35032 Marburg, Universitätsstadt
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The Zoological Collection at Philipps University of Marburg was founded in 1818 by Blasius Merrem. The Zoological Collection currently encompasses far more than the previously estimated 40,000 objects. A full inventory has not yet been completed. Because major portions of the collection were gathered in the 19th century, it also includes a very large quantity of objects from colonial contexts. In addition to a wide range of specimens of invertebrate animals (several thousand objects, mostly molluscs and insects) and vertebrates (approx. 500–1,000 objects, including birds from South America), it also includes a few human remains. These objects’ territories of origin are primarily Latin America, Africa and South-east Asia. The provenance of many objects is already well documented. The origins and acquisition history of other objects or object groups have been investigated on an ongoing basis in recent years.