The Barnim Panorama, owned by the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Wandlitz Wandlitz is a municipality in the district of Barnim, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 25 km north of Berlin, and 15 km east of Oranienburg. The municipality was established in 2004 by merger of the nine villages ''Basdorf'', ' ...

, was created in September 2013 by combining the Agrarmuseum Wandlitz and the

visitor center A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors. Types of visitor center A visi ...

of the

Barnim Nature Park Barnim Nature Park () is a nature park and reserve in the state of Brandenburg, and partly in Berlin, Germany. It covers an area of 750 km2 (290 sq mi). It was established on September 24, 1998. Overview The park is located between the north ...

. It has the largest agricultural collection in

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...

and offers six themed rooms to give visitors an insight into the 200-year-old history of agriculture in Brandenburg. The museum in the

quarter A quarter is one-fourth, , 25% or 0.25. Quarter or quarters may refer to: Places * Quarter (urban subdivision), a section or area, usually of a town Placenames * Quarter, South Lanarkshire, a settlement in Scotland * Le Quartier, a settlement ...

Wandlitz was built in 1955 and could only use provisional arrangements until 2013. Because of the growing demand for more exhibition space and better opportunities to present its collection, the quarter decided to construct a new building across the street from the original museum.

Founding of the museum

In 1955 the Heimatforscher (somebody researching his homeland, home town or region) and owner of the

Meierhof A ''Meierhof'' or ''Meyerhof'' (from ) was a farm or building which was occupied or had been occupied by the administrator (the ''Meier'') of a noble or ecclesiastical estate. Large landlords, especially kings and churches, had extensive networ ...

Walter Blankenburg (1901–1984) from Wandlitz opened the so-called “Heimatstube”. He and his wife Margot had been collecting various commonly used items from rural households with the help of other residents over the course of several years that could now be shown for the first time raising a lot of public interest. Over time and with public funding the “Heimatstube” was expanded into a museum by repurposing two

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Alle ...

s, a stable, and a 5,381-square-foot (500m²) large auditorium gifted by the

Free German Trade Union Federation The Free German Trade Union Federation (german: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or ''FDGB'') was the sole national trade union centre of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organis ...

was added to cope with the fast growing collection, now largely consisting of agricultural equipment and machinery. The museum staff was supported on an academic level by the

Berlin State Museums The Berlin State Museums (german: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) are a group of institutions in Berlin, Germany, comprising seventeen museums in five clusters, several research institutes, libraries, and supporting facilities. They are overseen ...

. In 1975 the museum was renamed to "Museum der agraren Produktivkräfte" (approximate translation: Museum of the Agricultural Workforce). The sculpture, created by Walter Arnold, positioned in front of the multi-purpose building in the 1980s was a long-time loan to the museum from a museum in Berlin. The sculpture was given back to its original museum in Berlin in 2011.

Agricultural Museum Wandlitz (from 1990)

After the German reunification the museum would continue to exist with the financial support of the

Wandlitz and a newly founded booster club. In 1990 the state

changed the museum’s name to “Agrarmuseum Wandlitz” (Agricultural Museum Wandlitz). Throughout the following years its collection has become the biggest, historic agricultural collection in Brandenburg. Until spring 2013 the total exhibition space was about 21,571 square foot (2000m²) large. One of the most noticeable exhibits is the historic “Dampfpflug” (a plough working with a steam engine), which was situated outside the museum under a separate roof. Many functional

tractors A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...

and other agricultural machinery from different eras can be seen at the museum. In other areas of the exhibition, traditional

craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pro ...

and the historic rural household are portrayed. The exhibits of the “Heimatstube” give special insight into the history of the village and its residents. The museum once owned a farm in the village, where different kind of potatoes were grown. The museum is financed only by the municipality Wandlitz.

New buildings and names

The museum had planned a new building which would replace the run-down architecture of the old one, and for a long time the museum could not build it, but in 2011 those plans were realized. In close proximity to the old museum, the

Wandlitz started the construction of a new complex of buildings, known as the Barnim Panorama, which would house the “Agrarmuseum Wandlitz” (Agricultural Museum Wandlitz), as well as the visitor center of the

. A foundation stone ceremony for the Barnim Panorama was held during the annual museum festival on May 15, 2011. The new complex of buildings has the same appearance as the rest of the villages’ stables, barns, and the main building, which is made from stone. The building also resembles a historic “Dreiseithof” (a square farm complex that has buildings on three of its sides). The neighboring landmarked school was integrated into the complex of buildings that form the Barnim Panorama, which is now the new headquarter of the

, and provides offices for the management of the museum. The architects of "Reese Lubic Woehrlin" from

Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg Prenzlauer Berg () is a locality of Berlin, forming the southerly and most urban district of the borough of Pankow. From its founding in 1920 until 2001, Prenzlauer Berg was a district of Berlin in its own right. However, that year it was incorp ...

won the architectural design competition, and designed the new museum. In total the project cost an estimated 6.2 million €, including approximately 5 million € for the construction. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

and the state

contributed with 3.7 million € in

subsidies A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...

. In 2012 local residents suggested naming the new museum after its founder Walter Blankenburg. The Cultural Affairs Director of the municipality then drafted a resolution to name the Barnim Panorama “Walter-Blankenburg-Hof” (Walter-Blankenburg-Farm), but the booster club of the museum denied the resolution because the lot was not owned by the Blankenburg family. Instead, the booster club wanted to name the whole plaza after Walter Blankenburg. Finally the municipality Wandlitz decided to name a street after Walter Blankenburg: the "Walter-Blankenburg-Weg". The Barnim Panorama was officially opened on September 7, 2013. The Brandenburg Department of Construction awarded Stefan Woehrlin’s team of architects with the “Baukulturpreis” (an award from the state of Brandenburg for architects and civil engineers) on October 12, 2013. The reasons for giving the award to Stefan Woehrlin’s team especially underlined their predominant use of environmentally sustainable construction materials, and the design towards building a low-energy house with zero emissions. The awarded money of 2,500 € was gifted to the booster club and the

by the architects. What is especially notable are the walk-on-able map of the local area, and the large outside area with a lot of space for children to play in. The tractor collection is inside an exhibit hall made mostly from glass. Other exhibit objects were rearranged in the new museum. The whole new building complex provides

universal access Apple Universal Access is a component of the macOS operating system that provides computing abilities to people with visual impairment, hearing impairment, or physical disability. Components Universal Access is a preference pane of the Syst ...

