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Sneak Peek "Fahrradies"

Students from Wismar University of Applied Sciences (Communication Design and Media programme) explored creative ideas for the future expansion of the “Fahrradies” exhibition area within the thematic section “EARTH” at phanTECHNIKUM during the summer semester of 2025. As part of a project seminar, they developed infographics, comics and illustrations centred on the bicycle – ranging from technical drawings and clear explanatory graphics to illustrations of sporting peak performances. The works address topics such as mobility, environmental protection and cycling sport, while also presenting surprising stories and perspectives from the world of cycling.

The resulting concepts are intended as creative proposals for a possible narrative strand within the future exhibition. Through illustrative techniques and clearly designed information graphics, they make complex topics easy to understand and invite visitors to explore cycling mobility from new perspectives. How will we move around cities and rural areas in the future? What role might the bicycle play in this context? What advantages does this sustainable, climate-friendly and invigorating form of mobility offer? And what challenges remain? The ideas also allow space for utopian visions related to bicycles and cycling, helping to promote the renaissance of the two-wheeler.

Until the next section of the “Fahrradies” exhibition is realised in 2026/2027, this small sneak peek can be seen at phanTECHNIKUM. The presentation honours the work of the students while also offering visitors a first glimpse into the ideas and creative approaches behind the upcoming exhibition.

Review Opening Power2Change

The special exhibition Power2Change: Mission Energiewende (Energy Transition Mission) opened last Saturday in the exhibition building of the State Technology Museum of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the phanTECHNIKUM, and was met with great interest. Around 140 visitors followed the public invitation. In addition to a broad specialist audience, numerous experts were present. The guest speakers were Dr. Wolfgang Blank, Minister for Economy, Infrastructure, Tourism, and Labor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Görge Deerberg, Director of Transfer at Fraunhofer UMSICHT, and Michael Berkhahn, Senator of the Hanseatic City of Wismar and 1st Deputy Mayor.

In his speech, Dr. Wolfgang Blank emphasized the importance of the phanTECHNIKUM – particularly with regard to inspiring young people to pursue STEM careers. The museum is not only a place where technical milestones of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern become visible but also focuses on current and future innovations with exhibitions such as "Power2Change".

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Görge Deerberg also stressed the relevance of the exhibition in the context of climate protection, the energy transition, and the future viability of Germany as an economic location. In his role as project manager, he underlined the importance of regional potentials that need to be utilized even more in the future.

After the opening speeches, guests had the opportunity to visit the exhibition during a come-together with a buffet and drinks. Experts from the field of future energies were available at various stations for discussions and vividly explained their innovative projects. With all-day free admission, the State Technology Museum MV enabled all interested parties to visit – and at the same time offered the opportunity to connect the content of "Power2Change" with the themes of the permanent exhibition.

We thank all guests and participants for the successful launch!

Bright Minds from the Region: Peter Kraeft

With our new series Bright Minds from Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, we spotlight people whose ingenuity, courage and technical vision helped shape their time.

The series opens with Peter Kraeft (1739–1811), a ship’s captain and merchant from Barth. Around 1800, Kraeft developed an early form of a diving helmet suit. His thinking went far beyond basic air supply: he anticipated technical solutions that would only become common much later, including a system that allowed the diver to communicate with the surface. From 18 to 23 July 1800, Kraeft presented his diving suit in Stralsund to the Swedish king Gustav IV Adolf. The demonstration attracted widespread attention and was recorded in a publication printed in Leipzig in 1805.

Peter Kraeft is remembered today through a remarkable object in the permanent exhibition at the phanTECHNIKUM: a mid-20th-century diving helmet that still worked according to almost the same principle. It stands as powerful evidence of Kraeft’s innovative achievement and shows just how far ahead of his time his ideas were.

Lift-off into Space: SPACEBUZZ ONE thrills Visitors!

