“Quo vadis?” Küstenmuseum? Ideas for the future concept presented to the Culture Committee

Since 2024, the NIhK has taken on the task, as part of the „Mensch & Meer“ project, of developing scientifically sound proposals for themes and exhibits that could be presented at the Wilhelmshaven Küstenmuseum in the future. Funding for the work, due to be completed in June 2026, was approved at the request of the Küstenmuseum and the NIhK under the Pro*Niedersachsen programm – Kulturelles Erbe – Forschung und Vermittlung in ganz Niedersachsen“.

The permanent exhibition currently on display at the Küstenmuseum opened back in 2006 and focuses on the history of settlement and the landscape of the north-west German coastal region, based on research carried out by the NIhK up to the year 2000. The history of the city of Wilhelmshaven itself, however, is only covered in part. During the last decade, there developed a debate within the local community about what the Coastal Museum’s key themes should be in future and how these might be presented. At the same time, the Jahnhalle, which houses the Küstenmuseum, is currently in a state of disrepair that requires extensive renovation and climate adaptation measures before the installation of a new permanent exhibition can be considered. On 2 June 2026, the project leader, Prof. Hauke Jöns, and project team member Dr Ines Siemers-Klenner explained to the Culture and Science Committee that the project’s work had focused on summarising around 60 topics relating to the landscape and settlement history of the Wilhelmshaven area, as well as the city’s history, and developing proposals for their presentation. This will enable an exhibition agency, that may be commissioned in the future can thus be provided with a scientifically sound collection of materials. In addition, these topics are to be made available in popular science format to interested members of the public and tourists in the form of a book.

In addition, an exhibition comprising 26 roll-ups was created in collaboration with the scientific institutions based in Wilhelmshaven, and parts of it were presented to the Culture Committee; the exhibition showcases the research being carried out in Wilhelmshaven