Dragons

2026-10-02 – 2027-01-17

October 02, 2026 to January 17, 2027 Dragons have inspired the human imagination for thousands of years. The fascinating mythical creatures are part of the repertoire of great stories - from ancient myths to contemporary series highlights. Dragon books, games and stuffed animals can even be found in many children's rooms. Depending on the cultural context, very different characteristics are attributed to dragons: In European cultures, they appear as menacing creatures that combine the characteristics of snakes and predators. In China, Korea and Japan, on the other hand, the dragon has mostly positive connotations and keeps nature in balance as a cosmic force. While East Asian mythology mainly features divine celestial dragons, in antiquity we encounter the dragon primarily in the heroic deeds of Hercules. In Europe, however, the terrifying image of the fire-breathing beast only emerged in the art of the Middle Ages. Here, the dragon became a symbol of evil that was overcome by good - as exemplified in the iconography of the dragon slayer. Until modern times, dragons were still regarded as real animals, but this image only changed with the advent of modern natural science: dragons were excluded from the systematics of zoology and declared to be mythical creatures. Nevertheless, today they seem more alive than ever thanks to the current fantasy culture, such as the novels by J. R. R. Tolkien or the numerous other books, films, comics and games. The interdisciplinary exhibition sheds light on dragons from both an art historical and scientific perspective. It presents outstanding European and East Asian works of art from antiquity to the present day, as well as scientific exhibits such as rare documents from the history of science, fossils millions of years old and animal specimens. This diverse panorama is complemented by digital content, a storyline for children, a reading corner and drawing wall as well as atmospheric installations. In this way, young and old can discover how much reality there is in the millennia-old myth of the dragon. The special exhibition is the result of a cooperation between the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, the Museum Schnütgen and the Museum of East Asian Art, Cologne. The exhibition will then be on display from March 4 to June 6, 2027 at the Museum Schnütgen in cooperation with the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne.

Insects with Many Facets

2026-08-13 – 2027-01-24

August 13, 2026 to January 24, 2027 They crawl, buzz, shimmer and fly, and yet they are often overlooked in everyday life. The exhibition "Multifaceted insects. Diversity / Endangerment / Protection" invites visitors to get to know the fascinating world of insects from a completely new perspective. Impressive photographs, exciting information and surprising insights make it clear how diverse, beautiful and indispensable these small creatures are for our environment. With more than one million described species, insects are the most diverse group of animals on earth. Whether iridescent beetles, delicate dragonflies, colorful butterflies or perfectly adapted wild bees - each animal tells its own story of amazing abilities, sophisticated survival strategies and an evolution over millions of years. "We are delighted to be able to inspire people of all ages for the fascinating world of insects with this exhibition," says Julia Hillebrand, Deputy Director of the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt. "It combines impressive images with scientific information and invites visitors to take a closer look and rediscover nature." The exhibition shows the impressive variety of shapes and colors of insects in large-format pictures and easy-to-understand texts. What often remains hidden to the naked eye becomes visible here: the complex compound eyes of a dragonfly, the elaborate wing drawings of a butterfly or the fine body structures of a beetle. This opens up a world full of details that arouses wonder and curiosity. At the same time, the exhibition focuses on the central role of insects in our ecosystems. They pollinate wild plants and crops, break down organic matter and form the basis of life for numerous other animal species. Without insects, the ecological balance of our landscapes would be unthinkable. But many species are under threat today. The loss of habitats, intensive agriculture, pesticides and climate change are increasingly affecting insects. The exhibition therefore not only imparts knowledge, but also raises awareness for the protection of biodiversity. It shows that even small measures, from a near-natural garden to the conscious use of resources, can make an important contribution to the conservation of insects. "The beauty of insects is impressive, but their importance for our environment is even greater. If we protect their habitats, we also preserve the basis for an intact natural environment. The exhibition aims to impart knowledge and encourage visitors to see these little helpers with different eyes," says Prof. Dr. Torsten Wappler, Head of Natural History and Head of the Messel Pit Collection. The regional peculiarities are vividly conveyed using the example of the Griesheim dune. As one of the rare inland dune sites in Germany, it is home to extremely drought-adapted dry sand and steppe grasslands as well as numerous highly specialized plant and animal species. Four of these rare insect species are presented in more detail in the exhibition and can be seen as specimens in a display case. "Multifaceted Insects" is aimed at nature lovers of all ages, families, school classes and anyone who wants to rediscover the local animal world. The exhibition invites visitors to take a closer look. Because often the greatest wonders are hidden right on our doorstep. Anyone who visits the exhibition will see the world of insects with different eyes: as fascinating masterpieces of evolution, indispensable helpers of our nature and fellow inhabitants of our planet worthy of protection. The traveling exhibition "Multifaceted Insects" and the accompanying book of the same name are part of a project initiated by NORe e. V., an association of natural history museums in the North and Baltic Sea region on "Insect Extinction". Supporting program: The exhibition is accompanied by various public guided tours. Guided tours of the presentation "Multifaceted Insects" Dates for the public guided tours and public tandem tours with the Darmstadt Environmental Agency can be found in our calendar . It is possible to book guided tours of the special exhibition, please use our registration form . Funded until 30.09.2024 in the Federal Program for Biological Diversity by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

2026-12-03 – 2027-04-04

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Family outing to the special exhibition: Dragons - myth and reality

2026-11-08 @ 14:00

with Vera Seyfarth for children aged 6 and over and accompanying adults Free of charge, only museum admission for adults, max. 25 people, without advance reservation, tickets on the day of the event at the museum ticket office

Public Guided Tour: in the exhibition “Insects in All Their Diversity”

2026-11-18 @ 17:00

with Meike Finger, Ecologist at the Darmstadt Environmental Agency, and Prof. Dr. Torsten Wappler, Head of the Messel Pit Collection. The guided tour invites visitors to discover the amazing diversity of the insect world and learn more about the importance of insects for our ecosystems. Admission plus 4 euros tour fee, max. 20 people, tickets can be booked online or purchased at the museum ticket office

Lecture: Where does the gold of Troia come from?

