"On the one hand, they should be able to experience a fully-fledged visit to the exhibition in the event of pandemic-related restrictions occurring in the future. For this purpose, a digital information desk in the outdoor area provides daily updates on access regulations, events and admission prices. To improve visitor guidance and reduce waiting times at the ticket office, the online ticket system already in place for terra mineralia has also been extended to the Mineralogical Collection Germany," says Managing Director Andrea Riedel. "In addition, the headphones at the media stations are being replaced by new models that do not rest against the ear and also have surfaces that can be disinfected."

Experience the exhibition online and offline

The media communication of the exhibition content is also to be significantly improved thanks to the funding. "In a first step, we are creating a Wi-Fi network in the entire building and producing up-to-date photo material," says Riedel. In a second step, new digital information services will be developed. This will enable visitors to prepare for and follow up on their stay in the Krügerhaus. On site, the offers support visitors in getting closer to the objects: "Our online mineral index provides information on all minerals presented in the exhibition. Together with the audio guide, this provides completely new insights into the outstanding exhibits during the tour."

In addition, videos about collectors of the mineral specimens provide a deeper, personal insight into their passion for collecting. Connections between the minerals on display, the mining history of the region and the World Heritage region Montanregion Erzgebirge/Krusnohori are shown in a new video guide. The terra mineralia team plans to complete the modernisation work by the end of June 2023.

Funding for terra mineralia and Krügerhaus from the federal "New Start Culture" programme

The extension work is funded with a total of 67,500 euros in the "New Start in Culture" programme of the State Minister for Culture and the Madia. After a successful project implementation in the framework of the funding programme at terra mineralia last year, implementation measures are currently underway in this year's follow-up project at the Mineralogical Collection Germany in the Krügerhaus. The aim of this collection is to collect and preserve outstanding German mineral specimens, to make them accessible to the public in the 500-year-old but extensively renovated building and thus to preserve cultural assets.

With "Neustart Kultur" (New Start for Culture), the Federal Government launched a rescue and future programme in the amount of one billion euros in the summer of 2020 to permanently preserve cultural operations and cultural infrastructure.