Gründer-Namensaktie der Tiergarten Nürnberg Aktiengesellschaft (Nennwert: 500 Mark), ausgestellt auf die Freiherrlich von Tucher’sche Brauerei AG in Nürnberg

Description

The wish for a zoo was already expressed in Bavaria’s second largest metropolis at the end of the 19th century. After several failed attempts, a Nuremberg citizens’ committee finally took the initiative. He realised the project in 1911 by founding a joint stock company. The capital was raised by issuing 750 shares with a nominal value of 500 marks each. To ensure broad distribution, the subscription limit per shareholder was ten shares. Local companies were also heavily involved, as shown by the founder’s share acquired by the Tucher brewery. The zoo, modelled on the Hamburg zoo with artificially modelled landscapes, opened its doors on 11 May 1912. It housed 183 animal species with 883 individuals on an area of 20 hectares and immediately became a public attraction. 800,000 visitors came to the zoo in 1913. In 1939, the zoo had to give up its old location due to the expansion of the Reichsparteitag grounds. The decoratively designed share stands out due to its wealth of shapes. Under the Nuremberg city coat of arms, native species such as eagles, deer and squirrels are gathered alongside animals that still seemed exotic at the time, such as monkeys, parrots, pelicans, iguanas and kangaroos.