2026-11-18 @ 17:00

with Prof. Dr. Ernst Pernicka The Early Bronze Age gold objects from Troia and Poliochni, a settlement on the island of Lemnos, are world-famous. But where did the gold used in these treasures come from? An international team of researchers investigated this question and used an innovative mobile laser method to analyze samples of famous pieces of jewelry from Troia and Poliochni for the first time. Tiny samples were taken from the gold objects from the early Bronze Age (between 2500 and 2000 BC) in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The composition of the gold was compared with corresponding gold objects from Ur, Mesopotamia, and from regions in southwest Asia in order to narrow down possible places of origin of the gold. Prof. Pernicka will report on this new laser method and the spectacular results of the investigations in his lecture. Prof. Dr. Ernst Pernicka was Scientific Director of the Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen and head of the Troia project at the University of Tübingen for many years. Free of charge, limited seating, no advance reservation required, admission from 17:30 Organizer: Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein, Darmstadt

Saturday Painters: Creative Workshop for Schoolchildren Ages 6 to 12

2026-11-21 @ 10:00

Christa Vohl (Facilitator), Gesine Dittmer, Elke-Emmy Laubner, Sophie Ruf, Johanna Weber Free of charge, max. 15 participants Registration (for up to 2 children) must be made one week in advance and is only possible for the specific session Link to the registration form Consultation, no registration required: Email: vermittlung@hlmd.de Service hotline: +49 (0) 6151 3601-311 Tuesday, Friday 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Wednesday 2:00–4:00 p.m.

Public tandem tour: in the exhibition "Dragons - Myth and Reality"

2026-11-21 @ 15:00

with Dr. Thomas Foerster, Head of the Medieval Art and Archaeology Collection and curator of the exhibition, and Florian Schäfer; admission plus a 4-euro tour fee; maximum of 20 people; tickets can be booked online or purchased at the museum ticket office

Reading with Florian Schäfer: As part of the exhibition "Dragons - Myth and Reality"

2026-11-21 @ 18:00

Florian Schäfer presents his new novel "Die Dracologin - Funken des Widerstands" with illustrations by Elif Siebenpfeiffer in an atmospheric setting. In this fantasy novel, dragon researcher Johanna Scheuchzer embarks on a journey to the last dragons of Europe. The story is told through diary entries, hand-drawn sketches, old maps and historical images. An immersive reading experience based on the old legends of Europe. 15 euros, admission from 6:30 p.m., after the event it is possible to visit the special exhibition until 9 p.m.

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Nico Blüthgen: on the topic "Land use and climate change are changing insect diversity - but how?"

2026-11-23 @ 18:00

The climate crisis is currently particularly visible, while the biodiversity crisis is much more difficult to grasp. However, one thing is clear: the more intensively and extensively humans use the land - for example through intensive agriculture - the more pronounced the loss of species of insects and other organisms. Increasing warming and drought, on the other hand, have a more differentiated effect on diversity and, above all, lead to a shift in species composition: some species disappear while others benefit. Using examples of fascinating species and large data sets from the joint project "Biodiversity Exploratories", Prof. Dr. Blüthgen will attempt to describe the changes currently taking place and make them more comprehensible. He would also like to discuss with you what we can do to reverse the loss of insects. Venue: BUND Center for Urban Nature (Klappacher Straße 27, Darmstadt): This event will also be broadcast online via Webex. Registration is not required. You can find the link on the website of the Darmstadt Environmental Agency An event of the Darmstadt Environmental Agency

Grandparents' Day: Reduced admission for grandparents with their grandchildren

2026-11-28 @ 10:00

On the last Saturday of the month, grandparents with grandchildren (ages 4–12) pay only the reduced admission price of 5 euros per person.

Manga drawing workshop: Manga & character design - develop and design your own characters

2026-11-28 @ 13:00

with Emiko Takano How do you create manga characters with their own character and expression? In this creative workshop, you will learn about the basic elements of Japanese-influenced character design and develop your own character step by step. It's not just about drawing, but also about ideas, personality, expression and the visual design of a character. From 12 years, max. 15 people Duration: approx. 3 hours Cost: 30 euros, tickets available online and at the museum box office

Reading lesson in the special exhibition: Dragons - myth and reality

2026-12-03 @ 15:00

Dragons are not only to be found in the current special exhibition "Dragons - Myth and Reality", but also populate children's and young adult literature. On the first Thursday of every month, we therefore invite you to a reading session in the exhibition. All children aged 4 and over are cordially invited. Free of charge, only special exhibition admission for adults

Family Tour: In the “Multifaceted Insects” Exhibition

2026-12-06 @ 14:00

with Dr. Ulrike Kiehne, independent cultural educator For children ages 6 and up and accompanying adults Free of charge; only museum admission applies for adults; max. 25 people; no advance reservation required; tickets available at the museum ticket office on the day of the event