum’s 200th anniversary, they are shown in the anniversary exhibition Priceless.

The temporary exhibition lasts 200 days and will be opened this afternoon by King Willem-Alexander. His ancestor Willem I founded the museum in 1820 from his private collection of special plants and animals. It has now grown into an institution of worldwide renown.

Darwinvinken

For Edwin van Huis, director of Naturalis, the most impressive objects are the finches Darwin took from the Galapagos Islands. “For me, these Darwin finches were mainly a symbol to explain how evolution works. I never realized that those things really existed. And that they are therefore somewhere in the dark and cooled in a drawer in the tower of Naturalis. Fantastic. “

The source of inspiration for Orange’s coat of arms, the Cape lion, is also part of the exhibition. “The extinct Cape lion is the first lion species we got to know in the Netherlands. When the Dutch ships arrived at the Cape of Good Hope to supply, they also wanted to take something with them to the Netherlands. Often they took plants and animals with them and so it is. the Cape lion also ended up in the Netherlands. “

New varieties

The tower at the Naturalis building forms the depot where more than 42 million objects are stored. “We never throw anything away, so the collection is still growing.” Scientists who wish to do so can access the extensive collection, as there is still plenty to research.

“They quietly say to each other: ‘If you want to find new species, you should not go to the jungle at all, but just go up that tower.’ The chance that you will discover new species there is still very high.”

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