Herbarium Universitatis Lipsiensis
Team WissensSpuren und Herbarium Universitatis Lipsiensis
With over 2,600 public botanical collections worldwide, housing more than 300 million plant specimens, the Leipzig Herbarium stands as one of the most historically significant. It is an independent institution within the university, housed at the Institute of Biology (AG Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Plants).
History
The herbarium was founded in 1806 by Chr. F. Schwägrichen (1775–1853) and is the oldest university herbarium in Germany. Renowned Leipzig botanists, including G. Kunze (1793–1851), E. F. Poeppig (1798–1868), G. H. Mettenius (1823–1866), and J. A. Schenk (1815–1891), enriched the herbarium with valuable collections. For many years, ferns were the primary focus of research and collection. In the first half of the 20th century, plant physiology emerged as an additional research focus.
In December 1943, the herbarium was completely destroyed and was rebuilt starting in 1947. Since then, the collection has been continually expanded. Currently, the herbarium holds approximately 150,000 plant and fungal specimens. The majority of the specimens were and continue to be collected by Leipzig scientists during research trips, excursions, or in their leisure time. As a result, the plant collection reflects both past and current research priorities. Through exchanges of duplicates and donations, numerous additional specimens from around the world have been added to the herbarium.
Education and Research
The collection primarily serves as a research resource. It is an essential reference for systematic studies and plays a key role in related scientific fields such as ecology, zoology, pharmacy, genetics, biochemistry, and environmental and conservation science. It is used, for example, to study trends in plant decline or expansion, the search for medically active natural substances, and the study of interactions between animals and plants (such as pollination, seed dispersal, or herbivory).
Certain subcollections were specifically created for student education and are actively utilized.
Outreach
As a service to the public, the herbarium provides species identification, offers cultivation recommendations for plants, and suggests measures against phytoparasitic fungi. Guided tours are available on the first Wednesday of every month (starting at 4:00 PM) and can also be arranged for other dates upon request. School classes and kindergarten groups are also warmly welcomed.