Schöningen / Germany: Roofing Ceremony of New Research and Discovery Centre

Paläon is the name of a museum currently being developed in Schöningen near Braunschweig (Lower Saxony), holding its roofing ceremony today. The Forschungs- und Erlebniszentrum Schöninger Speere (roughly “Schöninger Spears Research and Discovery Centre”) aims to foster the structural change of the town of Schöningen. The so-called Schöninger Spears are a more than 300,000-year-old hunting weapon found in this area in 1994. The name of the new museum is inspired by the Old Stone Age (also called Paleolithic) to which this hunting weapon is dating back. Fifteen million Euros are to be invested in the project with financial support of the state of Lower Saxony. The opening of the museum is scheduled for spring 2013 and 100,000 visitors are expected to come to Paläon per year. (eap)