Klimahaus Bremerhaven Now A Non-Profit Organization

(eap) Since 1 January 2026, Germany’s Klimahaus Bremerhaven has been operated as a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH). Since its opening in 2009 (see EAP 6/2009), the institution has welcomed more than seven million visitors. With the expanded legal status, the UNESCO-recognised educational facility underlines the public-benefit-oriented course adopted following the operator change in 2024 and clearly focuses on education, climate knowledge and public discourse. Any profits generated are not distributed but fully reinvested in exhibitions, content and educational activities.

The objective, according to Managing Director Ingrid Hayen, would be to strengthen awareness of climate change and extreme weather events, develop new exhibition formats and further expand educational offerings. At the same time, the role of the Klimahaus as an interface between science and society is to be consolidated, among other things through intensified cooperation with scientific institutes, schools and additional education and research partners. As an extracurricular learning venue with a focus on the global sustainability goals, the knowledge and experience centre is said to be particularly popular with school classes and groups.

In addition to the core permanent exhibition – the “World Journey” along the eighth degree of longitude across five continents – and the three experience areas “Weather Extremes”, “Perspectives” and “World Future Lab”, the institution is also preparing four new educational programmes for 2026. “Weather Extremes – Predicted and Prepared” is intended to enable young people (grades 7 to 10) to explore, through small and illustrative experiments, how extreme weather affects people. The programme “Ocean Mystery” is aimed at young people (from grade 9) and adults, who, working in groups, are to develop constructive ideas and concrete measures to help preserve threatened destinations such as Samoa and Tokelau. Children in grades one and two are to be introduced to healthy food and eating cultures from other countries and regions through the programme “World Journey for Little Chefs”, with small groups cooking together. ■