On Saturday, 31st of January 2026, Spacebuzz one made a full-day stop at the phanTECHNIKUM. The fully booked mobile experience centre of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) offered visitors a unique opportunity: a 15-minute simulated journey into outa space, experiencing Earth from a spaceborne perspective, using VR headsets and motionseats. A special equipped lorry traveled to the venue fort hie extraordinary event, attracting great attention in/ at the outdoor area oft he phanTECHNIKUM.

Nine participants took part in each simulation. Following a brief introduction by DLR staff, the virtual flight commenced, at all times with the team on hand to answer questions. During the day, the phanTECHNIKUM welcomed more than 450 visitors. The event was a resounding succes, captivating participants of all ages. The high level of demand clearly demonstrated the strong public interest in space, technology and future-oriented topics.

The event provided the perfect prelude to our next exhibition highlight: from 8th of May onwards, the INNOspaceEXPO – All.Täglich will showcase how innovations originating in space research are revolutionising everday life in fields such as medicine, transport and energy generation.

Sparks ahoy!

To the T­ablets, get set, go!

Our new Actionbound tour invites you to explore the exhibition on the history of Wismar's folding boats in a completely new and interactive way. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of these historic boats and learn more about their exciting history and the shipyard where they were built.

It's easy to get started: simply ask for the tour at the visitor service desk, borrow one of our tablets, scan the code provided and let the adventure begin! The tour takes you through various stations in the exhibition where you can put your knowledge to the test. Answer exciting questions about the exhibits on display, learn interesting facts about the development of folding boats and discover surprising details from the history of the Wismar shipyard.

Whether you want to play alone or compete with friends - the Actionbound tour offers a wide range of options. You can play for time to make the challenge even more exciting, or compete for points to emerge victorious at the end.

Whatever you decide, one thing is certain: this tour will make your visit to the museum an unforgettable experience. We wish you lots of fun, plenty of aha moments and, above all, lots of success!

On board... for the Swedish Festival 2024

This was the 9th vintage car rally in 2024

Review of the vernissage: Thank you very much!

We would like to take a moment to express our sincere thanks to all of you a few days after the opening. The opening of our special exhibition “Packsack, Totholz, Kolibri - 70 Years of Folding Canoes from Wismar” not only marks the beginning of a fascinating journey through 70 years of folding canoe history, but also the result of the combined efforts and dedication of many people and institutions.

First of all, we would like to thank all the guests who have found their way to our exhibition. Your interest and enthusiasm are the driving forces that make our efforts complete. The numerous visitors help to ensure that the history of Wismar folding boats remains alive and is carried into the future.

We would also like to express our sincere thanks to our speakers, our association chairwoman Ms. Raum, Mayor Beyer and the collector Mr. Callehn, who once again highlighted the significance of this important piece of Wismar's history with their inspiring words. Our partners and supporters are another important factor in the success of this exhibition. The generous support of the Hanseatic City of Wismar, the Verein Technisches Landesmuseum Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V., the Ministry for Science, Culture, Federal and European Affairs of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the EGGER Holzwerkstoffe Wismar GmbH & Co. KG and the Sparkasse Wismar has made it possible to realize this project. Their commitment to culture and history is invaluable. We would like to thank the Fachwerkler Group for conception, architecture and design and click solutions GmbH for the design, scenography and software development. This work has given our exhibition its face.

Special thanks go to Mr. Jörg Callehn, whose unique collection forms the basis of this exhibition. His passion for historical folding boats has made this event possible, and we are deeply grateful that he shares his treasures with us. We would also like to express our sincere thanks to the Verein Freunde historischer Faltboote e.V., represented by Mr. Ralf Petsching, for their expertise and generous support.

Last but not least, we would like to thank our team and all those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this exhibition happen. From scientific direction to exhibition construction, education and mediation to design and software development – each and every person has made a valuable contribution.

Overall, we would like to emphasize that this vernissage not only marks the starting point of an exhibition, but also the beginning of a dialogue and a journey through the history and significance of the folding boats from Wismar. May this exhibition not only inform, but also inspire and help to ensure that this unique cultural asset is preserved for a long time to come.

