From the first cell to a person's death

How does a cell form, and how does it grow into a whole organism? What does it mean to be healthy or ill? Why do living things age? When is a person dead? How do different cultures deal with the start and end of human existence?

The first section, Life Begins, is about the biological processes which set in after the ovum and the sperm cell fuse. At the same time, it shows how the images of the embryo popularised in the media have greatly influenced the discussion on when human life begins.

The section Building Blocks of Life focuses on the ethical questions arising as a result of advances in cell research. What kinds of artificial insemination and prenatal diagnosis are there today? What does it mean that we may in future be able to grow functioning organs out of individual cells?

Living with Illness – despite all the medical advances of recent decades, illness is still a part of life. What illnesses can modern medicine recognise and heal? Can sick people still lead a good life? And where does our own responsibility come in?

Improved living conditions have markedly improved life expectancy in our society. The Living Longer section shows that our ideas of age and our assessment of whether we feel “old” or not have changed radically. For most people today, after all, getting older offers them the chance to shape their own lives individually for longer than has ever been possible in the past.

The dream of never having to die is as old as humanity itself – but we live in the knowledge that death comes at the end of every life. The last section, The End of Life, is about saying goodbye; about dying in dignity being part of life, and about remembering the dead. It points out that thinking about dying and death must always also be understood as remembering a life lived.

Of love, the self, and the diversity of desire

The exhibition section provides information about - almost - everything we associate with sexuality today. It conveys elementary knowledge about the body and makes clear how much our sexual ideas and preferences are culturally shaped. At the same time, the exhibition is a committed plea for a self-determined approach to different forms of sexuality. People should be free to choose monogamous, homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, polygamous or other sexual relationships - or even a life without sex at all.

In five chapters, the exhibition follows the path from "getting to know each other" to "the first time" to "living together." The interactive and playful module "Let's Talk About Sex" is aimed primarily at the sexual curiosity of young people, while in "Lust and Desire" a cultural history of the passions is spread out - from historical means of increasing desire to digital forms of sexual desire. The final chapter, "Living Together," takes a look at the suppressed topic of sexualized violence and also shows what new family constellations and partnerships are opened up by the possibilities of modern reproductive medicine.  

The art of coordination

Many movements take place involuntarily. Some of them, such as the heartbeat and intestinal peristalsis, are concealed within the body. Others, such as blinking and the respiratory motion of the chest, are externally visible. Motion is part of personality and of communication with other people. The character of individuals as well as of cultures is reflected in body language.

This spacious room presents a series of anatomical exhibits, historical and modern high-tech prostheses, and bodybuilding equipment from the turn of the century. In addition, your sense of balance will be put to the test on a balancing course. And you can test your sense of rhythm under a hood that invites you to dance.