Miniatur Wunderland Presents “Panik-Express” with Udo Lindenberg
Rock legend Udo Lindenberg, along with Gerrit and Frederik Braun, at the opening of the “Panik-Express” | Photo: Courtesy of Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg.
(eap) Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg has expanded its exhibition with an extraordinary model-building project: Together with German musician Udo Lindenberg, the so-called “Panik-Express” has been realized, which has been operating in the Hamburg section of the facility since yesterday.
Photo: Courtesy of Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg
The model was created in close collaboration with the artist, who is also an honorary citizen of Hamburg, and depicts key stages of his life and work. A total of eight elaborately designed carriages cover different decades – from his childhood in Gronau and international stations to defining moments surrounding the GDR as well as recent successes. “The special train at Miniatur Wunderland is a great honor for me. What impresses me most, in addition to all the incredible details, is the visualization of German-German history,” highlighted Lindenberg.
The project was also something special for the Wunderland founders: “The Panik-Express is probably the most elaborate train we have ever realized. It is incredible to see how much creativity, passion and countless hours of work from the model-building team have gone into it,” said Frederik Braun. Gerrit Braun added: “Udo and Hamburg simply belong together – and that is exactly why the Panik-Express fits so perfectly into Wunderland. And even more importantly: Udo Lindenberg has always brought people together – across borders, generations and cultures.”
Photo: Courtesy of Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg
Among the depicted scenes are Lindenberg’s childhood in the 1950s in black and white, his time as a drummer in the dunes of Libya in the 1960s, and his first nights at “Onkel Pö” in Hamburg in the 1970s. This is followed by GDR moments, such as a concert at an FDJ peace event. After a personal low point, Lindenberg rises again as a “phoenix from the bottle”. With companions such as Clueso, an MTV Unplugged feeling emerges – and finally, the train arrives in the present day. There, a glowing comet – ridden by Lindenberg and Apache 207 – provides a spectacular finale at the end of the train.
The staging is complemented by acoustic elements: When the train stops at Dammtor station, a piece from Lindenberg’s well-known track “Sonderzug nach Pankow” can be heard. ■
