A fine old theatre in Kassel is the Ottoneum, built in 1605 for Landgrave Maurice the Learned. It was Germany’s first permanent theatre building. Since 1885 the building has served as the town’s Natural History Museum (Naturkundemuseum). The collection held here is also one of the oldest in Europe, including many rare treasures of the natural world. The Goethe Elephant is one of the world’s first primed big mammal skeletons, and the Schildbach Wood Library from the 18th century is remarkable. The prime focus of the museum is the Kassel region, with many plants, animals and other natural phenomena displayed.
