Experience history and nature

About me and the PalaeoWerkstatt

Hello, my name is Susanne Klein.

I have been running the Henssen PalaeoWorkshop since 1996.

I am passionate about preserving and restoring fossils from the Ice Age and creating models for museums and exhibitions.

That’s what drives me:

My passions are nature, design, technology and people. Elements that run through my education and my working life.

After my previous training in design, the decision to train as a recognised preparation assistant for geosciences was therefore a logical conclusion. After working for museums and institutes in Germany and abroad, the desire grew to have my own workshop where I could concentrate on my core competences.

Making topics and contexts understandable with models

In model making, I have long outgrown purely geoscientific topics, so that I offer both living individuals today, whether plant or animal, as well as prehistoric animal models.

Model making has a lot to do with plastics technology, which is used particularly for artificial foods, for example, where I don’t colour much and use the materials in such a way that, for example, the natural shine of the materials shows its effect.

So the step to other specialised areas, e.g. models for cultural-historical exhibitions, is not far away.

Futterrüben- Laterne Kunststoffmodell von innen beleuchtet

Inclusion is a particular concern of mine

Producing tactile models and working closely with the visually impaired enriches me greatly. It has significantly changed the design of my models for this target group.

As important as attention to detail is in model making, it is just as reduced and focussed on the essentials in tactile models. This approach is also a benefit for sighted people.

Look at tactile models

Tell me what you have in mind

I am inspired when it comes to presenting new themes and contexts, new techniques and materials. Tell me about your exhibition plans: with my experience, I will be happy to help ensure that your visitors come away from your exhibition with a treasure trove of new impressions.

By the way, I speak German, English, Dutch and French.

Please feel free to call me

That’s what others talk about me

We had the pleasure of working with Ms Klein on the conservation, restoration and preparation of various Pleistocene fossils, including the lower jaw, molars and tusk of Mammuthus primigenius. Thanks to her sound and expert advice, we were able to accurately assess the preparation requirements and optimise the display cases for the safe presentation of the objects.
Working with Ms Klein was enriching for us in many ways. We were deeply impressed by her comprehensive expertise in the restoration, preparation and conservation of fossils, as well as her ability to assemble the objects anatomically correctly. Particularly noteworthy is the team-oriented and effective coordination between Ms Klein and our in-house restorer.
Beyond the actual commission, Ms Klein also got involved in projects such as a video shoot for our social media presence and mentoring a student intern – a commitment that we greatly appreciated.
We were very satisfied with the results of the work: the fossils are excellently prepared, the restoration reports are precise and informative, and the pricing was very fair in our opinion.
We recommend Ms Klein without reservation and look forward to continuing our successful collaboration in the coming years.”

Heilbronn Municipal Museums