The xylotheque (wood collection) at the Holzforschung München consists of a scientifically used and a historical collection.The scientific collection includes more than 10'000 wood samples and 22'000 microscopic slides covering more than 5'000 different wooden species from all over the world. The samples are sorted based on their botanical family and are managed using a digital database. The samples are used for research and teaching as well as reference samples for the identification of wood species, related to the fight against illegal timber trade.The part of the collection with historically important samples consists of two well preserved collections with 145 and 117 books from Candid Huber, a benedictine monk based in Ebersberg, Bavaria. At the end of the 18. century, Huber prepared several plant parts like the wood, bark, leaves and fruits from mainly european wood species combined in a solid wooden 'book'.Additionally, the HFM owns the first from Johann Bartholomäus Bellermann created wood collection with 67 from originally 72 'books'. Another rarity kept at the HFM is one collection from Herman Nördlinger. In the mid 19. century, the forester prepared thin cuts for microscopic analysis from 900 wooden species.