idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The German Maritime Museum (DSM) / Leibniz Institute for Maritime History in Bremerhaven will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. Since its opening in 1975, the research museum has been a central location for research, collection, and communication of maritime worlds. The anniversary marks a turning point: together with the public, the museum wants to reinterpret the maritime past and shape its future.
“Central yet often unnoticed: this is how shipping presents itself in our everyday lives. We want to change that. Ships and their stories connect us across continents – economically, politically, socially, and culturally,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Ruth Schilling, Director of the DSM.
On September 5, 2025, representatives from science, politics, culture, and society will honor the achievements of the DSM in a ceremony. At the same time, the special exhibition “Big Stories – Small Ships” will open. The exhibition is intended as a glimpse of what is to come at the DSM and in the Scharoun building. It was created in close cooperation with the public. Over 1,200 people took part in selecting the ship models on display – a clear sign of the connection between the collection and the public. It is precisely this participatory approach that is crucial for the further development of the museum: the public is cordially invited to help shape its future.
Whether watching ships sail down the Weser, signing on for cruises, or working daily in the harbor—maritime stories and experiences are incredibly diverse. Just a few decades ago, fishing, shipbuilding, and passenger shipping shaped cities like Bremerhaven. The DSM collection documents these traditions with numerous artifacts. To highlight their relevance for the present and the future, the museum asks key questions: What memories and stories are associated with the objects? What knowledge do they preserve? And what should be collected today so that in 50 years' time it will still be clear how ships have shaped and changed our world?
“We therefore invite visitors not only to view maritime history, but also to actively think about and help shape it. It is intended as a prelude to the joint further development of the DSM,” says Schilling. “The founding building is still a semi-renovated shell. With the new permanent exhibition, we want to make the vision for the Scharoun building visible.”
50 years of future – topics in focus
The planned permanent exhibition in the Scharoun building will present shipping in its many dimensions. The main topics are: migration and passenger shipping, commercial and military shipping, sea rescue, accidents, and navigation aids and navigation.
“Our goal is to create the conditions that will enable future generations to explore, experience, and actively shape maritime history,” explains Matthias Templin, commercial director of the DSM.
Around 60,000 objects and over 500,000 archival records form the basis for new questions about the significance of shipping. This is not just about technology, but also about stories of trade and war, work and leisure, and global interdependencies that continue to shape our lives today.
Strengthening participation – a museum for society
The DSM sees itself as a museum for all generations. In its anniversary year, children and young people up to the age of 18 will be granted free admission; the museum ships STIER and SEEFALKE will be accessible to all visitors free of charge.
Participation is a central concern of the museum: “The visions of the participants in our survey are part of the exhibition. We would be delighted if visitors would also contribute their thoughts and thus actively participate in shaping the future of the DSM,” says Schilling.
The anniversary year shows that the DSM is looking back on 50 years – and at the same time opening its horizons for the next 50 years.
https://www.dsm.museum/en/press-area/50-years-of-the-german-maritime-museum-full...
Matthias Templin, Commercial Director, and Prof. Dr. Ruth Schilling, Managing Director of the DSM, a ...
Quelle: Annica Müllenberg
Copyright: DSM / Annica Müllenberg
Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
Journalisten
Geschichte / Archäologie, Gesellschaft, Meer / Klima
überregional
Buntes aus der Wissenschaft
Englisch
Matthias Templin, Commercial Director, and Prof. Dr. Ruth Schilling, Managing Director of the DSM, a ...
Quelle: Annica Müllenberg
Copyright: DSM / Annica Müllenberg
Sie können Suchbegriffe mit und, oder und / oder nicht verknüpfen, z. B. Philo nicht logie.
Verknüpfungen können Sie mit Klammern voneinander trennen, z. B. (Philo nicht logie) oder (Psycho und logie).
Zusammenhängende Worte werden als Wortgruppe gesucht, wenn Sie sie in Anführungsstriche setzen, z. B. „Bundesrepublik Deutschland“.
Die Erweiterte Suche können Sie auch nutzen, ohne Suchbegriffe einzugeben. Sie orientiert sich dann an den Kriterien, die Sie ausgewählt haben (z. B. nach dem Land oder dem Sachgebiet).
Haben Sie in einer Kategorie kein Kriterium ausgewählt, wird die gesamte Kategorie durchsucht (z.B. alle Sachgebiete oder alle Länder).
