Millennium Tower - Exhibition

On the opposite side of the hall you will find a Greek temple, while on the right you can stroll down a Roman street – there’s so much to see but just enjoy one thing at a time!
Level 1 introduces you to early human history and takes you right through to the end of the Roman Empire. We begin on the left with a ’step down’ back to the early history of mankind. In the excavation site you can see the oldest proven human footsteps, as well as the skills and abilities of our ancestors. Then you move straight on to an Ancient Egyptian burial chamber, passing a model of the city of Babylon (from 500 BC) on the way. You can only get back out into the open though the “Corridor of Enlightenment“, which leads you straight to the giant model of a Nile ship. In addition, you can take a trip to Ancient Greece and experience its scientific and philosophical achievements for yourself. Test out the validity of Pythagoras’ Theorem or cause a door to open without using electrical current or mechanical power; all it takes is a single small flame to open the temple door.
The sports fans among our visitors can take a turn on the Archimedes’ screw by the Roman aqueduct, turning its wheel to pump water up several metres. Other guests prefer to take time out in the Roman house garden in preparation for the ‘exhausting’ climb to the second level. 

This era is generally known as the Dark Ages, when mankind focused far more on wars and battles than on research and science. Nevertheless, such views are proven clearly wrong in the Millennium Tower. Around the year 1000, the Arab-Persian region was a prominent centre for research and science in the Middle Ages. Europe also made a name for itself with a number of important inventions and discoveries. Your time on this level begins with an introduction to ancient thought concerning astronomy and medicine. We then continue to the Arabian area, which highlights both the game of chess, an idea born in Arabia, and the Arabic influence on our contemporary counting system and language. The next section of the exhibition focuses on the spread of Christianity and the origin of monasticism. If you have ever wanted to try using stirrups, our wooden horse gives you the chance. Next, before leaving this level, we come to the “5 simple machines of antiquity“, which became everyday essentials in the Middle Ages. Of course, the pump, water wheel, inclined plane, crank and pulley are all available for you to test out and see how they work. 

When the Early Modern Age (also known as the Renaissance Period) commenced in the 16th century, it bought the quest for knowledge and development back to the forefront. The era was particularly characterised by philosophers and naturalists, for example Leonardo da Vinci and Martin Luther. Dogmas and mindsets that had been considered as valid up to now were surpassed by a new endeavour for knowledge, which also led to an overhaul of the outdated views held by the dominant church dignitaries. This overhaul led to occurrences such as a change in medicine, transforming from Hippocrates’ “Four Temperaments“ to a more modern approach, and gave new rise to discussions about the shape and form of the planet Earth. The third level of the Millennium Tower is dedicated to this era. At the very beginning you can view the replica of an alchemist’s workshop, which is true to the original, giving you a genuine experience of living and working as an alchemist. You then enter the world of early modern medicine, before moving on to an area dedicated to one of the most important representatives of the Early Modern Age, Leonardo da Vinci, who is still regarded as one of the most prominent polymaths of his time. The next part of the exhibition concerns the role of the church in this period of transition, followed by an introduction to the “Copernican Revolution” in astronomy and the first verifiable, physical representation of the Earth as a sphere. The domain of physics and its related phenomena are the focus of the main area of this level, which gives you numerous opportunities to reproduce the findings of Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton or Otto von Guericke. The level ends with a short journey through the realm of mathematics and logic, before you leave the lower domed hall of the Millennium Tower and move up to the fourth level.

After leaving the domed hall it is time to enter the upper, closed levels of the tower. There are still a couple of levels between here and the viewing level. From the 17th century on, the development of the classical sciences caused the history of development to enter new realms. As a result, mankind’s focus on research stopped being based on accidental discoveries and began to be used as a systematic investigation of the world and its phenomena. The fourth level of the Millennium Tower looks at the origins of various sciences, from medicine through to physics. You can admire a replica of the famous Hevelius’ Telescope and use it to view Magdeburg Cathedral, or take a look at a model of the first ever microscope. In addition, there are a variety of experiments involving human perception. So take a step into the "Room of Distortion" and see how people can seem bigger or smaller than they really are.