The Museum of Styria Joanneum is the oldest museum in the whole of Austria. It was opened in 1811. There are now several museums and galleries under the auspices of this museum, both in Graz itself and in the entire federal state of Styria, but its main building is located in the eponymous quarter of the Joanneum in the historic centre of Graz. It is located 500 metres from Schlossberg Palace and almost opposite the banks of the River Mur.
Since its opening, the Joanneum has served both as a museum and as a research centre. Famous scientists such as the mineralogist Friedrich Moos and the botanist Franz Unger worked here. The first exhibitions were held in the old Lesliehof house, and in 1890-1895 the so-called "New Johnneum" was built - a monumental building in neobaroque style. In 2011, a single entrance to both of these buildings was erected.
The Museum Ioanneum now houses several separate galleries. The late 19th century building houses the New Art Gallery, which features paintings and sculptures from the 19th century onwards, especially works by the famous artist Gustav Klimt. It should be noted that some works of modern art can make a shocking impression on an overly receptive viewer, so the entrance to some halls is prohibited for underage visitors. In the same building there is a collection of audio and video materials, as well as two and a half million photographs, including old ones, dedicated to the history of the federal state of Styria.
As for the old building of the Joanneum Museum, there is a museum of natural history, which presents a variety of collections dedicated to palaeontology, geology, botany, zoology, mineralogy and much more. The oldest fossils, for example, are over 500 million years old, and in the zoology section you can get acquainted with the typical fauna of such remote parts of the world as Australia and Oceania. There is also a collection of minerals collected by Friedrich Moos and typical plants of the Austrian flora.
