Since the beginnings of the Botanical Museum, founded in 1883, there has always been a plant pathology department within the collections, which included preparations of pest infestations of crops. Questions of plant protection played a central role in Hamburg as an important port and gateway for plant pests from overseas. In 1898 a separate department for plant protection was set up, which considerably extended the Botanical Museum’s range of expertise. From its more than 100 years of research and consultancy work, around 200 objects have been preserved, including impressive preparations of pest infestations of crops.