EXHIBITION
Highlights of taxidermy
Preparation Between Collection, Research, and Exhibition
Insights into Our Preparation Workshops
Historical and contemporary specimens document how scientific precision and craftsmanship come together – and how preparation makes knowledge visible and permanently accessible.
Is this spider really that large? And is that a giant mosquito flying around? Don’t worry: the cross spider and the mosquito in our exhibition are enlarged models. In these rooms, you will also encounter macaws, polar bear Knut, gorilla Bobby, and panda Bao Bao. What may at first appear to be a colorful parade of animals is, above all, an insight into an important field of work at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin: preparation.
Here, we present not only outstanding specimens, but also the craftsmanship, research, and history behind them. From the hunting pose of a jaguar to the subtle facial expression of a gorilla – each specimen tells a story about nature, craftsmanship, and science.
Gorilla Bobby at the museum: thanks to precise preparation and new techniques, the more than 90-year-old specimen still appears remarkably lifelike today.
Photo: Verena Brüning
Preparators working on Gorilla Bobby: measurements, casts, and studies formed the basis for one of the first lifelike dermoplasties.
Photo: Archiv
A jaguar mid-leap, two green-winged macaws fleeing – the specimen captures movement at the moment of attack. Its complex construction and attention to detail earned it the title “Taxidermists’ Choice Best of Show.”
Photo: Carola Radke
Display cases present preparation as an interface between research, collection, and communication – from space-saving preserved objects to lifelike exhibition specimens and models.
Photo: Jamila K. Grote
What is preparation?
Preparation is the scientific and technical processing of zoological, paleontological, and mineralogical objects. It creates durable specimens for collections and exhibitions – forming a basis for research and education.
For research, preservation and space efficiency are key. Mammals and birds are prepared as study skins, skeletons are degreased and stored in boxes, insects are mounted on pins, and other animals are preserved in ethanol. Each object receives a label with data on its place and time of collection. With digitization, QR codes are increasingly added.
In exhibitions, by contrast, lifelike appearance is central. Preparators create dermoplasties, in which the skin is mounted over anatomically precise artificial bodies. This results in highly realistic representations. Fish, frogs, or insects are often displayed as colored models.
Fossils are also prepared in the museum. Using fine tools and pneumatic chisels, they are carefully freed from rock. In mineralogy, preparation primarily involves cleaning, conserving, and exposing crystals or rock samples. In this way, objects are created that preserve knowledge and enable new research.
Two ocelot specimens illustrate the evolution of preparation techniques: from a freely interpreted animal based on fur and sketches (1818) to an anatomically accurate representation based on studies of the original (1934).
Photo: Carola Radke
Photo: Archiv 
Fine work in our workshops: Christin Scheinpflug completing the exhibition specimen of a lynx
Photo: Pablo Castagnola
