AMMONITE MASTERPIECES

When we talk about the Jurassic or Cretaceous periods, everyone thinks of the fascinating world of dinosaurs. But while the dinosaurs dominated the land, another group of animals dominated the seas: the ammonites. For over 350 million years – twice as long as the dinosaurs – they shaped life on our planet. The number of species that evolution has produced is enormous: while we only know about 700 species of dinosaurs, the number of different ammonites exceeds 10,000.

And the diversity of their shells, which we find today as fossils, is just as enormous. And they can be found almost everywhere where there was once a sea – be it here on our doorstep or at one of the countless sites found around the world on all 7 continents.

The transition between art and nature appears to be fluid – one could be forgiven for thinking that evolution has shaped many of these enclosures in this way purely for the joy of beauty. And time also stands still – who can comprehend what a hundred, two hundred, three hundred million years means? And what do we ourselves mean in the face of this overwhelming achievement of nature?

Masterpieces of Ammonites is a unique exhibition that makes over 120 of the most spectacular, beautiful and diverse finds of this famous group of animals accessible to the public for the first time.