Four Centuries in Images and Text
Freiburg, Sep 09, 2020
More than a key location for researchers, instructors, and students, the garden is a favorite with the public as well. This year, the University of Freiburg's Botanical Garden is celebrating the 400th anniversary of its existence. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year the institution has been required to limit – and in some cases cancel – events to celebrate this special birthday. A multimedia presentation made up of a range of contributions should nevertheless make it possible to join in the celebration and experience the many facets of the Botanical Garden.
Green, greener, botanical garden: the facility has been home to numerous plant and animal species for 400 years. Picture: Thomas Kunz
During a virtual tour, Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck will show visitors what the Botanical Garden has to offer. Using video clips, the Botanical Garden's director will present fascinating tips, tricks, and backstories on the world of plants. In an interview with Patrick Siegert, Speck will talk about the work of researchers inspired to develop technologies based on the mechanisms found in the plant world. The biologist and botanist also explains how he would like to see the future of the Botanical Garden take shape.
An Expedition into the Plant World
A report introduces the team and their work. The gardeners, together with scientific advisor Dr. Friederike Gallenmüller, have far more to offer than tours, treasure hunts, or plant consulting. They take visitors behind the scenes to investigate seed exchanges and the watering of parched plants.
The History of a Freiburg Institution
Finally, a feature takes viewers on a journey back into the garden's past. The story starts with its inception as a "Hortus Medicus" where the city garden is today, then moves to its second site on the banks of the Dreisam river, and on to the third location on the Natural Sciences Campus, and finally, to the current site in the Schänzlestraße. The Botanical Garden has experienced a setback or two in its long history, but it has also seen many triumphs and technical innovations.