At the museum
from 1 to 31 October
Proboscideans – Special Exhibition
Venue: Tietz, Museum of Natural History, 1st floor
Admission: Admission to the special exhibition on proboscideans is free of charge. A valid admission ticket is required for the tour of the permanent and special exhibitions.
The freely accessible area between the Museum of Natural History and the Neue Sächsische Galerie currently offers an insight into the evolution of proboscideans. During his work in the museum’s collection storeroom, research trainee Christopher Herrmann unexpectedly discovered a large number of proboscidean fossils. This gave rise to the idea of exploring the evolution of elephants using objects from our collection. In the display cases, you can take a closer look at elephants, mammoths and other creatures.
From 1 to 31 October
‘Amphibians – Wonders of Evolution’ – special exhibition
Venue: Tietz, Museum of Natural History, 1st floor
Admission: Adults €4, concessions €2.50, children and young people up to the age of 18 free
Frogs and salamanders, damp meadows and forests, puddles full of tadpoles – these are the images we associate with amphibians. These animals fascinate us as travellers between worlds; they bridge life in water with life on land. But amphibians are so much more than that! They evolved from fish almost 400 million years ago, were the first vertebrates to take to land and were already enormously diverse during the Palaeozoic Era. The Mesozoic Era saw not only amphibians several metres in size, but also frogs that preyed on dinosaurs.
Today, amphibians are found on almost every continent, and they have adapted to extreme habitats, such as cold steppes and scorching deserts. The special exhibition, a journey through the wondrous world of amphibians past and present, features more than 70 exhibits, including original specimens, models and illustrations, as well as interactive stations.
Wednesday, 21 October, 6.30 pm to 8 pm
‘Stromatolites and what they tell us’ – lecture by Robert Noll, Tiefenthal
Venue: Tietz, Museum Education Centre, 1st floor
Admission: free
Stromatolites are among the oldest records of life on Earth. For over 3.5 billion years, they have inhabited various habitats, from the coasts to the interior of the continents. The name ‘stromatolite’, coined in 1908 by the Dresden geologist Ernst Kalkowsky, literally means ‘layered stone’. Countless microbial mats ultimately form a stromatolite and thus also constitute a unique archive of the Earth and its environmental conditions. We know of stromatolites from many geological eras, and in some cases quite different microorganisms were involved in their formation. They produced the first oxygen on Earth and gave rise to gigantic iron deposits.
The speaker, Robert Noll, has been active for decades as a collector and amateur researcher, and has thus also been following the trail of stromatolites.
An event organised by the Friends of the Chemnitz Museum of Natural History e. V.
At the excavation site
Monday to Thursday, 19 to 22 October, 1.30 pm to 3 pm each day
The Mysterious Rucksack – Solve an ‘escape game’ about the excavation with your family – Autumn half-term activity for individual visitors
Venue: ‘Window into Earth’s History’, Glockenstraße 16
Admission: free; book by calling 0371 488 4555 or emailing foerster(at)naturkunde-chemnitz.de
A freshly excavated fossil has been stolen. The fossilised bones of the unknown animal, which were only discovered yesterday at the excavation site, have vanished without a trace.
But a rucksack was left behind at the scene. Decipher the contents of the rucksack. Search for clues around the excavation site! Can you manage to find the lost fossil and unravel its significance?
Duration: approx. 1.5 hours
For families with children aged 10 and over, max. 8 people.
The event is co-funded by the European Union as part of the ESF Plus project ‘Window into Earth’s History’ (application number: 100731465). This initiative is co-financed by tax revenue based on the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.
Saturday, 24 October, 3 pm to 7 pm
Trick or treat – “Halloween party at Window into Earth’s History”
Venue: ‘Window into Earth’s History’, Glockenstraße 16, 09130 Chemnitz
Admission: free
Shorter days, longer nights, cobwebs everywhere and mist over the fields – the eerily beautiful autumn season has arrived, and with it the excavation season at “Window into Earth’s History” is drawing to a close.
But before that happens, we want to open our doors to the Chemnitz underground for everyone. There’s plenty to experience: a fancy-dress competition, a Halloween quiz, a fossil hunt, spine-chilling tales from a long-gone world in the Permian period, and other interactive stations. All brave visitors are warmly invited to join us for a spooky time and to hear what the ‘City on the Volcano’ has to say in the way of Halloween tales.
The event is co-funded by the European Union as part of the ESF Plus project ‘Window into Earth’s History’ (application number: 100731465). This initiative is co-financed by tax revenue based on the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.
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