Photo competition

We would like to thank you for the large number of photos submitted for our competition. The jury has selected 40 impressive photos, including the three prize winners.

The photographers of the selected 40 photos have already been notified.

The award ceremony and exhibition opening will take place on 4 December at 6 pm, to which all participants are cordially invited.

The pictures will be on display on the first floor of Museum Koenig until 16 February 2025.

After the exhibition, the photos can be collected by the photographers.

Anniversary competition - 10 years of the Alexander Koenig Society photo competition

From a large number of exceptional photos, the jury has selected 50 pictures which will be on display in the bistro of the Museum Koenig from 7 December. The winners were announced at the opening of the exhibition on 6 December:

1st prize: Lutz Klapp (Stare)

2nd prize: Dominik Cantaluppi (chamois)

3rd prize: Norbert Schirmer (Seagull)

The winners received a voucher from AC-Foto, which we would like to take this opportunity to thank for providing us with the photos.

The pictures will be on display in the bistro of the Museum Koenig from 7 December 23 to 3 March 24.

The exhibition opening and award ceremony for this year's "Insects worldwide" photo competition organised by the Alexander Koenig Society took place on 7 December at Museum Koenig.

From 8 December 2022 to 29 January 2023, the exhibition of the impressive pictures can be admired in the museum's bistro. We look forward to seeing you there.

Winners in the over 18s category:

1st place: Klaus M. Weber

2nd place: Bernd Giershausen

3rd place: Dr Wilfried Kaschube

Winners in the under 18 category:

1st place: Tristan Bohn

2nd place: Mariam Simmou

3rd place: Verena Zbikowski

A jury of excellent photographers and animal experts selected the photos. As always, it was an intensive process of weighing up and deciding. Many impressive, skilfully taken photos were submitted. They will delight the viewers!

The opening of the exhibition had been planned to take place in person. Unfortunately, the pandemic prevented this. The Alexander Koenig Society is now considering a Zoom event.

Nevertheless, all photography enthusiasts and visitors to the museum are invited to enjoy the photographs. This is still possible until 27 February next year.

Winners in the over 18s category:

1st place: Olena Pfister

2nd place: Stephan Wirwalski

3rd place: Klaus Weber

Winners in the under 18 category:

1st place: Hannes Bonzheim

2nd place: Hannes Bonzheim

3rd place: Lisa Welsandt

"... then we'll just go into the net"

Digital opening of the Alexander Koenig Society's photo exhibition "Animals in local waters"

It was planned for this week - the opening of the exhibition with the best pictures at Museum Koenig in Bonn. As every year, the Alexander Koenig Society organised its 2020 photo competition. A good 200 photos were submitted, fewer than usual, but more than expected under the coronavirus circumstances.

Once again, many of the photos are an experience - such as the thirsty barn swallow reflected in the water or a shell snail travelling like a freighter, the kingfisher in direct contact or a surfing seal.

Withholding these marvellous images from the public is unacceptable. That's why the Alexander Koenig Society ... "went online" and had a film made about the exhibition.

The award ceremony for the Alexander Koenig Society's (AKG) "Animal Diversity in Parks and Gardens" photo competition and the opening of the exhibition took place on 11 December at 5.00 pm in the auditorium of Museum Koenig.

Following last year's successful photo competition, over 170 amateur photographers took part again this time, submitting around 400 photos. The photographers sent in their pictures from all over Germany, this time including many from Austria and Switzerland.

Once again this year, there were some exceptionally beautiful photos, from which the jury selected three winners each (in the under-18 and over-18 categories). The jury made its decision and honoured 60 outstanding pictures.

Helmut Stahl, President of the Alexander Koenig Society, Prof Bernhard Misof, Director of the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK) and Andreas Domschke, initiator of the photo competition, welcomed the many guests. The zoological commentary on the photos was provided by Prof Wolfgang Böhme, ZFMK. The professional photographers Holger Arndt and Paul Kornacker judged the pictures according to their technical finesse.

