114 New Data on Minerals. М., 2007. Volume 42

THE MINERALOGICAL COLLECTION OF THE GEOMUSEUM, COLOGNE UNIVERSITY, GERMANY Elena A. Borisova Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Moscow, Russia, [email protected] Rolf Hollerbach GeoMuseum of the Cologne University, BRD, Rolf.Hollerbach@unikoeln.de

Mineralogical exhibits of the GeoMuseum, Cologne University, and the history of this collection are described. 17 figures, 3 references.

The history of this small museum is fairly old tors on 1 July 1861 and was named, in honor of and not nearly simple, as it often happens with these two prominent persons, the old collections. It begins upon a private collec- WallrafRichartz Museum. Today, this is one of tion, a mineral cabinet of the second half of the the greatest classic pictorial art galleries in eighteenth century. Unfortunately, it was Germany. destroyed and broken almost entirely during the As was noted, there was a great natu- World War II; the registration books were burnt ralhistorical collection in the assemblage of after the bombing in 1944, so it is impossible now F.F. Wallraf, a naturalist and a teacher, and some to determine, which specimens have come from part of the GeoMuseum's specimens was appar- that historical collection and which ones ently linked with this first university collection. appeared later. The only authentically known Having been saved at the turn of the eighteenth historical exhibit, the (or aragonite) and nineteenth centuries, it unfortunately met pseudomorph after the bird's nest, belonged to with a grievous loss in the twentieth century, and Ferdinand Franz Wallraf (1748–1824) who was the lost attribution cannot be restored. the first Cologne honorary inhabitant. Another The mentioned historical specimen, calcite remarkable museum of the city is bound with his (or aragonite) pseudomorph after a bird's nest, name too. F.F. Wallraf, the son of a Cologne tai- was more lucky: it is excellently preserved lor, pulled himself up thanks to his own labor, (Fig 1). It was demonstrated not only at the graduated several faculties at the Cologne GeoMuseum itself but at various temporal exhi- University – medical, theological, became bitions, including the joint exhibition of Cologne canonic, Doctor of medicine and Doctor of phi- museums, 1995–96. In this exhibition catalogue losophy and, later, Professor of history and fine (Kier, Zehnder, 1995) it is registered under No sciences. In 1793, he was elected the University 397 as the exhibit from the Wallraf's collection Rector. Yet collecting was his favorite occupa- where it is registered as "Inlay". It should be tion. He collected whatever pertaining to the his- emphasized that in the Western literature the tory of Cologne. sense of the latter term is somewhat wider than Besides the naturalhistorical collection, the what is accepted in Russia and means, particu- Wallraf's assemblage contained archeological larly, some crust or mineral cover on some alien finds dated by the Roman Empire as well as matter, e.g., a rock (Tolkovyi slovar' angliiskikh paintings, sculptures, religious relics and works geologicheskikh terminov, 1978). of art, and historical weapons. At the Napoleon As to the GeoMuseum collection in a whole, times, when the French bossed in the town and it consists nowadays of two large and formerly the University has been closed (it was only independent parts: from the 1960ies, the opened more than one hundred years later, in Mineralogical Museum and the Museum of the 1919), he was protecting, as far as was possible, Geological Institute of Cologne University were church valuable exhibits from plunder and spoil- existing parallel; however, after establishing in ing. After Wallraf's death and with the assistance 1999 the united Library of geology, mineralogy, of Johann Heinrich Richartz, a Cologne mer- crystallography, and geophysics, which needed chant, a museum was established on the base of special premises, they were united into a single his collection. The Museum was opened for visi- museum that retained former dividing into mi- The Mineralogical Collection of the GeoMuseum, Cologne University, Germany 115