Exhibition

The complete former museum now uses three stories of the new building, and the whole exposition is unified under the motto “Geformte und genutzte Landschaft” (Shaped and Formed Landscape). The foyer, a shop, as well as the exhibits “Wild Barnim” (a multimedia installation from fall 2014), “Moving Soil”, and the “Tractor herd” are situated on the bottom floor. Visitors will also find the exit to the garden and a depot containing various combine harvesters on the bottom floor. On the upper floor there are two major topics presented: “Stories from the Barnim,” and “Rural Life.” A portion of the available space is reserved only for special exhibits. Lastly there is a panoramic window that gives the visitors a view upon the

Wandlitzer See The Wandlitzer See (colloquial also Wandlitzsee) is a lake in Wandlitz, Brandenburg, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...

(lake), and a walk-on-able map of the

which simulates a bird’s-eye view. The Barnim Panorama is open every day (except Friday) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The admission fee for adults is 6 € with lower prices for children, families, and groups.

Exhibits (selection)

Wild Barnim

This modern media presentation was created after a limited competition held by the ''“Bärlin Team Eventdesign”'' corporation, and produced in cooperation with the filmmakers ''“filmfritzen.tv”''. An infinitely looped movie is projected onto a 45 x 10 foot (14 x 3 m) large, curved surface. It shows the shaping of the Barnim landscape in impressive images. Seven different scenes are shown without the use of a commentator but rather with the sounds of nature and other self-composed sound effects. It aims to teach visitors about the Ice Age and the following melting of the glaciers as well as the adjacent formation of lakes, forests, and swamps. The multimedia installation is rounded off by special coordinated light effects.

Special exhibitions

2014 - 2015: ''Out into Nature'' (from the German: ''“Raus ins Grüne”'') deals with the early tourism in the region at the beginning of the 20th century. It especially highlights the influence of the rail road “ Heidekrautbahn”, the Liepnitzsee (lake), and the

(lake) as catalysts for the tourism boom that is still noticeable today. 2015 - 2016: ''Wolf and Human – Searching for Traces in Brandenburg'' (from the German ''“Wolf und Mensch – auf Spurensuche in Brandenburg”'') The once very dense wolf

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

was for the last 200 years almost nonexistent. But as the wolf population is starting to grow again and the animals are returning to their historic habitat, many questions arise about how humans and wolves can live together peacefully. The exhibition shows both historic and current aspects of their relationship and aims to provide a platform for the current public discussion. 2016: ''Waldsiedlung Wandlitz - A Landscape of Power'' (from the German ''“Waldsiedlung Wandlitz - Eine Landschaft der Macht”'') aims to give an historical-critical overview of the

SED sed ("stream editor") is a Unix utility that parses and transforms text, using a simple, compact programming language. It was developed from 1973 to 1974 by Lee E. McMahon of Bell Labs, and is available today for most operating systems. sed w ...

history of the housing-complex used by the political leadership of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

from 1958 to 1990. Visitors are getting insight into the day-to-day life of the SED officials, their families, and their security staff living inside the locked off complex. The exhibition asks about the impact of the housing-complex on the region and provides a geographical overview on its large walk-on-able map. It also highlights the connections between the growing media coverage of the housing-complex in the last years of the German Democratic Republic to the Peaceful Revolution of 1989. The exhibition is accompanied by multiple informative installations on the area of the former housing complex. It was funded by the state

and the

Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship The Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship (german: Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, alternatively translated as "(Federal) Foundation for the Study of Communist Dictatorship in East Germany") is a governmen ...

Events

The first museum festival took place in 1979. It was celebrated with live music and a parade of all the exhibits that were still intact. The festival became an annual event that takes place in May and offers insight into traditional craft and presentations of special items from the museum’s collection to up to 2,500 visitors in the historic center of the

Wandlitz. Many small artisans,

craftsmen Craftsman may refer to: A profession *Artisan, a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative * Master craftsman, an artisan who has achieved such a standard that he may establish his own workshop and take ...

, and

artists An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, the ...

, as well as

voluntary associations A voluntary group or union (also sometimes called a voluntary organization, common-interest association, association, or society) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteers, to form a body (or organization) to ac ...

, participate in the festival.Government gazette of the municipality Wandlitz June 27, 2009 p. 21: ''Ländliches Leben heute und gestern. Eine runde Sache: 30 Jahre Museumsfest, 10 Jahre Naturpark Barnim'' Since approximately 1983, annual summer concerts invite visitors to experience the museum in a different way.Flyer for the summer concerts in 2016
(in German), Retrieved June 20, 2016. Musicians play at the museum on four different dates between June and September inside a scenic installation in the museum. In July 2009, for example, melodies from

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

and

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

could be heard by the visitors.

Literature

* H. Papendieck: ''Museum der agraren Produktivkräfte Wandlitz'', 1987, published by the museum

External links

Website of the Barnim Panorama
(in German)
Website of the booster club
(in German)

References

{{Coord, 52.7524, N, 13.4538, E, source:wikidata, display=title History museums in Germany Museums in Brandenburg Agriculture museums in Germany