“Cool animals up close” is the title of a lecture by the biologist Thassilo Franke, which he keeps in the Zoological State Collection on Wednesday, December 21st. With more than 25 million objects, the collection is one of the largest of its kind in Germany and contains precious treasures from the animal kingdom. In times of a massively accelerated loss of species, it is an archive of biodiversity and serves hundreds of scientists from all over the world for their research every year. Normally the objects are not publicly accessible. However, the Association of Friends of the Zoological State Collection, of which Franke is the President, regularly organizes lectures and guided tours.
Franke, who works on the construction staff of Biotopia, the planned natural history museum, wants to educate the public more about the scientists’ work and the wonders of the animal world. He’s an excellent storyteller. He manages to pack the most bizarre phenomena of evolution into exciting stories. Among the “cool” animals he chose this time is the saber-toothed deer, which doesn’t have antlers but impresses its opponents with huge canines. A hummingbird whose beak is one and a half times as long as its body so it can dive into the deepest calyxes – which is why the plants keep upgrading. The piggy snail, to which the porcelain owes its name. And a species of beetle that inspires space travel. The show starts on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the lecture hall of the Zoological State Collection, Münchhausenstraße 21 in Obermenzing, and is suitable for children from the age of eight. Free entry.
time for orders
Monika Gruber, actress and cabaret artist.
(Photo: Peter Kneffel/dpa)
Two years ago she should have given the eulogy at the award of the Karl Valentin Order to Prime Minister Markus Söder. Yet Monica Gruber canceled because the ceremony was taking place in the Deutsches Theater and she was annoyed with his boss. Now the cabaret artist herself has been proposed for the award by the Narrhalla carnival society. The award ceremony is to take place on January 28, during the Narrhalla Ball “Münchner Leben” – in the Deutsches Theater. Let’s see if Gruber comes at all. Laudator Helmut Schleich would certainly be disappointed.
sense of design
Speaking at TED conferences gets things straight. Because that is the prerequisite for a lecture under the seal of TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design). Leyla Acaroglu has proven in this context that she not only knows a lot about design and sustainability, which is her heart, but can also present excellently. The many views of her talks, which can be listened to on YouTube, are proof of that. She talks in a friendly but clear manner about “environmental folklore” and what it takes for real change to avoid turning this world into a garbage dump. The sustainability strategist, who comes from Australia and has a doctorate, will be speaking to a Munich audience next spring. She has just been booked for the opening lecture on May 8th at the Munich Creative Business Week. The event, organized by Bayern Design, will take place from May 6th to 14th at various locations in and around Munich. It is the largest event of its kind in Germany.
Meeting for patrons
Sabine Rojahn, Chairwoman of the Friends of the Deutsches Museum.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
Culture needs patrons, that was already the case in Michelangelo’s time. Even Munich’s major cultural institutions could hardly survive without generous sponsors. Most of the time, however, the groups of friends keep to themselves, the opera fans, the theater enthusiasts, the friends of art or the natural sciences. Sabine Rojahn, Chairwoman of the Friends of the Deutsches Museum, wanted to change that. Five years ago she initiated joint evenings with the Friends of the Pinakothek der Moderne (PIN) and the Pinakotheks-Verein under the motto “Art meets technology. Technology meets art”. Together with PIN chairwoman Dorothée Wahl and Princess Elisabeth zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, chairwoman of the Pinakothek association, they worked on a new format – “we are three women, which is known to always make life easier,” says Rojahn.
On the first evening in the planetarium of the Deutsches Museum, proof was provided that the starry sky in Adam Elsheimer’s picture “The Flight into Egypt” actually corresponded to the celestial constellation of the time. In the Pinakothek der Moderne the focus was on the technical ambitions of Ludwig II and in the Alte Pinakothek on the question of how technical progress was reflected in the painting of the Dutch Golden Age. Now Sonja Neumann told the Deutsches Museum about the beginnings of photography and Herbert Rott from the State Painting Collections showed spectacular early photos of Italy from the Siegert Collection. Another proof “that art is unthinkable without technology and technology without art,” says Rojahn.
room for thoughts
Winfried Haunerland, former chair of liturgical studies at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the LMU.
(Photo: private)
How can scientific and ideological perspectives enable communication and even promote peace in an increasingly divided society? deal with questions of this kind Winfried Haunerland for many years. These days, the issue is more urgent than ever. The former holder of the chair for liturgy studies at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the LMU and director of the Ducal Georgianum will discuss this on December 20th as part of the “Science Talks” series with the Islamic scholar Thomas Bauer in the large auditorium of the LMU. Beginning 7 p.m.