Fig 1. Calcite (or aragonite) pseudomorph after a bird's nest, 10 cm high, 13 cm across, cavity diameter 5 cm. No 129e. Photo: E.A. Borisova. Fig 2. The Cologne GeoMuseum exhibition hall. Photo: R. Hollerbach. neralogical and geological (or geological- physical properties of minerals such as hardness, lypaleontological) collections. color, luster etc. Some cases show aggregate The geological collection also has its own shapes, mineral varieties and diversity of natural history. Not entering into details, we have only to occurrences. The entire tutorial collection with note that its most part was formerly staminal for its funds numbers about 20 thousand specimens. the Cologne NaturalHistorical Museum, the Of course, the advantage of such a training sepa- socalled Stapelhaus Sammlung. The unique rate collection is its accessibility. While the main exhibits like skeletons of ichthyosaurus – exposition hall is open for public only one day in Stenopterygius quadriscissus and saltwater croc- a week (Wednesday) and one Sunday in a odile – Steneosaurus bollensis, both more than month, the students can visit the training hall, as 2.5 meter long, found in the Lower Jurassic near mentioned above, practically at any day and at Holzmaden (Wü rtemberg vicinities, Germany), any time, it is always open if the Institute for as well as the skeleton of a cave bear, are the Geology and Mineralogy in whose area it is situ- honor of this collection. Dr. Michael Grigo is now ated is in operation. Besides, the mineral collec- the curator of this part of collection. tions gathered by students at field trips can be The mineralogical collection is fairly diverse demonstrated in special cases in the Institute and counts more than 50 thousand showpieces. hall, which is, too, very much useful for the edu- Some part of them, about one thousand of most cational process and forwards to engage the interesting and attractive specimens, is exhibited young people in the work with stone material. in the museum hall directly (Fig 2). About 30 Let us now contemplate the mineralogical thousand specimens make up a systematic col- expositions of the main exhibition hall in detail. lection and are the museum funds off limits to They are divided into 8 topical exhibitions: public and only accessible for specialists and Meteorites and Tektites, Gems and Precious workers of the two institutes of the Cologne Stones, some mineral groups ( varieties, University, Institute for Crystallography and agates, calcites, zeolites), Minerals from Institute for Geology and Mineralogy that are Cologne Vicinities, Russian Minerals, Mineral located within the same building. The systemat- Prominent Finds from AllOver the World, ic collection includes about 1500 mineral Synthetic Crystals, New Aquisitions. Besides, species. two more cases are in the vestibule before the Another small part, about two thousand spec- entrance to the exhibition hall: The Biogenic imens, is a petrographic collection. It is stored Mineral Formations and The Matter Crystalline also separately in the Museum funds being used and NonCrystalline States. In the first one, you mainly for training. For the same aim, the special can enjoy corals, echinoid skeletons, shells; in demonstration hall with the specimens of the second one, quartz crystals, quartzite and widespread minerals and ores is always open for quartz sand are placed at one side and, for com- students adjacently to the exhibition hall. As a parison, amorphous natural (obsidian, tektites) rule, these specimens are of standard size and and technical glasses – at the other side. shape and arranged by one or another preferen- In the main hall the most interesting and var- tial principle. For example, some cases show ious exhibits are presented in the exposition the 116 New Data on Minerals. М., 2007. Volume 42

Fig 3. Rhodochrosite. Kalahari, South Africa. 9 by 17 cm. No number. From P. Ney collection. Photo: E.A. Borisova. Fig 4. Rhodochrosite. Mina Capillitas, Argentina. Polished section 10 by 14 cm. No M5426/96. Photo: R. Hollerbach.

Fig 5. Stibnite, barite. Baia Sprie, Romania. 15 cm. No М3800/70. Photo: R. Hollerbach.

Most Valuable Mineral Findings from AllOver across) from Lago Jaco, Chihuahua, Mexico the World, as one can see from its title. One of deserve to be marked. Very much spectacular the best specimens here is rhodochrosite from are the tourmaline specimens, the zonar one the Kalahari Desert (South Africa), which was from Anjanabonoina, Madagascar, and the pink collected personally by the former curator of transparent rubellite from Paprok, Nuristan, mineralogical collection and Museum coordina- Afghanistan; apatite transparent and zonar crys- tor Prof. Paul Ney (beginning from 1988, Dr. Rolf tals to 3 cm long from Panasqueira, Portugal; Hollerbach is curator of mineralogical collection azurite wonderful rose, 10 cm in diameter, from and coordinator of GeoMuseum). A dramatic China (Silu, Guangdong Province); azurite crys- story is tied with this rhodochrosite. Yet in tal group (with crystals to 4 cm) from Tsumeb, Kalahari, after Ney has packed the specimen in Namibia, as well as cavansite radiaxial aggre- his knapsack, several robbers attacked him to gates on stilbite from Poona, India (Fig 6). rob the valuable load; however, Ney did not lose The native copper specimen from Lake courage and, using the knapsack like a sling, Superior, Michigan, USA is impressive. The could struggle the assailants and escape. intergrowth of the two large translucent crystals Unfortunately, the specimen was harmed, sever- of calcite and from Elmwood Mine, al crystals were damaged or broken. Tennessee, USA (Fig 7) is amazingly beautiful. Nevertheless, the big, to 3 cm long, brown- The pale pink rhodochrosite from Capnic, ishred, transparent rhodochrosite crystals are Romania; the two tourmaline splendid speci- certainly the exhibition ornament (Fig 3). mens – zonar crystal (30 by 10 cm across) in Another rhodochrosite specimen (from quartz (Caribib, Namibia) and the partly fibrous Capillitas*, Argentina) is pink radial aggregates pink elbaite with lepidolite and quartz (Fig 4), which attracts visitors' attention too. (Pederneira Mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil) as well The luxurious stibnite specimens from as luxurious intergrowths of gypsum twins from BaiaSprie, Romania (Fig 5) as well as large, up to Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico should be 4 cm across, native sulfur crystals on calcite from marked amidst the major pieces. Racalmuto, Sicily, Italy are the GeoMuseum vis- The polished specimens of pale clay shales iting cards. The big epidote crystal (20 cm long) (or aleurolites) with bright brown stripes and from Knappenwand, Untersulzbachtal, Salzburg, patches due to iron oxide or hydroxide admix- Austria; orangeolivaceous crystals to 1 cm upon tures – the so called ZebraRocks from the brush of minor yellowgreenishpink masses Kimberley, Australia (Fig 8) are the extraordi- of the same famous pyromorphite from Bunker nary in this exposition. Hill, Kellog, Idaho, USA; blue crystals of linarite Minerals from Cologne vicinities (up to 6 or 7 mm) from Blancher Mine, New (Siegerland) are presented at the exposition of Mexico, USA; wulfenite tabular crystals (up to the same name mainly with carbonates 1.5 cm across) on from Schwarzenbach, (rhodochrosite, siderite, calcite, dolomite), iron Slovenia; as well as grossular white crystal (11 cm and manganese oxides and hydroxides (pyro-

