It’s very strange. My predecessor, Richard Faust, he was zoo director and President of Frankfurt Zoological Society. But in his term there was just one label in the zoo announcing Frankfurt Zoological Society, a small label in the old carnivore house. And I very much tried to, the cooperation between… Read More
What story shall we tell the visitor with the animals involved?… Read More
And I have had some philosophies how to go on. And one philosophy was as few machines, especially as few computers, as possible, because they very often are not functioning and that’s the worst thing, out of work and out of work. So we made interactive a lot of new… Read More
And we added a label in writing for blind people and the idea of us, not for all over 500 species, of course, but for about 20, 25 characteristic, six species, to add such broad statues and add blind people labels. Right before I came to Frankfurt, there was a… Read More
And then your time frame for, did the education philosophy shift or change while you were there?… Read More
I always included the zoo educator in the planning of new, all the things. The master planning, of course, and in the planning of new exhibits, because I think it’s very important to get the influence and ideas. Read More
What shall we tell the visitor?… Read More
Did you have a vision for education at the zoo and how to develop it?… Read More
Well, there is of course, a very famous four tasks zoos have. Many people think that Heini Hediger explained these tasks. It’s not true. Heini Hediger always said, no, it was Bronx Zoo that said the four tasks of a modern zoo are recreation, education, research, and conservation. And I… Read More
The first zoo educator in Europe was hired in Frankfurt in the late ’50s. And there was a special policy. We didn’t have a school room because the thinking was people are staying in this cool room all the day. And in a zoo, the whole zoo is this cool… Read More
The major money came from the city to run and operate the zoo?… Read More
Well, it’s a special case. Entrance fees into Frankfurt Zoo are very, very low. So unfortunately, Frankfurt Zoo depends very much on annual contribution from the city. So it’s, I don’t know exactly, maybe about 60% of the running costs are coming, are paid by the city of Frankfurt. Read More
Did you do well with it?… Read More
Did you enjoy it?… Read More
I enjoyed my rounds and also work with animals directly. But I knew that the most important task of a zoo director is begging for money and so I just did it. But I saw work that I prefer to do. But, being director, you have no choice. You have… Read More
Did you feel it was important for you, as a director, to make rounds?… Read More
I think, well, for me, a zoo director has to love animals, that’s the most important part. Maybe we are coming back up to what a zoo director should be. And so a person loving animals cannot stay 10, 12 hours a day just in the office and just to… Read More
So when you were getting this money to run this zoo, were you comfortable in being a beggar and going to these people and asking for money?… Read More
Frankfurt Zoological Society acquires money for conservation, never, ever for zoo. And the city, neither I think they hardly would know how to acquire money. Sorry to say this. So it was my task. And in Europe it’s well known that the zoo director is the biggest beggar to get… Read More
But I tried to convince people and firms to donate money. You kind of jumped around a bit but you mentioned it. Read More