Special exhibition "Humboldt Lives!"(May 8 - September 29, 2019)

18 January 2019

Photo: Hans Grunert

In his "Natural Painting of the Andes," Humboldt recorded the climate and vegetation stages. For the exhibition, his method was transferred to the Alps.

With the special exhibition "Humboldt Lives!" the University of Hamburg accompanies the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt on an expedition into nature 250 years after his birth. From May 8 to September 29, 2019, the exhibition follows Humboldt's most significant expedition to America and reflects his understanding of nature, in which everything is connected to everything else.

At three locations, the exhibition makes the challenges of expeditions at the beginning of the 19th century and Humboldt's findings for botany and zoology comprehensible: In the Botanical Garden and the Loki Schmidt Haus, with the support of the Herbarium Hamburgense, Humboldt's exploration of plants is made understandable for today's world under the motto "Botany on the Move," with references to: Crops, Invasive Species, Species Extinction, Biodiversity and Climate Change.

With "Animals in the Tropics," the Museum of Nature Hamburg - Zoology at the LIB shares Humboldt's view of the animal world of South America. Which animals did he draw and describe, what role did animal geography play for him? Other focal points include Humboldt's relationship to Hamburg and the execution of the expedition.

The special exhibition is accompanied by a diverse program of events. The exhibition section "Botany in Motion" was developed by the University of Bern and will be integrated into the grounds of the Botanical Garden and the Loki Schmidt House in Hamburg for the exhibition.

Contact:
Mareen Gerisch
Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change
Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
20146 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 42838 8846
E-mail: mareen.gerisch@uni-hamburg.de