* Geographic names are given according A.A. Evseev (Evseev, 2000). The Mineralogical Collection of the GeoMuseum, Cologne University, Germany 117

lusite, limonite), sulfides and sulfosalts (pyrite, laumontite from the same locality (Fig 11) seem galena, chalcopyrite, fahlore, bournonite) and to attract more than the other. native copper with malachite. Besides Australian and African diamonds, At the Special Groups of Minerals exposi- polychrome tourmalines, rubies, sapphires, and tion the agates should be particularly marked. various jewelry from these and other minerals, Their delicate patterns are well visible even which are customary here, the excellent trans- from afar as the big agate plates are located at parent twins and trillings of chrysoberyl from Sri special mounts provided with boosterlights Lanka (Fig 12) and the bluish faceted crystal (4 or whereas the minor ones are opposite the win- 5 mm in size) from the Urals (Tokovaya River) are dows. The large bluish grey agate from Brazil the rare decoration of the Gems and Precious can be marked too. Stones exposition. The amethyst crystal, 12 cm long In the New Aquisitions case, the beryl vari- (Guanajuato, Mexico), and the split yellowish eties should be emphasized: emerald crystals quartz crystal (9 cm long) from Tsumeb, (4 cm long) from the Coscuez Mine, Boyacá , Namibia, seem most attractive aesthetically in Columbia, and aquamarine from Erongo, the Quartz Case while in the Calcite Case – Namibia (Fig 13). The big honey yellow scheel- pinkishbrown split crystal from the mining near ite crystal (6 cm) from China (Fig 14), pur- Marl Huels, Ruhr Area, Germany (Fig 9). In the pleblue carletonite (Saint Hilaire Mountain, Zeolite Case, the creamy pink stilbite and natro- Quebec, Canada), and brownishred corundum lite from Poona, India (Fig 10) as well as the won- (7.5 by 4 cm) from Mysore, India (Fig 15). The derful specimen of snowwhite scolecite with combination of the orangered vanadinite crys-