Winners in the category over 18 years:

1st place: Kai Kolodziej

2nd place: Ralf Gohla

3rd place: Elena Meyer-Thamer

Winner in the under 18 category:

1st place: Marc Zaglmayr

2nd place: Hannes Bonzheim

3rd place: Frida Wiegard

The photographers are delighted with their prizes, which make very special moments at Museum Koenig possible: guided tours behind the scenes of the museum, an animal sponsorship worth 200 euros or a visit to Cologne Zoo with the family. All winners also received a free annual membership of the Alexander Koenig Society with free admission to all lectures and exhibitions at the museum.

The photo competition will be continued next year. Registration details for the competition will be published in spring on the Alexander Koenig Society website (bonn.leibniz-lib.de/akg) and in the regional press.

In addition to the painting competition for regional primary schools, the Society's photo competition is a very stimulating opportunity for all age groups to take a closer look at the creatures in their environment and the diversity of species. Animal photography in particular provides special access to animals and the chance to capture exciting moments forever.

"Amphibians and reptiles in their habitat" - Photo competition 2018

The award ceremony for the Alexander Koenig Society (AKG) photo competition "Amphibians and reptiles in their habitat" and the opening of the exhibition took place on 12 December at 5.00 pm in the auditorium of the Museum Koenig.

Following last year's successful photo competition, over 100 amateur photographers took part again this time, submitting around 270 photos. The photographers sent in their pictures from all over Germany, and there were even two participants from Austria.

Once again this year, there were some exceptionally beautiful photos, from which the jury selected three winners each (in the under-18 and over-18 categories).

The jury made its decision and honoured 60 outstanding pictures.

Helmut Stahl, President of the Alexander Koenig Society, welcomed the more than 90 guests in attendance.

Winners in the over 18s category:

1st place: Harald Haberscheidt: green toad

2nd place: Tobias Helling: Wall lizards

3rd place: Herbert Bous: pair of green frogs

Winner in the under 18 category:

1st place: Chiara Henn: wall lizard

2nd place: Tristan Bohn: Common toad

3rd place: Janne Mischendahl: Young grass frog

The photographers are delighted with their prizes, which make very special moments at Museum Koenig possible: guided tours behind the scenes of the museum, an animal sponsorship worth 200 euros or a visit to Cologne Zoo with the family. All winners also received a free annual membership of the Alexander Koenig Society with free admission to all lectures and exhibitions at the museum.

The photo competition will be continued next year. The theme will be "Habitats created by humans - animal diversity in parks and gardens". Registration details for the competition will be published in spring on the Alexander-Koenig-Gesellschaft website (bonn.leibniz-lib.de/akg) and in the regional press.

In addition to the painting competition for regional primary schools, the Society's photo competition is a very stimulating opportunity for all age groups to take a closer look at the creatures in their environment and the diversity of species. Animal photography in particular provides special access to animals and the chance to capture exciting moments forever.

The award ceremony for the Alexander Koenig Society's (AKG) photo competition "Birds in the city - the diversity of birdlife in urban areas"
and the opening of the exhibition took place on 13 December at 5.00 pm in the auditorium of the Museum Koenig.

Birds in the city - The diversity of bird life in urban areas was the title of the 2017 Alexander Koenig Society photo competition. The jury has made its decision and awarded prizes to 60 outstanding images.

Helmut Stahl, President of the Alexander Koenig Society, welcomed the more than 120 guests in attendance.

More than 100 participants took part this year, submitting a total of 270 pictures. We even received photos from Belgium.

Winners in the over 18s category:
1st prize: Frank Friedrich, robin
2nd prize: Frank Kottisch, short-eared owls
3rd prize: Anne-Marie Kölbach, pair of tawny owls

Winner of the under 18 category:
1st prize: Tristan Bohn, 12 years old, blue tit
2nd prize: Timo Rauw, 12 years old, barn swallow

In addition to the painting competition for regional primary schools, the society's photo competition is a very stimulating opportunity for all age groups to take a closer look at the creatures in their environment and the diversity of species. Animal photography in particular provides special access to animals and the chance to capture exciting moments forever.

