From 4 April 2025 to 1 February 2026, the museum at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Messel Pit invites you on a fascinating journey through time into the world of insects and plants: The exhibition “FLOWER-POWER! Insects in a floral frenzy” takes visitors on a search for clues to stories millions of years old. Who would have thought that beetles can still retain their splendour today and that flower pollen tells more than meets the eye? The focus is on the diverse relationships between insects and plants, which have been writing a common history for at least 350 million years. With a look at tiny fossil groups and exciting research results, the secrets of the unique Messel fossil deposit are revealed. Scientists take flower pollen from the stomachs of prehistoric insects, compare it with today’s flowers and can thus reconstruct which flowers the small animals once fed on. Feeding traces on ancient leaves also provide information about the interaction between animals and plants.
The special exhibition not only impresses with unique exhibits, but also with insightful guided tours, which take place at 1.30 pm on selected dates. In addition, the public can experience the “REZENT/LIVNG” sound exhibition in the outdoor area from 4 July to 18 August, which adds an acoustic dimension to the exhibition visit. The exhibition and its accompanying programme are the result of a cooperation between renowned research institutions and museums, funded by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture and the Lipoid Foundation. Anyone interested in the interplay between science, nature and history should not miss this extraordinary experience.
