Museums and the Public Understanding of Science in Germany

1
Museums and the Public Understanding of Science
in Germany

• Marc-Denis Weitze, Deutsches Museum
• Example The Deutsches Museum 100 years of PUS
• The contribution of museums
• PUS-related research and practice in museums

2
Deutsches Museum Goals

• serve the general public
• present a chronological encyclopaedia of the
  history of science and technology
• display a broad spectrum of subjects
• show development of various disciplines with
  historical objects and models
• explain the connections between the exact
  sciences and technology
• display contemporary science
• motivate youth for careers within science and
  technology

3
Deutsches Museum Methods

• open museum at times when people can visit it
• periodical review of exhibitions
• trained interpreters, demonstrators
• library ( ca. 800.000 books)
• popular lectures scientists to touch
• publications
• courses for teachers
• activities for children
• science theater

4
Deutsches Museum today

• 17,000 objects, area of nearly 50,000 m²
• 1.3 M visitors in 2000
• branch museums
• Schleißheim Air and Space museum
• Deutsches Museum Bonn
• major projects
• mobility museum
• high-tech exhibits