Hagenbeck Zoo's 117-year-old dinosaur sculptures need restoration

Hamburg's Hagenbeck Zoo is embarking on a significant restoration project for its twelve life-sized dinosaur sculptures, which have stood as a testament to the park's history for 117 years. These iconic resin-coated figures, commissioned by the visionary zoo founder Carl Hagenbeck in 1908 and completed by sculptor Josef Pallenberg, are showing their age.

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The monument-protected giants are 117 years old and have numerous cracks in their resin skin, through which water has penetrated.

Water has penetrated numerous cracks in the "skin" of the dinosaur models, compromising their integrity. A dedicated restoration expert has begun the meticulous process of assessing the condition of these historic exhibits. This involves a thorough investigation into how the sculptures were originally constructed and the specific materials used, aiming to inform the restoration strategy.

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The restaurateur has begun the inventory. She wants to find out how the exhibits were built back then and which materials were used.

The stability of the models is also a key concern. The expert is meticulously documenting details and digitally recording the damage, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the challenges ahead. The zoo hopes to preserve these beloved figures, which were once part of an "environmental landscape" complementing the live animals, and which even inspired Hagenbeck's belief in the survival of dinosaurs.

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Hagenbeck saw the sculptures as a complement to the live animals in the park's 'environmental landscape'.