Many thanks to everyone who helped make this day an unforgettable event.

The Murkels in the phan­TECHNIKUM

The Rostock children's song band “Die Murkels” have created a new video format for families. In “Papa Murkel zu Besuch” (Papa Murkel's Visit), Papa Murkel meets artists and visits museums and exciting places and destinations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. This entertaining and valuable presentation motivates children and families to engage in artistic activities themselves or to visit the places presented and discover them on their own. In the latest episode, the phanTECHNIKUM receives a visit from the Murkels.

The program “Die Murkels” is aimed at both people who live in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and families who visit the region. Thanks to the cooperation with Thomas Böhm and Juni Media, the format is shown on the local television stations MV1, Wismar TV and TV Schwerin. In the future, it is also planned to broadcast it on MV-Tourist.TV. This means that tourists could watch Papa Murkel in over 100 renowned hotels in MV and be inspired by his excursions and reports.

The Murkels team also visited the phanTECHNIKUM this week. There was a lot to discover in the exciting rooms of the museum. Many questions about the function and history of important historical machines and people were answered by the museum director Michael Rahnfeld in an interview with Murkels' little blue explorer.

The format fills a gap in the tourism market by targeting children and families in a unique way and looking at the tourism landscape from a completely new perspective for locals and our guests.

You don't know the Murkels yet?

Murkels are friendly and shaggy creatures that live in the dunes all over the world. Wherever there are sand and dunes, Murkels are likely to live too. They respect all living creatures on earth and live in harmony with nature. Our little Murkel family lives in a dune on the Baltic Sea beach near Rostock. We love to sing funny children's songs, tell stories and discover the world. Papa Murkel often visits interesting people and places and reports on them in our video format “Papa Murkel zu Besuch”.

Museum makes you strong starts at the phan­TECHNIKUM

The innovative project “An interactive museum tour” enables a participatory museum experience for children and young people through the joint commitment of Licht am Horizont e.V., TLM MV and Filmbüro MV.

In 2024, two projects will start at the phanTECHNIKUM. The first project, “An Interactive Museum Tour”, will already be picking up speed during the winter holidays and is intended to offer children and young people without regular access to museum offers the opportunity to actively participate in and help shape the content-related mediation work. The projects are carried out with the local partners Licht am Horizont e.V., a non-profit organization dedicated to the care of educationally disadvantaged children and young people with a strong network in the socio-educational field, and the Filmbüro MV e.V., which has years of experience with media education projects and contributes the technical know-how.

The “Museum macht stark” program gives museums the chance to reach new target groups, financed by the German Museums Association and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In the “Museum macht stark” program, museums are given the opportunity to enter into alliances with socio-spatial partners and thus reach completely new target groups. The special feature here is the full financing of the project by the German Museums Association and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). This also gives smaller museums the opportunity to network both regionally and nationally and to carry out socially valuable projects without having to contribute financially themselves. With the funds provided by the BMBF, several hundred small and large projects have already been planned and implemented.

The centerpiece of the project is the training of 12 participants to become peer teamers. The TLM MV and the Filmbüro MV are leading workshops on content and media education preparation. After the training, the peer teamers will develop digital mediation offers with 20 other participants.

The goal is to create several Actionbound tours. The project offers a unique opportunity to promote the participation of children and young people in cultural education and to explore innovative ways of using digital media for cultural education, while also contributing to diversity and inclusion in the field. A nice, lasting side effect is that the results will remain accessible to all visitors to the museum even after the project ends. Using the Actionbound app, the created museum tours can be played by anyone.

But the project work continues during the fall vacation as well. Together with both partners, a second subproject is preparing the implementation of a children's storytelling salon, which will be presented and digitally recorded during a final event. Under expert guidance, the children between the ages of 6 and 10 will take on all areas of responsibility themselves, from developing thematic ideas to technical implementation.