Society of the Friends of the Natural History Museum

In 1923, at the instigation of Count Mensdorff, the Society of the Friends of the Natural History Museum was founded. Particularly after the second World War, the Society became an important instrument for larger acquisitions for the collection as well as for sponsoring expeditions. In addition, the Society assisted in the purchase for the Mineralogical - Petrographical Department of the 117 kg topaz from Santa Maria do Itabira, Minas Gerais, and the acquisition of a very significant meteorite collection (the Second Huss Collection of Meteorites), as well as various other valuable mineral specimens.