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Dessau Museum of Natural History and Prehistory

Dessau Museum of Natural History and Prehistory

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Dessau Museum of Natural History and Prehistory

Name: Dessau Museum of Natural History and Prehistory
Rating: 2

Recommended by 29 cyclists

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Location: Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

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1. Sieglitzer Park Gate – Jagdbrücke Over the Mulde loop from Wörlitz

103km

06:05

180m

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2. Kö 4751 Locomotive – Haideburg Hunting Lodge loop from Wolfen (Bitterfeld)

42.6km

02:27

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3. Dessau Mulde Floodplain – Cycling Bridge Over the Mulde loop from Dessau-Alten

46.0km

03:13

70m

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Schakal

February 23, 2025

As early as 1875, a natural history and prehistoric collection had been set up at Großkühnau Castle near Dessau, which had been created by merging the ducal collections in Dessau and Roßlau. The Köthen collection was added in 1878. As this collection could no longer be adequately looked after from 1900 onwards, it was transferred to the Zerbst Castle Museum in 1919, where it was almost completely destroyed in an air raid in 1945.

In 1901, a municipal archaeological collection was founded, which was initially housed in the new town hall. It was expanded considerably in 1907 through the purchase of Hans Seelmann's private collection and through excavations by the Anhalt Historical Society, which took place mainly between 1908 and 1911. At this time, the collection became part of a short-lived local history museum, but was split up again in 1919. While large parts of this collection were also transferred to Zerbst, the archaeological, geological and scientific holdings remained in Dessau. They were initially kept at Johannisstrasse 13 and formed the basis of the Museum of Natural History and Prehistory, which was founded and opened in 1927. The museum was housed in the Leopold Dank Foundation, built between 1746 and 1750, at Askanische Strasse 32, where it is still located today. The building had previously housed the Anhaltische Kunsthalle. The conversion of the building in 1900 for the changed use was designed by the ducal government and building councilor Gustav Teichmüller.

The first director of the museum was Hans Seelmann, who was dismissed in 1936 due to his Jewish descent. The management of the prehistoric collection was given to Walter Götze, who lived in Köthen and also looked after the collection there. During the Second World War, parts of the collection were relocated. Nevertheless, there were considerable losses when the museum building was hit in an air raid on March 7, 1945 and burned down completely.

After reconstruction, an exhibition could be presented again in 1948. In the same year, Alfred Hinsche took over the management of the museum. Further excavations from the 1950s onwards enabled the museum's holdings to be further expanded. A new permanent exhibition was opened in 1960. Due to renovation work on the building, the museum had to close temporarily in 1992. It reopened in 1998.

The museum is currently threatened with closure. After both director Ernst Görgner and the head of the prehistoric collection Hans-Peter Hinze retired in 2018, both positions have not yet been filled.[1] A cultural development plan published by the city of Dessau-Roßlau in March 2019 envisages moving out of the Leopold-Dank-Stift, without there being a coherent concept for the future presentation of the collection.[2]
Source de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_f%C3%BCr_Naturkunde_und_Vorgeschichte

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Schakal

February 23, 2025

The current permanent exhibition is divided into six areas:

"Treasures from the Underground" is dedicated to prehistoric times with a focus on the Pleistocene and shows, among other things, reconstructions of a coal forest and ice age megafauna.

"Traces of Humanity - Ice Age Hunters, First Farmers and Bronze Casters" uses reconstructions and archaeological finds to show human prehistory from the Ice Age through the Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age.

"The Dessau region from the Germanic period to the founding of the city" uses archaeological finds to show regional history from the Iron Age to the 13th century.

Another area is the mineral collection.

"A Walk Through the History of the Earth" is housed in the tower and shows fossils from the prehistoric period to the Pleistocene on six floors.

"Fascination of Nature - From Anemone to Little Bittern" shows the habitats of the "Middle Elbe River Landscape" biosphere reserve in several dioramas. Source de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_f%C3%BCr_Naturkunde_und_Vorgeschichte

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Elevation 60 m

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Location: Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

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Dessau Museum of Natural History and Prehistory

1. Sieglitzer Park Gate – Jagdbrücke Over the Mulde loop from Wörlitz

2. Kö 4751 Locomotive – Haideburg Hunting Lodge loop from Wolfen (Bitterfeld)

3. Dessau Mulde Floodplain – Cycling Bridge Over the Mulde loop from Dessau-Alten

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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