Natureum Niederelbe
 Entrance building "coastal wave" |
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| Data | |
|---|---|
| place |
Balje , Eastern Peninsula 
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| Art |
Nature museum
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| opening | July 6, 1990 |
| management |
Lars Lichtenberg
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| Website | |
| ISIL | DE-MUS-346712 |
The Natureum Niederelbe is an open-air museum near the North Sea in Balje . It is located on an island created by the construction of the eastern barrier. The museum consists of several buildings with permanent and special exhibitions as well as a 100,000 m² park area with open-air exhibitions, nature trails and walking paths. The focus here is on the nature of the Lower Elbe region, which is also the origin of the museum's motto “Expanding horizons - experiencing the coast”. In addition to the exhibitions, you can also see some domestic and rare animal species. Due to the nearby nature reserves Hadelner and Belumer Außenendeich , the bird sanctuary Hullen and the wild bird reserve Nordkehdingen, there are also various stations for observing migratory birds.
Exhibitions
Permanent exhibitions
In the permanent exhibition "Elbstrom's lifeline - bridge between the worlds", which has existed since March 15, 2013, pictures, exhibits and interactive stations provide information about the uniqueness of the Elbe estuary with its flora and fauna and the importance of the Elbe as a hub for migratory birds, migratory fish and the global trade. It was also recognized by the UNESCO Commission as a project of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. In the museum building there is also the exhibition "Amber - Gold of the Coast", in which the formation, origin and processing of amber is thematized on the basis of over 300 objects, including inclusions, carvings and pieces of jewelry. The skeletons of various species of whales can also be found in the buildings. For example, the sperm whale stranded in Cuxhaven in 1997 and that of a northern duck whale that landed in Freiburg on the Elbe in 1913 . In the park area, the so-called “ElbeKüstenPark”, various open-air exhibitions can be found in pavilions, including the exhibition “Primeval times between the Elbe and Weser”, which provides information about the geological past of the Lower Elbe region. The Hamenfischkutter Erna Becker HF 348, which sank off Brunsbüttel in 1992, is also on display in the park .
Skeleton of the northern duck whale stranded in Freiburg on the Elbe in 1913
Skeleton of the sperm whale bull stranded in Cuxhaven in 1997
Hamen fish cutter Erna Becker HF 348
Special exhibitions
In addition to the permanent exhibitions, changing special exhibitions take place in the so-called “round arch hall” and the “gallery in the tower”. Changing photo and art exhibitions can be seen in the gallery in the tower, while changing exhibitions on current topics are offered in the arched hall:
- “Between the Tides” | Video installations, photographs and bog oak sculptures by Gerhard Meissner as well as jewelry design by Brigitte Stüben (March 12 - June 5, 2017)
- “Ice Age - Life in Extreme” | Exhibition on the geology and life of the Pleistocene (April 9th - October 29th, 2017)
- “Highlights 2017” | Winning photos and nature photographs from all over the world from the 18th International Nature Photo Competition in nine categories and the Fritz Pölking Award (June 8th - September 10th 2017)
Livestock
In the so-called “Coastal Zoo” the animals of the Natureum Niederelbe are brought together. In the "coastal wave", the entrance building of the museum, local and exotic fish as well as crabs, insects and reptiles can be found in aquariums and terrariums. These include the European sturgeon , which is already extinct in Germany, and the sea trout, which is critically endangered in Central Europe . Some rare animal species can also be found in the outdoor enclosures. There is a European mink , one of the most threatened mammal species in Europe. The farm animal breeds that have become rare, such as Skudde and Schleswig-Holstein, are also represented on the park grounds. In addition to these, rabbits , guinea pigs , goats , dwarf otters and barnacle geese can be seen. The latter are responsible for Nordkehdingen typical migratory birds. In addition, in the summer months there is the possibility to examine bees in a beehive in the bee pavilion .
Courses and tours
The Natureum Niederelbe is a recognized extracurricular learning location in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It offers special tours for school classes and youth groups in the exhibition buildings as well as in its own park area. A school laboratory is also available.
The museum offers various public tours of the exhibitions and commented feeding of the animal species every day. In addition, hands-on activities, such as cutting an amber, are offered free of charge to visitors on different days of the month. From the museum's own jetty, exploratory trips into the Estuary and Elbe estuaries can be undertaken on the Mocambo , one of the oldest passenger ships still in service in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Birdmove - receiving station
As part of the “Birdmove” project of the Institute for Bird Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland” , a telemetry receiving station was set up in January 2017 in order to research the migration routes of songbirds during migration.
Award
- Award of the UNESCO Commission as a project of the UN Decade "Education for Sustainable Development" (permanent exhibition "Elbstrom lifeline - bridge between the worlds")
literature
- Katharina Jothe: The Natureum Niederelbe in Balje - an extraordinary open-air museum. The venue of the Weser-Elbe-Heimattag 2018 introduces itself . In: Men from the Morgenstern Heimatbund at the mouth of the Elbe and Weser. V. (Ed.): Niederdeutsches Heimatblatt . No. 821 . Nordsee-Zeitung GmbH, Bremerhaven May 2018, p. 1–2 ( digital copy [PDF; 5.0 MB ; accessed on June 21, 2019]).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Thorsten Penz: "Elbstrom lifeline" awarded. Unesco commission judges new exhibition in "Natureum" as exemplary. In: Internet site of the Kreiszeitung Wochenblatt. September 23, 2013, accessed June 21, 2019 .
- ↑ The Cuxhaven sperm whale. In: Hadeln-Online website. January 11, 2015, archived from the original on April 22, 2017 ; accessed on June 21, 2019 .
- ↑ Northern duck whale in the Lower Elbe Natureum. In: Natureum Niederelbe website. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017 ; accessed on June 21, 2019 .
- ↑ Extracurricular learning locations in an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). (→ See under: Natureum Niederelbe ). In: Website of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture. Retrieved June 21, 2019 .
- ↑ singing bird migration over the German North Sea ( "Bird Move" project). In: Internet site of the Institute for Bird Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”. Retrieved June 21, 2019 .