The 60 selected photographs were presented in an exhibition from 14.12.17 to 4.3.18 at Museum Koenig.

The photographers are delighted with their prizes, which make very special moments at Museum Koenig possible: guided tours behind the scenes of the museum, an animal sponsorship worth 200 euros or a visit to Cologne Zoo with the family. All award winners also received a free annual membership of the Alexander Koenig Society with free admission to all lectures and exhibitions at the museum.

Award ceremony for the Alexander-Koenig-Gesellschaft e.V. photo competition and opening of the special exhibition "Small creatures really big - insects and spiders of the region"

The award ceremony for the Alexander Koenig Society's (AKG) photo competition "Small creatures big - insects and spiders of the region" and the opening of the exhibition of the winning photos took place on 14 December at 5.00 pm in the auditorium of the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig - Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity.

Small creatures really big - insects and spiders of the region - this was the title of the 2016 photo competition organised by the Alexander Koenig Society e.V. The jury made its decision and awarded prizes to 60 outstanding images.

Prof Dr Wolfgang Böhme, Vice President of the Alexander Koenig Society, welcomed the more than 130 guests in attendance.

"I know from my own experience how difficult it is to be able to press the shutter release at the right time with such tiny, lively and lively motifs," said Andreas Domschke, board member of the AKG and initiator of the competition, emphasising the special challenge. He thanked all the helpers without whom the exhibition would not have been possible, in particular Julia Herder, Manfred Tulke and the staff of the museum's exhibition department.

Professor Dr Wolfgang Boehme, Vice President of the AKG, explained the importance of the AKG's activities for the museum's educational work, as the photo competition is just one of many activities that the association makes possible. Böhme identified all the creatures in the winning pictures in a humorous and scientifically correct manner and emphasised their fascinating accuracy. "Sometimes the veining of a butterfly is impressively beautiful in the pictures, sometimes the fans of a dung beetle's antennae are depicted with particular precision," he said, emphasising the particularly high quality of the images.

More than 170 participants sent in over 400 pictures.

Winners in the over 18s category:

1st prize: Harald Haberscheidt, Mosel Apollo (Parnassius apollo vinningensis)

2nd prize: Frank Kietzer, green veined white butterflies (Pieris napi)

3rd prize: Johannes Dambach: Green weevil (weevil)

Winner of the category under 18 years:

1st prize: Lukas Kraus, 16 years old, dung beetle (Fam. Geotrupidae)

2nd prize: Johanna Ritzinger, 16 years old, Rusty-coloured Fritillary (Ochlodes venatus)

3rd prize: Lucas Zander, 14 years old, blue-green mosaic dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea)

In addition to the painting competition for regional primary schools, the society's photo competition is a very stimulating opportunity for all age groups to take a closer look at the creatures in their environment and the diversity of species. Animal photography in particular provides special access to animals and the chance to capture exciting moments forever.

The 60 selected photographs will be presented in an exhibition entitled "Small creatures really big - insects and spiders of the region" from 15.12.16 to 19.2.17 in the Museum Koenig café.

The photographers were delighted with their prizes, as these make very special moments at Museum Koenig possible: guided tours behind the scenes of the museum, an animal sponsorship worth 200 euros or a visit to Cologne Zoo with the family. All winners also received a free annual membership of the Alexander Koenig Society with free admission to all lectures and exhibitions at the museum.

The photo competition will be continued next year. The theme will then be "Birds in the city - the diversity of birdlife in urban areas"

Registration details for the competition will be published in spring on the Alexander-Koenig Gesellschaft website (bonn.leibniz-lib.de/akg) and in the regional press.

The winning pictures will be on display in the Museum Koenig bistro on the first floor until 19 February 2017 and can be viewed during normal opening hours. No additional costs will be charged.

The copyright of the winning images lies with the photographers. They may be used free of charge for reporting on the exhibition at Museum Koenig during the exhibition period.

