Museum Mensch und Natur (Museum of Humankind and Nature)

A treasure trove of delights at the Museum Mensch und Natur

A Pandora’s box of earthly mysteries is cast open at this surprisingly entertaining museum.

BODY WORKS: See how we operate at Munich's Museum of Humankind and Nature.

This is a great destination for kids, but unfortunately the signage is only in German.

POOR BRUNO: One of Bavaria's most famous Italian "immigrants" is a permanent fixture at the museum.

The "problem bear"

There’s a special exhibition on Bruno, Bavaria’s famous “Problem Bär”.

A big brown bear, Bruno wandered across the Tyrolean Alps from Italy and into Bavaria in 2006 – making him the first brown bear on German soil in over 170 years.

Officially known as JJ1, Bruno went on a hedonistic killing spree, taking out 33 sheep as well as chickens, beehives and even a guinea pig.

Authorities made a couple of attempts to capture Bruno, fearing he’d become a threat to humans.
Sadly, they failed, and Bruno was shot dead near the Spitzingsee Lake on June 26, 2006. Bruno’s stuffed body is part of the exhibit – much to the consternation of Italian authorities who claim he belongs to them.
R.I.P.Bruno, we know you were just doing what bears were born to do.

BRAIN: The entire world and everything on it is being controlled from this room.

Of beasts and men

There’s a section on the evolution of life on Earth with more stuffed creatures including a couple of lions and a big red kangaroo.

This leads on to an exhibit about dinosaurs and a fearsome predator’s skull the size of a coffee table.

An eye-opening section on nutrition shows what’s on different dinner tables throughout the world.

A room on human beings features illuminated bodies and a gigantic brain. Exhibits on rocks, crystals and underwater life fill out the museum.

FEARSOME: The Japanischen Riesenkrabbe (Japanese Giant Crab) might have you jumping out of your skin.

FOR A BEAR IN BAVARIA, IT'S A DOG'S LIFE: Part of the memorial to Bruno the bear.

GOING UP: A counter keeps track of the number of people on the Earth. The caption below reads: "Becasue there are more people being born than are dying, the total human population is always on the rise. Every two seconds five more people are born."

CALL HELP!: Me in front of an exhibit on the "the last giant dinosaurs" at the Museum Mensch und Natur.

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