On May 7, 2024, the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro unveiled a donation of more than 1,100 fossils from the private collection of Dr. Burkhard Pohl. The Interprospekt Group is proud to have played a role in organizing this important donation, together with Frances Reynolds and her foundation Inclusartiz.
Nearly 90 percent of the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro was destroyed by a fire in 2018. With this donation, the Interprospekt Group hopes to inspire other collectors and institutions to do the same and contribute to building an extensive collection of natural and archaeological treasures in the museum.
Dr. Kellner, director of the Museu Nacional, stated: “This is the most significant donation the museum has ever received, and it holds invaluable scientific value.” Donor Dr. Burkhard Pohl added: “A collection is a living organism that must evolve. A collection behind closed doors loses its dynamism. Only when it becomes accessible does it truly come to life. I firmly believe that unique specimens like these should be available for scientific research and public exhibitions in museums.”
Granada and the Interprospekt Group have also established a partnership with the Museu Nacional de Rio de Janeiro for the exchange of students and researchers for collaborative projects in the United States. In 2023, a group of six paleontologists and students was invited to assist in excavations in Wyoming and Montana. The dinosaur specimens they uncovered will later be added to the Museu Nacional’s collection. They also visited the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, where they were able to study Dr. Burkhard Pohl’s fossil specimens further.
“We are delighted to help and emphasize the importance of close collaboration between private collectors, institutions, and public entities. Furthermore, we would like to express our gratitude to Alexander Kellner and the Museu Nacional de Rio de Janeiro, Frances Reynolds, and the ever-dedicated scientists involved.”