The award ceremony for the Alexander Koenig Society's (AKG) photo competition "Discovering wildlife on tour" and the opening exhibition of the winning images took place on 9 December at 5 p.m. in the auditorium of Museum Koenig.

Discovering wildlife on tour was the title of the 2015 photo competition organised by the Alexander Koenig Society. The jury has made its decision and awarded prizes to 60 outstanding images.

Dr Uwe Schäkel, President of the Alexander Koenig Society, welcomes the more than 130 guests in attendance. The President is fascinated by the variety of animal motifs submitted for the competition. Insects, butterflies, iguanas, but also the Big Five from Africa and bird motifs are among the photographs submitted and awarded prizes.

The more than 120 participants sent in over 300 pictures, the youngest participant is just four years old.

Professor Wolfgang Boehme identifies all the creatures in a humorous and scientifically correct manner, even if the photographer sometimes recognises a cricket as an ant. What was important to the judges was the design and quality of the photography and the originality of the animal motif.

Holger Arndt, photographer for the Generalanzeiger Bonn, made interesting comments on the photographic quality and the selection of images during the events.

Above all, the experienced professional photographer praises young people who have already shown a great deal of calm and patience. "Animal photography is not easy at all," says Holger Arndt, "because animals have a bad habit of moving. For the photographer, this means that he always has to be ready with his camera "ready to shoot" in order to catch the right moment". He knows from his own experience how quickly the photographer's subject can disappear from focus.

Winner in the over 18s category:

1st prize: Heinrich Pützler, Igel
2. Prize: Joachim Wiegers, elephant
3. Prize: Helga Weickhardt: Caterpillar of the dock bark owl

Winner of the under 18 category:

1st prize: Gila Gräbnitz, 17 years old, mallard
2. Prize: Lucas Zander, 13 years old, pond hen
3. Prize: Danielle Frommholz, 16 years old, wall lizard

In addition to the painting competition for regional primary schools, the society's photo competition is a very stimulating opportunity for all age groups to take a closer look at the creatures in their environment and the diversity of species. Animal photography in particular provides special access to animals and the chance to capture exciting moments forever.

The 60 selected photographs will be presented in an exhibition from 10.12.15 to 14.2.16 at Museum Koenig.

The photographers will be delighted with their prizes, which will make very special moments at Museum Koenig possible: guided tours behind the scenes of the museum, a visit to Cologne Zoo with their families and an annual membership of the Alexander Koenig Society with free admission to all lectures and exhibitions at the museum will enable even more intensive contact with the unique research museum in Bonn.

The photo competition will be continued next year. The 2016 competition will focus on the smallest creatures, the diversity of insects.

The award ceremony for the Alexander Koenig Society's (AKG) "Native Wildlife of the Region" photo competition and the opening exhibition of the winning images took place in the auditorium of Museum Koenig.

Dr Uwe Schäkel, President of the Alexander-Koenig-Gesellschaft e.V. (AKG), described Andreas Domschke's idea of organising a photo competition on "Native Wildlife". Following the extremely successful traditional painting competition, which motivates over 1200 primary school pupils to be creative every year, the idea was now to encourage people of all ages to observe and document the local wildlife creatively through a photo lens.

More than 80 people of all ages sent in over 300 top-quality photos, so that the jury had great difficulty in making a decision. Three prizes were awarded in the "under 18" age category, and four prizes were awarded in the "over 18" age category.

Professor Böhme commented on the photos from a biologist's point of view and provided vivid information about the "little fox", the bovine jumping spider, squirrel, furrowed bee, pygmy owl, cicada and sparrowhawk, while the picture editor from the Generalanzeiger, Holger Arndt, enthusiastically described the photographic quality.

Forty-three award-winning photos will be on display in the bistro of the Museum Koenig on the first floor until 15 February 2015.

Mayor Gabriele Klingmüller and Andreas Domschke, who came up with the idea for the competition, were delighted with the creative commitment of the participants. "The photo competition will continue next year with the theme 'Wild animals from foreign countries'," promised Domschke.

We will announce details of the next photo competition in good time.