A forest of precious stones - Gift of the volcanoes -
The Sterzeleanum
Precious stones from wood... ?
Experience the deep fascination of petrified wood in the flair of the late nineteenth century and learn about the work of the jewelries inspectors of the royal court in Saxony. Additionally you will meet passionate collectors and the father of the Petrified Forest Chemnitz. Listen to what Goethe had to say about the petrifications and to a group of amused naturalists singing satirical songs about the mistakes of their colleagues.
A tropical oasis ...
Accompany us on our journey into the past of the Chemnitz valley - into the period of the perm, 291 million years ago. Experience the landscape with its swamps and deserts, its broad rivers and rumbling volcanoes. Explore the exotic flora and fauna of a time, in which flowers and petals, lawns and grases - even dinosaurs - where not yet existing. It was a time where dragonflies where as big as ducks and millipedes where longer than two meters.
... destroyed and preserved by the volcanoes
Dense clouds of volcanic ashes obscured the sky and denied the living organisms the air to breathe. Eastern of todays Chemnitz a volcanoe errupted. Its pyroclastic flow went down to the valley, broke down the 30 m high trees like matchsticks and buried all life under its ashes. Experience what is hard to describe with words, feel the restless earth.
How do we know all this?
Explore how geologists and paleontologists interpret the remnants and traces of past life. Discover what is hidden in several stone layers and feel how close the earth history can come to you.
Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz | Moritzstraße 20, 09111Chemnitz
Öffnungszeiten Mo, Di, Do, Fr 9-17 Uhr | Sa, So 10-18 Uhr
www.naturkunde-chemnitz.de | info@naturkunde-chemnitz.de
Tel. 0371 - 488 45 51 | Fax 0371 - 488 45 97