The Basic Ideas of the Project

Bremerhaven, September 2023. It was a typical day in Northern Germany with strong winds and rain. A spontaneous catchword against this background led to the idea of locating the “Climate” at the centre of a new type of leisure world in Bremerhaven. Dr. Carlo Petri, the creative mind behind the idea, explains the most important aspects of the innovative leisure attraction, from which a small team developed the overall concept of the Klimahaus Bremerhaven:

Creating clarity
“Today, the climate is amongst those topics which people are concerned about most. The public is confronted on a daily basis with a flood of information about climate change, climate protection, etc. The reports frequently only deal with limited aspects or are restricted to short catch-phrases, lack depth or are presented in such a complicated scientific manner that the layman can hardly understand them. An understanding of the basic principles and contexts is lacking. With the Klimahaus, and with subjects that are presented in a way that is exciting and easy to understand, we want to provide more orientation. And at the same time give visitors a fascinating leisure experience that they won’t forget.”

Taking up new developments
“When the idea of the Klimahaus® came about, climate change was something that only experts in the fields of research and science were concerned with, and sometimes then only with much controversy. Today we know that climate change, dealing with the causes, and adapting to the new conditions, have become the most important political and sociological challenges of our time. The subject of the climate will always remain relevant for us, and with it the Klimahaus which will constantly adapt to new developments, as a location, as a presentation, as a source of information and as an advisor.”

Communicating contexts
“At the forefront, the Klimahaus is a fascinating and exciting location: the journey around the world through nine destinations along the 8th degree of longitude East, shows such a variety of people and environments, furthermore many interactive stations to try out, will surprise and touch the emotions of the visitors. We make use of the whole range of modern media, but utilised strategically so that they help to give visitors a better understanding instead of confusing them. It is our aim to arouse our visitors’ interest and curiosity on the subject of our climate and to communicate the fact that many things must be seen in their overall context, and finally – without pointing a finger – to motivate them to take personal measures with regard to protecting the climate.”

Breaking new ground
“It was our ambition to develop a completely novel leisure attraction that no other port city offers, but which suits Bremerhaven in its theme and content. We arrived at the topic of climate and weather because many people already visit the North Sea coastal region just for the intense experience of the Climate and climate change have their implications for everyone: for locals and tourists, for shipping and agriculture, sailors and cyclists. And with the prominent Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven is a leading international centre for climate research. We discovered to our great surprise that nobody anywhere else in the world had yet made the subject of climate and weather the theme of a leisure centre of knowledge and adventure, and so the path was clear for the Klimahaus Bremerhaven.”

For further information, please visit us at www.klimahausbremerhaven.de