With the “Archaeological Mediation Award”, the largest specialist organization for prehistory and early history research, UISPP, honors the museum makers
The Blaubeuren Prehistoric Museum (urmu) has received international recognition: the museum received the “Archaeological Mediation Award” for its outstanding mediation work. The award was presented by the largest specialist organization for prehistoric and early historical research, the Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques (UISPP). Dr. Stefanie Kölbl, managing director of the urmu, and Georg Hiller, deputy director of the museum foundation, accepted the certificate for the award last Friday together with the entire museum team.
The decision to award the prize was made during the last UISPP conference in Timisoara, Romania, in September, at which representatives from disciplines such as archaeology, geology, zoology, botany and geography discussed questions about the adaptation processes of human societies. The international specialist organization’s justification for the urmu award states: “The Blaubeuren Prehistoric Museum presents the unique expressions of Ice Age art and other facets of prehistoric life in a professionally curated, yet family-friendly manner. The permanent exhibition is characterized by interactive elements that offer visitors an immersive experience. Its location at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site underlines the importance of depicting Ice Age life.”
“This is a great success: an award for which we did not apply, but for which specialist scientists observed our museum and recognized our innovative educational work,” says Dr. Stefanie Kölbl, “here it was recognized that in urmu families and individual guests of all ages, experts and laypeople, travel groups and school classes can immerse themselves deeply in the time 40,000 years ago and literally ‘understand’ the life of Stone Age hunters and gatherers.” The offer of museum education, which enables all guests to work with Stone Age tools and weapons in the so-called Stone Age workshop, also contributes to this, as does the emotionalizing exhibition design, which relies on the intuitive grasp of scientific content.
Prehistoric Museum Blaubeuren (urmu)
The urmu is in the immediate vicinity of the Stone Age caves, which were declared a World Heritage Site “Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb” by UNESCO in 2017. As the central museum for Paleolithic art and music in Baden-Württemberg and research museum at the University of Tübingen, the urmu presents Ice Age life on the edge of the Swabian Alb 40,000 years ago. Highlights include humanity’s oldest art and musical instruments with original finds from the region. The most prominent exhibit is the original “Venus from Hohle Fels”.
