Planetarium and Cabinet of Astronomy and Physics in the Orangery Palace

Astronomy in a magnificent baroque palace

Just a few minutes from Kassel's city centre, an exciting journey back in time awaits you, exploring the history of astronomy and physics. The baroque Orangery Palace with a view of the idyllic Karlsaue Park houses Hessen’s largest planetarium and the landgraves’ collection of exquisite scientific instruments.

From the 16th century onwards, the landgraves collected clocks, telescopes, microscopes, electrostatic generators and early calculating machines for teaching and research purposes. Mechanical celestial globes and decorative astronomical clocks simulated the movements of the stars and thus aided understanding of the cosmos. The instruments are not only mechanical marvels, but also outstanding in terms of their craftsmanship. The exhibition areas include astronomy, experimental physics, mathematics/information technology and the measurement of space and time.

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