Planetarium Hamburg:The window to space

On April 30, 1930, the planetarium opened in the Hamburg city park. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, 300,000 visitors a year "travel" - in Corona-free times - to the stars.

by Stefanie Grossmann

For centuries people have been fascinated by the universe and the question of their origins. Even the primitive peoples orientated themselves on the sky, and what initially grew up in myths and legends taught scientists such as Nikolaus Kopernikus and Johannes Kepler to understand today's world view. Telescopes, telescopes and later planetariums made it possible to see the sky. Since April 30, 1930, the people of Hamburg have also had their window to space - the planetarium in the city park.

Hamburg Planetarium:thanks to the teacher Hans Haage

But the road to the opening is a rocky one:it is thanks to the enthusiasm of the Hamburg teacher Hans Haage that Hamburg also gets a planetarium. At that time, Haage equipped schools with teaching models for astronomy. In 1924 he took part in the opening of the first Zeiss planetarium in Jena and from then on tried to get the Hamburg authorities to build a planetarium.

Old building instead of a new building

However, building a new planetarium is too expensive for the city. So you go in search of a suitable building and you find it in 1929 in the water tower of the city park in Winterhude. The park planners had selected a representative location for the water tower in 1912:it stands as an eye-catcher at the highest point of the complex. In addition to its function as a water tower, the building is also intended as a vantage point.

From supply tower to planetary machine

The combination of tradition and modernity is characteristic of the construction. The brick building by Oskar Menzel in the style of reform architecture largely dispenses with decorative elements. The domed roof, colossal arch and the cascading fountain system correspond to the traditional Wilhelminian construction. The monumentality of the building results from its size alone:​​the tower is 65 meters high and its front is 29 meters wide.

Difficult conversion - successful start

In 1929, work began on converting the planetarium. A 23 meter high cylindrical space with a diameter of 22 meters is created. An intermediate ceiling gives the building two more floors - the upper part for the planetarium and the lower floor for a foyer, ticket office and exhibition and event rooms. After a year of renovations and costs of 257,750 Reichsmarks, the planetarium can go into operation on April 30, 1930.

A year later, the "Hamburger Abendblatt" ran the headline:"The planetarium's first balance sheet:108,511 Hamburgers look up at the stars." Compared to other planetariums in Germany, this is a sensational success, and the city is also proud of the number of visitors in the years that followed:several thousand people will soon be attending monthly events such as "Heaven of Home" or "The Wonders and Secrets of the Starry Sky ". Another attraction is the Aby Warburg Library with exhibits on the subject of astrological belief and astronomy.

High school authority as employer

In the early years, the planetarium was administered by the high school authority. The management is therefore incumbent on a Senior Studies Council. In 1934, Johannes Meyer replaced the first person in charge, Dr. Körner and remains in office until 1964. Despite the war and the post-war years, he successfully steers the fortunes. During the war, the planetarium remained almost undamaged, but served as accommodation for soldiers. In addition, pilots and navigators are trained with the help of the star shows.

"The Dumbbell" - The Miracle of Jena

A planetarium is unthinkable without the appropriate technology. In 1923, the design engineer Walther Bauersfeld developed a projector complete with a dome for the first time. Just one year later, the so-called "Dumbbell" from the "Carl Zeiss" company came onto the market as a further improved model. With the help of two projector spheres, 8,900 stars can now be made visible. Through movement, the photographic apparatus becomes a "space-time machine". Zeiss delivers 25 models, including to Hamburg.

Programs as crowd pullers

But technology alone attracted fewer and fewer visitors to the planetarium from the 1970s onwards. Operators need to focus on new content:storytelling. The planetarium benefits from the fact that it freed itself from official constraints in the 1970s and became independent. Erich Ubelacker, the first full-time director at the time, became known to many North German star lovers through his "Starry Sky" program on NDR television. He hires more staff and develops new programs, resulting in a tripling of attendance.

From the 1980s, further technical innovations made it possible to simulate space flights around the earth. This marks the beginning of a new era in the planetarium:the space age.

Departure into new dimensions

At the beginning of the 21st century, Thomas Kraupe took over from Übelacker as manager of the planetarium, and in 2002 the building was completely renovated. For this purpose, the water tower will be completely gutted, and a new dome as well as conference and exhibition rooms will be built. After another renovation from 2015 to 2017, the planetarium is now a technically highly modern star theater that sends its visitors on adventure journeys through the cosmos on the basis of scientific findings. The new conversion, including the expansion of the area, cost ten million euros. A spacious entrance area, a bistro with an outdoor area and a modernized starry hall with new projectors and lighting systems were created.

Corona:Planetarium Hamburg celebrates anniversary online

The planetarium now offers a variety of events. In addition to laser shows and other productions especially for the star dome, the program includes readings and concerts - normally. As in all other cultural institutions, it was not possible for visitors to experience the Hamburg Star Theater up close for months due to the corona pandemic. The Planetarium 2020 therefore celebrated its 90th birthday virtually with online projects.

The Hamburg Planetarium has been open to visitors again since June 8 - initially with a few selected events.