Projekte Naturkunde
Conservation of the Wet Preparation Collection
The Wet Preparation Collection comprises a range of historic and contemporary artefacts of regional and international provenance. These objects have been preserved in a formalin or alcohol solution in accordance with established practice. This provides a wealth of research opportunities. However, these liquids are classified as hazardous substances. Consequently, any work with the solutions and objects, including their transport, storage and display in exhibitions, must comply with the specific fire and health and safety requirements set out in the relevant legislation. To facilitate handling and use, the objects will be gradually transferred to a non-inflammable and non-toxic glycerine solution by an external specialist from 2023. Where necessary, objects will be repositioned or remounted, and historic containers will be reused wherever possible, supplemented with additional components and resealed. The result is a remarkable transformation: the objects shine with new brilliance and, once transferred, are ready for storage or display in the Central Art Depository.
Digitisation of the Donsbach Collection
In 2016, the museum's Zoological Collection received a significant donation: the Donsbach Collection. The collection, which is well-maintained and of a high standard, contains around 600 specimens. These include nearly 500 birds, 47 small mammals, 23 reptile and amphibian models and 50 insect boxes containing butterflies and beetles. Despite the lack of comprehensive documentation making it unsuitable for scientific research, the collection serves as a valuable reference for identification and presentation in exhibitions. For instance, it provides a unique opportunity to display species that are becoming increasingly rare in the biotopes of southern Baden, thus facilitating the acquisition of various skills in the museum's educational programmes including taxonomic determination and morphological comparison exercises.
Digitisation of the Leaf Fossil Collection
The museum's fossil collection comprises 161 objects from excavations carried out by the museum in Bohlinger Schlucht and on Schiener Berg in the Hegau region of Baden-Württemberg. A total of seven excavations were carried out between 1991 and 1993. The fossils are estimated to be around 13 million years old and come from the Middle Miocene Upper Freshwater Molasse. In 2022, this regionally significant collection was processed, conservatively assessed and digitised. All objects are affected to varying degrees by pyrite-marcasite weathering, a common phenomenon in palaeontological collections. Iron sulphates, the oxidation products of this weathering, attack other minerals present in the rock. The resulting change in volume puts chemical and mechanical stress on the rock, which can lead to cracking and destruction of the charred leaf remains. Storage in a stable, dry environment can significantly delay or even stabilise these processes. The conditions in the Central Art Depository are ideal for this. In addition, all objects have been vacuum packed in special bags. These are transparent on one side to permit constant inspection and access.
