Since the opening of our museum in 1889, we have outlasted four states, survived two world wars and have always remained one thing: a research institute in step with the times. We are now developing the historic building into a 21st century museum that will open its collection to the world; a place of research and preservation, of encounters and democracy. In our für Natur journals ("for nature"), we take you along this path into the future.
About für Natur
für Natur is published twice a year in German (available as PDF as well as on-site). However, below you will find its most important content stories translated.
Current cover stories
- Evolution of the museum (2023)
- Encounter with the other species (2023)
- Wild neighbourhood: the "Vielfalt Verstehen" project (2024)
Collection future
- Big data with ants and dinosaurs (2019)
- Insect hairs and dinosaur bones in 3D (2020)
- The skulls are moving (2020)
- Look into the snake's skull (2021)
- The future of things (2021)
- What the explosion left behind (2023)
- Millimeter work on pressed plants (2023)
- Collecting the treasure of data (2024)
Portraits
- Eliana Buenaventura: The lordess of the flies (2019)
- Yara Haridy: The time traveler (2020)
- Pia Nitzschke: The shell seeker (2020)
- Jutta Helbig: The preserver (2021)
- Franziska Schuster: The treasure seeker (2021)
- Astrid Faber: The mediator (2022)
- Elisabeth Heyne: The story collector (2023)
- Meta Friese: The attorney of the objects (2023)
- Katharina und Pam von Oheimb: Team snail (2024)
Citizen Science
- Does the nightingale sing in the Berlin dialect? (2019)
- What is flying there? (2020)
- In search of cosmic crumbs (2020)
- The secrets of ancient scriptures (2021)
- Everything is right (2021)
- It hums and buzzes (2022)
- Together against plastic waste in Ghana (2023)
- Discover urban nature with the Naturblick app (2024)
What does für Natur mean for us?
für Natur is the underlying thought in all we do. Only if we see ourselves as an active part of nature, learn to understand its mechanism and work for it together, will we be able to develop solutions to the major challenges of our time, such as climate change, plastic in the oceans, the battle for raw material and the ongoing loss of biodiversity and to initiate social change.
The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin sees its responsibility in springing into action and become more involved in the social discourse, as the major challenges humanity faces can only be tackled by targeted collaboration and collective, concerted action. There is also a need for places where society, science and politics come together.
How does für Natur change the way we communicate?
Our credo für Natur does not simply shape our work in-house, but also in the wider world. We will become more intensely involved in the social discourse and call for action. We see our mission as a museum and globally connected research institution not only in safeguarding knowledge, but also giving it further momentum by acting as mediators, advisors and initiators. We want to provide a forum for various stakeholders to discuss openly the truly crucial issues of the 21st century.
How can I take part?
We would like to encourage you to join us and work for nature with us. We are planning various types of events, new exhibitions and participatory projects, in which we count on you to take part in discussions, acquire knowledge and commit yourself – for nature.