diff --git a/src/app/project/ontology/resource-class-info/resource-class-info.component.html b/src/app/project/ontology/resource-class-info/resource-class-info.component.html
index 1d542a4e0c..d6d19a9c65 100644
--- a/src/app/project/ontology/resource-class-info/resource-class-info.component.html
+++ b/src/app/project/ontology/resource-class-info/resource-class-info.component.html
@@ -33,8 +33,12 @@
                 (click)="editResourceClass.emit({iri: resourceClass.id, label: resourceClass.label})">
                 Edit resource class info
             </button>
-            <span
-                [matTooltip]="(classCanBeDeleted ? null : 'This class can\'t be deleted because it is in use')">
+            <span [matTooltip]="(classCanBeDeleted ? 'This class doesn\'t have any instances yet' : null)" matTooltipPosition="before">
+                <button mat-menu-item (click)="openResource(resourceClass.id)" [disabled]="classCanBeDeleted">
+                    Open resource instances
+                </button>
+            </span>
+            <span [matTooltip]="(classCanBeDeleted ? null : 'This class can\'t be deleted because it is in use')" matTooltipPosition="before">
                 <button mat-menu-item [disabled]="!classCanBeDeleted" class="res-class-delete"
                     (click)="deleteResourceClass.emit({iri: resourceClass.id, label: resourceClass.label})">
                     Delete resource class
diff --git a/src/app/project/ontology/resource-class-info/resource-class-info.component.ts b/src/app/project/ontology/resource-class-info/resource-class-info.component.ts
index 9089c32e2e..367134d12e 100644
--- a/src/app/project/ontology/resource-class-info/resource-class-info.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/project/ontology/resource-class-info/resource-class-info.component.ts
@@ -486,4 +486,32 @@ export class ResourceClassInfoComponent implements OnInit {
 
     }
 
+    /**
+     * opens resource instances in new tab using gravsearch
+     * @param iri
+     */
+    openResource(iri: string) {
+        // open resource instances in new tab:
+        // it's important not to indent the gravsearch.
+        const gravsearch = `
+PREFIX knora-api: <http://api.knora.org/ontology/knora-api/v2#>
+CONSTRUCT {
+
+?mainRes knora-api:isMainResource true .
+
+
+} WHERE {
+
+?mainRes a knora-api:Resource .
+
+?mainRes a <${iri}> .
+
+}
+
+OFFSET 0`;
+
+        const doSearchRoute = `/search/gravsearch/${encodeURIComponent(gravsearch)}`;
+        window.open(doSearchRoute, '_blank');
+    }
+
 }