Lecture at the Naturhistorisches Museum Bern

On October 21, 2013, Nelson Sanjad gave a talk at the Journal Club of Naturhistorisches Museum Bern. The Journal Club is a weekly seminar organized during the University semesters. It is held on Mondays at the museum.The presentation of Sanjad had the title "Jacques Huber (1867-1914) and the Amazonian research: international links regarding taxonomy, phytogeography and ecology of tropical rainforests".


The talk was divided in four parts: in the first one were presented some general questions to make clear the research background. The second part was a biographical note of Huber. In the third part Sanjad highlighted some points that should be detailed during the research, including the work of Huber on rubber trees, phytogeography and evolution. Finally, the main steps of the research were defined.

Thanks to Dr. Lukas Rüber, coordinator of Journal Club, and also to the audience. Among researchers, students and employees of the museum, the lecture was honored with the presence of Dr. Christoph Beer, Director of the museum, Dr. Martin Huber, President of the Swiss Commission for the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch (grandson of Jacques Huber), Dr. Erwin Flückiger, former President of the Naturforschende Gesellschaft in Bern and now the President of the International Foundation High Altitude Research Stations Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat, and Mürra Zabel, film maker now producing a documentary on Emil Göldi and other Swiss scientists who worked in South America.

Dr. Marcel Güntert introducing Nelson Sanjad to the audience.

The relationship of Emil Göldi and Jacques Huber was highlighted by Sanjad.

The Natural History Museum in Bern

The Museum has its roots in a Natural History Cabinet set up in 1694. The official founding year is 1832, when a Museum Commission was organized in the city of Bern. In 1852 the Museum collections came into the sole property of the Burgher Community. The herbaria were separated in 1863 and housed in the Botanical Garden. The historical and ethnographic collections later went over to the Bernese Historical Museum.

Nowadays, the Natural History Museum preserves only the geological and zoological collection. The current structure of the museum includes three academic departments (Earth Sciences, Invertebrates, and Vertebrates), besides the library, the laboratories, the museological and pedagogical offices.

To know more about the Museum click here.

 

The famous dog 'Barry' gave rise to the legendary stories of rescue in the Alps and has a prominent place in the Museum.

 

Large rock samples are on display in the Museum garden.

C'est la vie - stories of life and death

The award-winning exhibition is creative, amusing and provocative. Design by the great Claude Kuhn.

There is no life without death.

 

Tells of death.

Emil Göldi is honored by the large collection of Amazonian animals that he deposited in the museum between 1898 and 1911, with over 14,000 specimens.

 

Theophil Studer is also honored by the contributions given to the Museum between 1872 and 1922.

 

 

 

 

 

High-Tech room with the sounds of many animals.

Some teaching resources of the Museum

 

Who is that?