The flower wreaths of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II have survived for several thousand years - for researchers a valuable example of the flora of a time long past. How can plants be preserved for science? This practice is taught to biology students at the University of Freiburg: In the first semesters, they learn to create a herbarium - a systematic collection of dried plants. The prospective biologists examine the organism, learn how to identify different plants and investigate their habitats.