Christoph Unger becomes Director of the Naturkundemuseum Coburg
On 1 July 2026, Dr. Christoph Unger takes over as head of the Naturkundemuseum Coburg. The biologist moves from the Naturkundemuseum Erfurt, where he has been Deputy Director since 2019, to the largest natural history museum in northern Bavaria.
Christoph has been closely associated with the Deutsche Ornithologische Gesellschaft for many years. He has been a DOG member since 1998 and was a member of the Advisory Board from 2008 to 2018. He has also long been active as Chair of the Verein Thüringer Ornithologen (VTO). Together with many fellow campaigners, he played a key role last year in organising the Annual Convention in Erfurt marking the 175th anniversary of the DOG.
Christoph studied biology with a focus on ecology in Jena and has made a name for himself as an ornithologist, exhibition maker and science communicator. He has a clear ambition for his new role: natural history museums should not only show the beauty and diversity of nature, but also communicate current challenges such as climate change, species extinction and habitat loss in an understandable and vivid way.
The Naturkundemuseum Coburg holds around 700,000 collection objects and is one of the most important natural history institutions in Germany. Unger wants to make its extensive scientific collections more visible to the public in future while further expanding its environmental education work. In addition to continuing successful special exhibitions, new in-house projects and closer cooperation with scientific and cultural partners are planned.
The Deutsche Ornithologische Gesellschaft warmly congratulates Christoph Unger on his appointment and wishes him every success, joy and a lucky hand in his new role.
Dr. Dorit Visbeck-Liebers
President