Fig 6. Cavansite aggregates (1 cm across) on stilbite. Poona, India. Fragment. Specimen 14 by 18 cm. No М5559/02. Fig 7. Calcite, 17 cm, with fluorite, 14 cm. Elmwood Mine, Tennessee, USA. Fig 8. "Zebra rocks". Kimberley, Western Australia. Specimens up to 10 by 7 cm. No number. Fig 9. Calcite. Marl Huels, Ruhr Area, BRD. 7.5 cm. No number. Fig 10. Natrolite. Poona, India. 7 cm. No М4167/73. Fig 11. Scolecite with laumontite. 15.5 cm long. Poona, India. No М4303/80. Photo: E.A. Borisova. 118 New Data on Minerals. М., 2007. Volume 42 tals and black iron oxides from Mibladen, als. Khibiny minerals are presented by eudia- Morocco, looks somewhat unusual. The white, lyte and astrophyllite. There are about 30 spec- with a slight pink tint, Manebach imens available at the exposition. and Baveno twins from Morro Redondo, Minas Twenty various meteorites and tektites of Gerais, Brazil (Fig 16) as well as aragonite with six types make up the Meteorites and Tektites native silver from Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, exposition. Among the first, the two findings Mexico (Fig 17) are very nice. dated eighteenth century should be men- The topical exhibition Russian Minerals tioned in the first line. They were identified as appeared in the GeoMuseum recently. Its ori- meteorites later, though. The iron meteorite gin depended on the wide stream of Russian Toluca, Mexico, was found in 1776 but mineral material that rushed in the Western described as a meteorite only 80 years later, in markets in early 90ies of the past century. 1856. The meteorite Rittersgruen, Steinbach, Pieces from Siberia, Urals, and Kola Peninsula the iron one with silicate small inclusions, was prevail here. The Ural minerals are most found in 1724 in the Erzgebirge, Germany, and diverse: quartz phantom crystals, amethyst, cit- was not, too, immediately referred to cosmic rine from the NetherPolar Urals, Sarany objects. The palasite Brenham, Kansas, USA uvarovite, Ilmen dark grey corundum (5 to (1882) and octahedrite Canyon Diablo, 6 cm), Beryozovskii crocoite, pyrochlore from Arizona, USA (1891) were found in the nine- Vyshnevye Gory, malachite and native plat- teenth century. inum from Nizhnii Taghil. The apatite blue The falls of the nineteenth century are pre- transparent crystals (2 or 3 mm in size) on cal- sented by the Caenriched achondrite cite, analcime (3 cm crystal) from the Nizhnaya Stannern, Iglau, Czechia (22.05.1808), Tunguska River, and sperrylite from Talnakh olivinehypersthene chondrites Zavid, may be emphasized amongst Siberian miner- BosniaHerzegovina (1897), and Mocs,

Fig 12. Chrysoberyl, 9 x 10 mm and 8 x 9 mm. Sri Lanka. No М5270/94.

Fig 13. Aquamarine, 4 cm long, with tourmaline and smoky quartz. Erongo, Namibia. No М5553/01.

Fig 14. Scheelite (6 cm) with muscovite. 6 by 10 cm. China. No M5445/97.

Fig 15. Corundum, 7.5 x 4 cm. Mysore, India. No M5278/94.

Photo: E.A. Borisova. The Mineralogical Collection of the GeoMuseum, Cologne University, Germany 119 ab

Fig 16. Microcline. Morro Redondo, Minas Gerais, Brazil. No number. а – Manebach twinning, 7 by 8 by 6 cm. b – Baveno twinning, 4 by 4 by 3.5 cm. Fig 17. Aragonite with native silver and gypsum. 17 cm high. No М5446/97.

Photo: E.A. Borisova.

Romania (3.02.1882), olivinebronzite chon- al and well adapted to the needs of educational drites from meteor showers Cronstad, RSA process, and is notable, at the same time, for (19.11.1877), and Pultusk, Poland (30.01.1868). wide diversity of aesthetically important The rare specimen of carbonaceous chondrite pieces, large and rare crystals well presented in is a part of the meteor shower Murchison, the exhibition hall open for public, which sure- Victoria, Australia that has fallen on 28 ly awakes echo in the hearts of stone connois- September 1969. The entire mass of the fallen seurs and amateurs and attracts childish and matter is estimated as nearly 100 kg, the young audience. Museum specimen weight is 143 g. Tektites are presented by moldavites (Czechia), philippinites (Mindanao, the References Philippines), indochinites (Thailand), bellitonites Evseev A.А. (2000): Geograficheskie nazvaniya (Indonesia), australites (New South Wales), and v mineralogii. Kratkii ukazatel' specimens found in the Quarternary fluvial (Geographic Names in Mineralogy. A deposits of the Guangdong Province, China. Concise Index), Moscow: A.E. Fersman And, lastly, the Synthetic Crystals exposi- Mineralogical Museum RAS, part I 269 pp., tion exhibits the results of the works of the part II 282 pp. (In Russ.). Institute for Crystallography, Cologne Tolkovyi slovar' angliiskikh geologicheskikh University, in the growth of various phases terminov (A Glossary of English Geological including both organic compositions (citric Terms) (1978): Moscow: Mir, vol. 2, 588 pp. acid, dibensoil, formiates and oxalates of sodi- (In Russ.). um, calcium and strontium) and inorganic ones Kier H., Zehnder F.G. (1995): Lust und Verlust (sulfates, phosphates, nitrates and iodates). Koelner Sammler zwishen Trikolore und Therefore, the mineralogical collection of Preussenadler. Koeln: Museen der Stadt GeoMuseum, Cologne University, is tradition- Koeln und Wienand Verlag Koeln. 695 s.