Between Baikal and Berlin. Astronomer Schwarz 200

On 21 May 2022, an exhibition dedicated to Peter Carl Ludwig Schwarz was opened in the garden of the Tartu observatory, which can be visited free of charge at any time. The exhibition will remain open until spring 2023.  

The last German director of the Old Observatory was born in Danzig in 1822 in a family of actors, grew up in St Petersburg, and became famous for his two expeditions beyond Lake Baikal. His wife, Julie Hagen-Schwarz, was our first academically recognised female artist. 

The exhibition tells the story of Schwarz’s life and the development of the observatory under his leadership. The letters to his wife Julie Hagen-Schwarz are full of impressions of magnificent Siberia. Historical geographical maps show how the Russian Empire expanded to the Far East as a result of research expeditions. As a continuation of the outdoor exhibition, the Observatory displays historical observation instruments, some of which accompanied the Siberian explorations.