Special Exhibitions

The special exhibitions of the Museum of the University of Tübingen deal with changing topics and offer comprehensive information and background. Depending on what is on offer, they can also be visited in addition to the permanent exhibitions.

Preview

Current

Current

Te Pou o Hinematioro – Māori Heritage, Culture and Connection

October 24th, 2025 to March 29th, 2026

 

The exhibition was created in close collaboration between the Māori community Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti from Ūawa/Tolaga Bay (New Zealand) and the University of Tübingen. At its heart stands the carved pou Hinematioro Pou, which came to Europe in 1769 during James Cook’s first voyage. For the community, it is far more than an exhibit – it embodies ancestors, genealogy (whakapapa), spiritual authority (mana), and cultural treasures (taonga).

To the exibition

 

Anatomy Unbound

April 17th, 2023 to September 30th, 2025 (extended)

 

This exhibition was developed in three research projects by students of history and medicine under the direction of PD Dr. Henning Tümmers and Leonie Braam, M.A. (Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine) and Prof. Dr. Benigna Schönhagen and Stefan Wannenwetsch, M.A. (Grave Field X Project at the Institute for Historical Geography and Ancillary Historical Sciences). The interdisciplinary project is being developed in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Bernhard Hirt (Institute for Clinical Anatomy and Cell Analysis) and Prof. Dr. Ernst Seidl (Museum of the University of Tübingen MUT).

To the exibition

 

Ausstellungsplakat mit dem Logo der Universität Tübingen, dem Titel "Ausgegraben! Ritter und Burgen im Echaztal" und darunter dem Foto eines Ritters zu Pferde mit dem Wappen derer zu Stahleck in Form eines schwarzen Greifen auf gelbem Grund als Wappenrock und Fahne; darunter stehen auf gelbem Grund die Daten der Ausstellung: "Sonderausstellung, MUT | Museum Alte Kulturen | Schloss Hohentübingen, Burgsteige 11 | 72070 Tübingen, 25. Juli bis 2. November 2025, unimuseum.de"; ganz unten eine Reihe Sponsorenlogos

Excavated!
Knights and Castles in the Echaz Valley

July 25th to November 2nd, 2025

 

The ruins of Ober- and Untergreifenstein as well as neighbouring sites, including Stahleck Castle, form a small-scale castle landscape par excellence in the Upper Echaz valley. The exhibition shows the results of the archaeological excavations of the past few years. It focuses around the little-known medieval Stahleck Castle – and those who lived and worked there.

To the exhibition

 

Current

Current

Macrophotography of an orchid with violet petals and a small insect on the orchid's stem

Endangered Beauty

April 6th, 2025 to February 15th, 2026

 

With the project „Endangered Beauty. Künstlerische Portraits einheimischer Orchideen" (Artistic portraits of native orchids), Tamara Schmidt completed her degree in photographic design in 2020. The photographs highlight the beauty of these small, often inconspicuous orchids and convey technically sophisticated macro photography as well as the precarious conservation status of this fascinating group of plants. Using additional photographs, Tamara and Tobias Schmidt show an exhibition together with the Botanical Garden of the University of Tübingen which shows the beauty and interesting facts around orchids.

To the exhibition

 

Black-and-white portrait of Elisabeth Krämer-Bannow with the lettering "Koloniale" (colonial) and "Schatten" (shadows)

Colonial Shadows

from January 22nd, 2025

 

Elisabeth Krämer-Bannow, who was part of the expedition as self-taught illustrator, photographer and ethnologist, used her access to the women of Palau to document their daily lives and culture from a rare perspective. While male explorers often lacked access to this world, she was able to provide intimate insights that often went unobserved in ethnological research at the time. Her watercolours and photographs, on display in the exhibition, offer a vivid picture of Palauan life and a critical reflection on the colonial view of the period.

To the exhibition