Models of fossil microorganisms, the structure of a slipper animal magnified thousands of times, the synthetic resin cast of a clay tablet in Middle Assyrian cuneiform script, facsimiles of richly illustrated early modern manuscripts, the corrosion preparation of a dog's head, illustrative models of physical laws, woods of various tree species in a Japanese xylotheque: The scientific collections of Freie Universität Berlin are rich in multi-layered objects that make it possible to understand things 'up close' and - figuratively and literally - to make visible what is invisible 'under the skin'.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of Freie Universität, the exhibition opens the drawers and closets of the university's collections and offers unusual insights into the diversity of research and teaching. The objects on display are objects of discussion, representations of knowledge, and finders of knowledge - and, last but not least, part of the history of Freie Universität. They represent the unrolling, unfolding, and weighing of facts and arguments in the various sciences. From archaeology to paleontology, from book studies to veterinary medicine, from zoology to botany to physics - a journey of discovery in (approximately) 50 objects.

The exhibition is curated by Elaine Charwat and Stefanie Klamm, Staff Office Coordination of University Collections, University Library of Freie Universität Berlin.