The year 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the recognition of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In this context, the exhibition "Species and places, perceive." will be shown from June 13, 2025 in the Orangery of the Luisium Park (Dessau-Roßlau, OT Waldersee).
The exhibition, initiated and designed by Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, uses artistic works and factual texts to provide information about the endangerment and protection of rare dry grassland species in Central Germany. Artists Inken Hemsen, Katrin Röder and cellist Christina Meißner have explored the species and their habitats in their own unique way for the exhibition project. The Luisium in the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom provides a particularly suitable setting for the traveling exhibition. This garden monument is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve, but is also included in two major European protected areas of the
NATURA 2000 network. Garden culture, cultural landscape protection and species and biotope protection are closely linked here.
The exhibition is part of the project "The grey scabious and its habitats in the Central German distribution area - preserve - protect - promote", which is funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for the Environment of the State of Saxony-Anhalt as part of the Federal Program for Biological Diversity.
The gray scabious is still comparatively common in parts of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, but is a rare and endangered plant species throughout Germany. As its populations in Germany are of great importance for its worldwide survival, Germany is particularly responsible for the protection of this species from a global perspective. If their habitats are preserved and promoted, numerous other dry grassland species will also benefit. With this project, the project team led by Professor Annett Baasch from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences is committed to the valuable but endangered species communities of dry grasslands and thus to the diversity, uniqueness and beauty of the cultural landscape in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.
At the exhibition opening on June 12 at 5:30 p.m., the project team from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and the participating artists/musicians as well as representatives of the Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation and other stakeholders will be present and look forward to exchanging ideas with guests.
The exhibition is open from June 13, 2025 to September 15, 2025, Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm. Admission is free.
Contact person for the project and exhibition content:
Prof. Dr. Annett Baasch
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
Phone: +49 3471 355 1173
annett.baasch@hs-anhalt.de
More information: www.graueskabiose.de/ausstellung
