Which natural substances are medically effective?
Permanent exhibition
Nature + Medicine
What do animals use from their habitat to heal themselves? The permanent exhibition Nature + Medicine on the second floor of the museum provides fascinating insights into topics related to human health and our relationship with nature.
A large illuminated image behind a historic pharmacy façade shows over 100 organisms that are significant for pharmacy – visitors can find out more about their medicinal uses at a media table. Global connections between health, biodiversity, and the anthroposphere are also examined – because human health is directly linked to that of our planet.
The exhibition, which was created with the generous support of the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung, is rounded off by extraordinary insights into the history of medicine.
An extraordinary “jungle” glows on a seven-meter-wide, ceiling-high image through the doorway of the historic Hirsch Pharmacy in the center of the exhibition: a fish swarm hovers above the pink flowers of a foxglove, right next to an oversized coliform bacterium, and a tiny horse stands on a gigantic oyster mushroom.
All of these organisms, along with numerous others on display, have one thing in common: they are used as medicinal substances in pharmacy and medicine. Visitors can find out exactly which active ingredients are hidden in each organism and how they are used in medicines at a media terminal.
The façade, which divides the exhibition space, is modeled on the historic Frankfurt Hirsch Pharmacy, one of the oldest pharmacies in the city on the Main. It is the birthplace of the Fresenius Group and the non-profit Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, which is providing significant support for the exhibition project.
The exhibition area “False Medicine” focuses on endangered animals. The exhibits on display there, such as tiger skins and narwhal tusks, are examples of organisms that are believed to contain active ingredients and are therefore hunted or killed.
