In 1995, the Messel Pit fossil site near Darmstadt in Hesse was the first world heritage site in Germany to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. With the purchase of the pit in June 1991, the state of Hesse decided to enlist the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research as a particularly experienced partner in the Messel area to operate the pit.
One year later, on June 24, 1992, the Hessen state government and SGN signed a contract concerning the preservation of the Messel Pit as a unique fossil site. Starting on July 1, 1992, SGN became the operator of the Messel Pit under regulations specified by federal mining law. The state and the federal government financially support the operation through the Senckenberg Research Institute.