At the Central Institute Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik (HZK) , scientists and practitioners work together on the interdisciplinary cross-sectional topics “collections” and “exhibitions” – interdisciplinary, international and excellent.
The members are staff members of the faculties and the scientific institutions of the Humboldt-Universität with the corresponding competences and conduct research and teaching together in the field of Cultural Engineering.

The activation, use and further development of the decentralised academic collections of the Humboldt-Universität in research, teaching and education is a central task of the HZK. The collection directors and custodians at the institutes are supported in this process, among other things by the development of standards and recommendations for the handling and preservation of academic collections.

In addition, the HZK is responsible for the coordination of the exhibition activities of Humboldt-Universität in terms of content and operations in the Humboldt Laboratory in the Humboldt Forum and in the Tieranatomisches Theater. At the same time, the Kleine Humboldt Galerie, a student initiative for the conception and realisation of interdisciplinary exhibitions, is located at the HZK.