Physician Gives University of Bonn Over 20,000 Sea Urchins Physician Gives University of Bonn Over 20,000 Sea Urchins

Dr. Hans-Volker Thiel had his own clinic in Düsseldorf when he worked as an orthopedic specialist, before retirement launched his new life as a researcher. He studied geology and paleontology at the University of Bonn and has since been working with Professor Emeritus Jes Rust from the Department of Paleontology. Together with Luis Pauly and Georg Oleschinski, the pair have produced a visually striking book on the fascinating sea urchin. The 86-year-old is also donating his collection to the University of Bonn. We talked to him about his passion for these spiny invertebrates.

You’ve been collecting sea urchins from all over the world for about half a century. How did you put together this impressive collection of 20,000 of them?
I’ve picked up sea urchins from all five continents over time, most notably from the countries of Western Europe and Anatolia. When I was in Ecuador, I saw for the first time how environmental damage—in this case petrochemicals—is presently inflicting huge harm on living sea urchins. 

Did you simply set off somewhere and scoop up some sea urchins when you got there? 
It’s not as easy as that, sadly. I’ll already have scoped out the area I’d be collecting from by studying the literature, consulting geological maps and talking with local collectors and museums. My early collecting days would often find me in France, where I’d ask the local farmers if I could gather fossils from their fields that had already been harvested. “It’ll make the fields cleaner,” I told them. That cheered the farmers up, and there were hardly ever any problems back then. It’s much harder these days, because there are too many collectors out there, some of whom don’t stick to the rules.

Whereabouts in your home in Düsseldorf have you been keeping your many sea urchins?
The collection does fit in our house in Düsseldorf, but it’s had to be spread across several rooms for structural stability reasons. 

How did you come to switch from orthopedics to paleontology?
In 2003, after I’d finished as an orthopedic specialist I enrolled straight away on a Geology and Paleontology degree program at the University of Bonn, which had been a dream of mine for ages. I worked freelance for Professor Jes Rust both during and after my studies, doing research into living and fossil sea urchins. 

Now you’re donating your collection to the University of Bonn. Why is that?
I’ve decided to pass my extensive collection on to the University of Bonn because nobody in my family is following in my footsteps. I have strong ties to Bonn, because my grandparents used to live in the city and I myself started my medical studies here. The collection is going to be preserved for future generations, and with it the knowledge we possess about these fascinating creatures. Sea urchin research has to continue.

Where at the University is your collection going to live?
A small part of the sea urchin collection is already in the Department of Paleontology. More specimens will make the journey from Düsseldorf to Bonn as soon as space can be found for them at the University.

You’ve co-authored a book packed with fascinating images of sea urchins. Who’s the target audience?
It’s mainly intended for interested laypeople, on account of the really beautiful pictures taken by the photographer Georg Oleschinski. Because some of the specimens are very rare, however, researchers will also find the book useful.