Universum Science Centre Bremen: A Secure Future (for the Time Being)
On September 9th the Universum Science Centre in Bremen celebrated its fifth birthday. Since opening, the Science Centre has been expanded by 80 interactive stations, five huge special exhibitions supplemented the expeditions “Man, Earth and Cosmos,” and 2.44 million visitors flocked to the silver-coloured, scallop-shaped building, thus exceeding the expected attendance by about one million curious and inquisitive minds. At long last, the future continuation of the Science Centre was announced on its birthday. For the time being, the current operator, Carlo Petri, extended his engagement by another year. Petri said, “We have to make sure that the Universum is not forced to close without a new operator. We also have to safeguard the some 120 jobs at the Universum.
The pleasant groundbreaking decision of the Bremen Senate on the 30th of August to make seven million euros available for the expansion of the Universum, in conjunction with the economically justifiable conditions for the continuation of the establishment, make the future look bright once again.”
Since the senate’s decision, the Universum team has been working on concrete designs for the expansion plans at full speed. It has already been decided that the new facility will be located on a site vis-à-vis the Universum. Apart from the main building, which will house additional areas for special exhibitions, a theatre room and ultramodern experimental space for students, an outdoor adventure and discovery area are all in the planning as well. The entire new project will be presented to the public before the end of the autumn and construction is scheduled to start in the spring of 2006.
When asked about this engagement at the Universum, Petri revealed, “If the negotiations with the economic authorities and the Senate of Bremen continue to be as cooperative as in the past, I am sure that the Universum will continue to be run privately for many years to come.” EAP will continue to keep you fully informed on the developments at the “Universum Bremen.” (eap)
