Charlottenburg Hunting and Forestry Museum

The Charlottenburg Hunting and Forestry Museum is located in the village of Charlottenburg (Șarlota), the only circular village in Romania. The museum building was constructed in 1890 by Count Zigfried von Wimphen as a hunting residence, during a time when the local game-rich lands enjoyed special attention from the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy. Later, in the interwar period, the building became the headquarters of the Șarlota Forest District, playing a key role in managing the hunting park. A complete restoration in 2014 returned the building to its original appearance and transformed it into a modern museum, inaugurated on the occasion of celebrating 110 years of uninterrupted park management.

The exhibition is dedicated primarily to the fallow deer (Dama dama L.), introduced between 1902 and 1904 through specimens brought from Subotica (Serbia) and Bohemia. Over time, the fallow deer became the emblem of the Charlottenburg hunting park. The themed gallery — “At Home with the Fallow Deer” — brings together an impressive collection of trophies evaluated according to C.I.C. international standards, highlighting the diversity of forms, the symmetry of the palmate antlers and the specific characteristics of the species. Alongside the emblematic fallow deer, the museum also displays trophies of brown bear, chamois, red deer, mouflon, wild boar and roe deer, as well as taxidermied birds and mammals, offering a comprehensive picture of the local fauna. The trophies displayed in the museum are held in custody and belong to our partner institution, the Carpathian Hunting Museum Posada. Thematic panels illustrate the evolution of animal populations, the impact of sustainable game management and the transformations of forest habitats. Photographs, maps, documents and examples of hunting infrastructure — such as feeding stations, water troughs and observation points — complete the exhibition, showcasing more than a century of forest and wildlife stewardship.

Beyond its exhibition value, the Charlottenburg Hunting and Forestry Museum serves as an educational center for the general public in the fields of biodiversity, ecology and sustainable game management, attracting school groups, students, specialists and nature enthusiasts every year. Closely connected to the Șarlota Hunting Park, the museum offers a comprehensive perspective on the evolution of hunting in the Banat region, the history of the village and the longstanding relationship between humans, forests and wildlife.