The Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), founded as a private research and exhibition institute by Alexander Koenig (1858-1940), is one of the major natural history research museums in the Federal Republic of Germany. As a member of the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (WGL) the ZFMK is jointly funded by the state of Northrhine-Westphalia, the other states of Germany and the federal government.

The ZFMK scientific collections comprise an estimated 350,000 specimens of vertebrates (ca. 80,000 mammals; 136,700 birds; ca. 40,000 fishes; more than 77,000 reptiles and amphibians) and several million specimens of insects (1.35 M. butterflies, 1.9 M. beetles, 300,000 flies, and further specimens belonging to other insect groups). The library comprises an estimated 150,000 accessions of which more than 90% are already digitized. The digitization of the scientific collections at the species as well as at the specimen level is in progress.
 
 Research at ZFMK is focused on phylogenetics, speciation and biogeography of terrestrial vertebrates and insects. Hence, research emphasises terrestrial fauna, 'terrestrial' defined in a wider sense, i.e. including limnetic organisms which evolved from terrestrial forms and ecologically are often linked. . Several research projects include ecological and conservation aspects
 
Temperate Eurasia (Palaearctic region), tropical and subtropical Africa (Afrotropical region) and Central and South America (Neotropical region) are the regional focuses. Many research projects also include specific aspects of the ecology of vertebrates and insects, with special reference to proximate and ultimate factors.

The ZFMK inhibits in its historical building a modern permanent exhibition entitled “Our blue planet – The living Network”. In lifelike habitats of the African Savanna, the rainforest, Arctic/Antarctic and Central Europe, exhibits are arranged to the visitor. The permanent exhibition is supplemented by changing special exhibitions.

Name (in alphabetic order)	Role
Thomas Bader	Librarian
Thomas Burneleit	Technician, data processing department
Renate van den Elzen	Curator, Ornithologist
Yonne Evertz	Administration
Olaf Jahn	Ornithologist, Scientific Coordinator of AmiBio Project
Karl-Heinz Lampe (1953-2010)	Curator of the entomological collection, Collection database manager
Gerlind Lehmann	Entomologist
Thomas Niesel	System Engineer
Gustav Peters	Curator, Theriologist, sound laboratory manager
Jobst Pfaender	Biodiversity informatics
Klaus Riede	Entomologist, ZFMK AmiBio coordinator
Karl-Ludwig Schuchmann	Bird collection curator
Wolfgang Waegele	ZFMK Director, formal signatory
André Weller	Ornithologist