Tiny Monsters And Giant Antlers: The German Museum Of Hunting And Fishing in Munich

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Tiny Monsters And Giant Antlers: The German Museum Of Hunting And Fishing In Munich

The Irish elk (megaloceros giganteus) stood about 2.1 meters tall at the shoulders and carrying the largest antlers of any known cervid – a maximum of 3.65 meters from tip to tip. Unfortunately, this beauty went extinct about 11,500 years ago. // (c) AS LONG AS IT’S BLACK

DAY WALKING // In every city there are obvious sights to see and places to go. And then there are secret spots and hidden gems. The German Museum Of Hunting And Fishing in Bavaria’s capital Munich is one of them, a must-see for taxidermy enthusiasts.

Though housed in an 13th century church and prominently centered on the main shopping mile (Neuhauser Straße 2), the museum is often overlooked by people rushing from one shop to the next — and does not attract as many visitors as The Deutsches Museum, The Bavarian National Museum, The Glyptothek or Munich’s other famous cultural must-sees. Yet, the Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum is definitely worth a visit – if only because it holds a small, but unique collection of unholy monstrosities.

This is Wotan. He once lived in Argentina and was shot by a guy called Werner on 17 March 1973. //(c) AS LONG AS IT’S BLACK

Located in a former Augustinian abbey, one of the oldest stone-built churches in Munich, the museum displays impressive antlers and rows of taxidermy animal heads where holy crosses and crucifixes once were placed. On 3,000 m² spread over three floors almost 1,000 pieces of taxidermy are assembled, along with numerous skulls, biological specimen, a large collection of weapons dating back to the 15th century, hunting and animal themed china and glass ware, as well as antique paintings, drawings and graphics.

Is it a moose, is it an elk, is it a muppet? // (c) AS LONG AS IT’S BLACK

However, the most bizarre part of the exhibition is a selection of small vermin beasts with horns, fangs, webbings and wings: Wolpertinger, as these rare chimeras are called, are said to inhabit the Bavarian forests. The mythical creatures – in reality imaginative taxidermical hybrids made up of different animal parts – have long lived in Bavarian folklore and are related to Australian bunyip, the American jackalope, the French dahu and the Swedish skvader. They are said to feed on smaller animals, weeds and roots, yet, the museum message board states that they exclusively live of “Prussian softskulls”.

Wolpertinger are a rare sight and almost impossible to catch or photograph. // Image by Rainer Zenz based on the famous watercolor “Hare” by Albrecht Dürer // (c) Rainer Zenz

Wolpertinger are very shy creatures and can only be sighted at nightfall during full moon by a young, beautiful woman in the company of a righteous, hearty fellow that guides her to secluded woodland edges. Luckily, you can visit The German Museum of Hunting and Fishing in Munich and have a look. //

A so-called wigged roe-buck. Injuries or diseases of a roe deer’s testicles can affect its testosterone level and the yearly growth and loss of its antlers, which can lead to rapid growth of the velvet skin layer resembling a wig. // (c) AS LONG AS IT’S BLACK

Give it a shot. Or one hundred. The museum displays a large collection of antique weapons.

The museum is open daily except for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Pancake Tuesdayfrom 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and on Thursdays until 9:00 pm. The entrance fee is 5 € for adults, 3 € for kids and 10 € for families.