Background
Beginning of the development of Natural History Museum of Montenegro goes back to 1961 when Natural History Collection was established by Ordinance of the Government of Montenegro. Republican Institute for Nature Protection was established the same year and Natural History Collection was attached to the Institute.
At that time, primary intention was to create a basis of exhibits which would be exhibited, and which would attract the visitors. That has been successfully implemented and the collection consisted several hundreds of stuffed birds, primarily from Skadar Lake, but also a large number of other exhibits. Special value of the Collection has been the herbarium of Balkan countries. The Collection communicated with public through the permanent exhibition in Podgorica, participation in fairs of hunting and fishing as well as through scientific publication "Bulletin of Republican Institute for Nature Protection – Natural History Museum« published by the Institute.
Basic imperfection of the Collection has been the insufficient scientific treatment of the exhibits and the documentation of the collection itself has been especially neglected.
The Collection has functioned until the earthquake in 1979 when the premises in which it was located was severely damaged. No matter that the direct harms on the collection were small, later, due to inadequate storage conditions and frequent moving around 50% of organic preparations were damaged, primarily birds. Herbarium and geological-paleontological collections have been fully preserved.
In 1985 the Collection was brought back to the refurbished building of Institute for Nature Protection. The space has been prepared for the new exhibition, but it has not been implemented. Its dilapidation has continued, and it was only in 1995 when its preserved remainders became the core of Natural History Museum of Montenegro, excluding herbarium which remained in the Institute for Nature Protection.
Establishing
Public Institution Natural History Museum of Montenegro was established by the decision of the Parliament of the Republic of Montenegro on 4 April 1995 ("Official Gazette of the RM " issue 12/95). The Museum was registered on 20 November 1995, after taking the initial personnel, premises, equipment and exhibits from former Natural History Collection of Republican Institute for Nature Protection.
Director: Ondrej Vizi
Address: Trg Nikole Kovačevića 7, P.O. Box 374, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
Activity
1. Systematic investigations of values of nature;
2. Collecting natural history material;
3. Studying the natural history material;
4. Preserving the natural history material;
5. Professional protection of natural history material;
6. Professional and scientific treatment of natural history museum objects;
7. Exhibiting natural history mobile goods significant for culture, science and education;
8. Publishing results;
9. Cooperating with the University of Montenegro in education in the field of science
10 . Cooperating with other museums and institutions in the field of culture, education and public information,and sale of goods and services on the market, in harmony with the Statute.
