[Translate to English:] Photo: Deutsches Museum, Hubert Czech

Conservation science

Operation Lilienthal

Experiencing the early days of flight through the original. For this purpose, Otto Lilienthal’s monoplane glider “Normal-Segelapparat” is now housed in a custom-made studio in the Flugwerft Schleissheim airfield museum. Results of the careful documentation, conservation and research on the object’s history will be presented in the new exhibition.

Content

Edited by

Dr. Charlotte Holzer
Wissenschaftliche MitarbeiterinRestaurierung und Ausstellungstechnik, Ausstellungsprojekt Historische Luftfahrt, Schiffe und Meer
Andreas Hempfer
KuratorAbteilung Luftfahrt bis 1945
Dr. Marisa Pamplona Bartsch
Leitung Abteilung Konservierungswissenschaft
Dr. Robert Kluge
Leitung Flugwerft Schleißheim (kommissarisch) und Kurator für Luftfahrt nach 1945Abteilung Luftfahrt

Project description

Since 1904, Otto Lilienthal’s monoplane glider in the Deutsches Museum has been fascinating visitors and researchers alike. However, this silent witness of the first steps towards human flight is in a very fragile condition today. It can only be preserved through the cooperation of conservation science, the workshops and the curators. We are dealing with questions about the history of the glider during flight tests and in the museum, analysing the original materials, but also repairing and discussing methods for cleaning and stabilization. The design of the new showcase will be a particular challenge.

The wings of the monoplane glider of Otto Lilienthal — The wings of the monoplane glider “Normal-Segelapparat” by Otto Lilienthal (2020) Photo: Deutsches Museum | Hubert Czech

Further project description

The wooden cross of the monoplane glider presented in the permanent exhibition of the Flugewerft Schleissheim airfield museum (2020) Photo: Deutsches Museum | Hubert Czech

Interdisciplinary approach

The composition of the team results from the questions in the project. On the the conservation side, specialists for textiles, wood and metal develop the treatment concept. In the process, the closely related materials should neither be examined in isolation from one another nor restored separately. The historical and technical significance of each individual component in itself and for the glider as a whole will be discussed with the curator for historical aviation, but also with experts outside the Deutsches Museum.

The studio in the Flugwerft Schleissheim airfield museum

The research and conservation of the glider extends over a longer period of time. Therefore, the object has to be kept in a room with safe ambient conditions: air conditioning units regulate the humidity and temperature, UV protective film and shading on the windows protect against light, and pest monitoring takes place on a regular basis. The glider itself lies on a base made of chemically stable materials. Comparable conservation requirements for the protection of objects are also planned for the future exhibition “Historical Aviation up to 1918”.

Current

Restaurierungskolloquium Technoseum, Mannheim, 24.03.2022
Lilienthals Normal-Segelapparat im Deutschen Museum. Spuren der Vergangenheit erforschen und erhalten, https://www.technoseum.de/besuchen/kalender/detail/event/lilienthals-normal-segelapparat-im-deutschen-museum-spuren-der-vergangenheit-erforschen-und-erhalte/

Foto Gallery

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Foto of the Lilienthal Glider — Otto Lilienthal flying the monoplane glider that came to the Deutsches Museum in 1904 (“Fliegeberg” in Berlin-Lichterfelde, 29.6.1895) Photo: Deutsches Museum, Archiv

Original construction drawing of the “Normal-Segelapparat” made by Otto Lilienthal rats von Otto Lilienthal — Original construction drawing of the “Normal-Segelapparat” made by Otto Lilienthal (4.2.1895) Photo: Deutsches Museum, Archiv

Foto of the "Normal-Segelapparat" of Lilienthal — Photograph made between 1986 and 1904, while the “Normal-Segelapparat” was in the possession of the patent bureau Reichau & Schilling, Berlin Photo: Deutsches Museum

Presentation of the glider as an under deck of a double decker in the provisional exhibition in the former Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Maximilianstrasse 26 (1906–1909) Photo: Deutsches Museum

Another provisional exhibition in the former Schwere Reiterkaserne, Zweibrückenstrasse 12 (1909–1925) Photo: Deutsches Museum, Archiv

Permanent exhibition on aviation in the Old Aviation Hall, Museumsinsel 1 (1925–1942) Photo: Deutsches Museum, Achiv

Documentation of the glider’s state of condition after World War II (around 1958) Photo: Deutsches Museum, Archiv

Storage of the original fragments in a wooden box (1956–1989) Photo: Deutsches Museum, Abteilung Luftfahrt

original fragments of the Lilienthal glider — Examination of the original fragments of the glider by Christian Piepenburg, former employee at the aviation workshop, and Gerhard Filchner, Manager of the Flugwerft Schleissheim airfield museum (1989) Photo: Deutsches Museum, Archiv

Charlotte Holzer identifying material on the metal wires with a portable device for X-ray fluorescence analysis (2020) Photo: Christian Winkler | Christian Winkler

Curators planning the presentation of the glider together with their colleagues from the aviation workshop and conservation science department (2020) Photo: Tatjana Dietl | Tatjana Dietl

Events

Presentations

18.10.2021, Artefacts Meeting, Across the Atlantic: The Conservation of Two Original Gliders by Otto Lilienthal, Charlotte Holzer (Deutsches Museum) and Deborah Duerbeck Parr (National Air and Space Museum),
http://www.artefactsconsortium.org/Meetings/MeetingsCurrentF.html
München, DM Flugwerft Schleißheim, digitales Expertentreffen, 23.10.2020: Operation Lilienthal. Restaurierung des Normal-Segelapparats von Otto Lilienthal (1894) (Charlotte Holzer, Andreas Hempfer, Quirin Küchle, Mathias Winkler).
Anklam, Otto-Lilienthal-Museum, Festveranstaltung für Dr. Bernd Lukasch, 6.12.2019: Der Normal-Segelapparat von Otto Lilienthal. Konservierung und neues Ausstellungskonzept (Charlotte Holzer)

Publications

Stoessel, Rainer; Donner, Teresa; Mosch, Michael; Pamplona, Marisa; Hempfer, Andreas; Kiefel, Denis; Grosse, Christian: Computed Tomography Testing at Remains of a Glider from Otto Lilienthal, in: 8th Conference on Industrial Computed Tomography, http://www.ndt.net/?id=21909, Wels 2018, S. 1–6.

Blog post

www.deutsches-museum.de/blog/blog-post/2017/09/22/operation-lilienthal/

Videos

Fernsehbeitrag Bayerischer Rundfunk, 24.04.2020 https://www.br.de/mediathek/video/der-traum-vom-fliegen-operation-lilienthal-av:5ea9597ba184a00014a0d455

Fernsehbeitrag München TV, 28.04.2020
https://www.muenchen.tv/mediathek/video/das-lilienthal-puzzle/

Further links

[Translate to English:] Deutsches Museum Meisterwerke: Der Normal-Segelapparat von Otto Lilienthal
[Translate to English:] Inventar- und Verwaltungssystem des Otto-Lilienthal-Museums
https://lilienthal-museum.museumnet.eu/bilder
[Translate to English:] Martina Scherf: Der heilige Gral der Luftfahrt, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 17.4.2020, 18:55
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/re-s-tau-rie-rung-der-heilige-gral-der-luftfahrt-1.4880701