Scientific Collections
Although it is the youngest of Berlin’s universities in terms of its founding date, Freie Universität Berlin possesses and preserves numerous significant research and teaching collections. These reflect the university’s wide range of disciplines: Distributed across the individual departments and institutes, the collections include zoological models, minerals, casts of ancient sculptures, as well as programs from East and West Berlin theaters, instruments for physics experiments, and even living plants.
Many of the collections originated from initiatives by department chairs and professors in the departments since the 1950s. However, quite a few also have their origins in significantly older collections from other Berlin academic institutions. They bear witness to the extremely eventful history of Berlin’s universities and academic institutions and thus constitute a significant part of the city’s scientific and cultural heritage. As central components of the university’s infrastructure, they are extensively utilized for research and teaching; their physical holdings are continuously expanded through digital collections and extensive research data.
Source: Martin Werner
Collections form the basis for research and teaching in many disciplines; indeed, numerous disciplines have, in a sense, emerged alongside and through collections: for example, the history of evolution, biodiversity research, and climate change research. For subjects such as ethnology and archaeology, collections of artefacts are fundamental to their work. Collections, or parts thereof, may form part of cultural heritage. Above all, however, they are working collections, the purpose of which is to be utilised and put to use. In some cases, they may even be consumed.
The Coordination of University Collections supports the research and teaching collections in the various departments and institutes at Freie Universität Berlin in preserving, cataloguing, digitising, and presenting of their (object) holdings and establishes cross-departmental infrastructures. It advises on collection-related applications for external funding, and, together with the collections themselves, initiates and develops relevant research projects on the history of Freie Universität’s collections. In supporting the (inter)national network of collections, the Coordination of University Collections organises joint events, workshops and other exchange initiatives as well as (online) exhibitions and publications. The Coordination helps the university’s collections to raise their profile and make better use of their potential both within and outside Freie Universität, whilst also strengthening their networks.