Bernhard Grzimek and his legacy

A special exhibit from 5 to 19 July in the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Frankfurt presents 14 of the current 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which KfW Entwicklungsbank supports in 13 partner countries on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Along with impressive colour photographs of the World Heritage Sites, the exhibit is complemented by preserved animal specimens from the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History as well as original documents, photos and everyday objects of Bernhard Grzimek.

"The special exhibit shows photographs of extraordinary nature conservation areas all over the world. It focuses on one of the most charismatic and committed animal filmmakers and zoologists of our time: Bernhard Grzimek," underlines Dr Bernd Herkner, head of the museum department at the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History.

The exhibit not only shows photographs and exhibit pieces, but also tells the stories of the individual photographers from each country. We hope the exhibit will encourage people to visit the Frankfurt Zoo, the Palmengarten botanical gardens and the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, all three of which are great institutions in the spirit of Bernhard Grzimek," explained Bernd Herkner. In his time, when nature protection was still widely unknown, Grzimek was able to reach millions of viewers through his television appearances and documentary films. "For Grzimek, entertainment and information went hand and hand. He is a great role model who demonstrates how to get people moved and inspired by a topic. This is also something we want to show our visitors," added Bernd Herkner.

Grzimek received many awards during his lifetime for his service protecting nature and the animal world. In I960 he was the first German after the war to receive an Oscar for his documentary film "The Serengeti shall not die", which can be seen in the special exhibition. Along with the Oscar he received a golden "Bambi" award for the television series "Ein Platz für Tiere" ("A place for animals").

KfW Bankengruppe curated the museum in cooperation with the Palmengarten botanical gardens in Frankfurt, the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History and the Frankfurt Zoo.

Website of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History

Sustainability Portal of KfW