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 was founded in 1806 by Chr. F. Schwägrichen (1775–1853) and is the oldest university herbarium in Germany. The collection is primarily a research collection, with subcollections specifically designed for student education. As a service to the public, the herbarium offers species identification, provides cultivation recommendations for plants, and suggests measures to combat phytoparasitic fungi.