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With a new concept, the gliding museum on the Wasserkuppe is to become a place of learning. In addition to technology, the Nazi era is also the focus for the first time.
Wasserkuppe – A new chapter opened on Monday in the 56-year history of the gliding museum on the Wasserkuppe. In addition to the presentation of historical aircraft, the Nazi era was examined on the Wasserkuppeand the museum is intended to become an extracurricular learning space for students.
“It was high time to modernize the museum,” said Peter Ocker from the gliding museum’s support association. It should be a living house with a “flying classroom”, experimental fields, contemporary witness interviews or 3D animation. The “brown past” was also dealt with. For 12 years, gliding was used for war purposes, explains Ocker. At that time, the Wasserkuppe became a flying castle for German youth.
New concept turns gliding museum on the Wasserkuppe into a place of learning
Timon Gremmels (SPD), Hessian Minister for Science, Research, Art and Culture, discussed the scientifically based realignment. Signs of contemporary museum education have been set here. The minister hopes that the museum will become an attractive extracurricular learning location. For the first time, the Nazi era on the Wasserkuppe was presented thematically and clearly, the minister praised.
“The gliding museum is a special place in contemporary German history,” a jewel that has been spruced up, said Michael Brand (CDU), Parliamentary State Secretary for Education, Family, Seniors, Women and Youth. The realignment not only addresses a dark chapter in German history, but it is now also an important extracurricular learning location for MINT science subjects and history. He advocated that the museum apply for the nationwide “Living Democracy” funding program.
State parliament member Sebastian Müller (CDU) highlighted the important voluntary work in the gliding museum. This is invaluable and without it modernization would have been unthinkable. The innovations would also advance the museum and the region in the tourism sector. Because it is a unique place in Germany and Europe. Müller was pleased that all levels of government played a part in the funding.
In a “Flying Classroom” students can make their own model airplanes and fly them. For this purpose, new experiments and a large screen were installed. There you can see how a modern glider is built. Contemporary witnesses also report on gliding and model flights. Visitors can experiment to find out how a glider takes off and why it stays in the air. If you like, you can sit in a glider cockpit and steer it yourself.
Another new feature of the museum concept is the reappraisal of the Nazi era on the Wasserkuppe, explains Uli Braune, chairman of the Gliding Museum Foundation. He and Ocker volunteered countless hours to modernize the facility. The Wasserkuppe was one of many Reich glider pilot schools where young men were trained to become glider pilots. This training was intended to be the foundation for becoming a fighter pilot in World War II. The motto was: “From pimpf to fighter pilot”. You can also see the bombing of the Wasserkuppe at Pentecost in 1944 as well as its conquest by the US Army and the stationing of radar systems.
