Phaenomenta: Flensburg, Germany

Phaenomenta is a small but highly inspired and growing science center in the seafaring city of Flensburg (population 86,000), located on a beautiful harbor just south of the Danish border.

The origin of Phaenomenta is telling: Prof. Fieser, a professor of education at the University of Flensburg, had become concerned over the increasing disconnectedness between people and the phenomena of nature around them. So he began having his students build phenomena-based hands-on exhibits as a way to get them closer to concepts of natural science and to help them learn how to teach their students more effectively. The students helped public visitors use the exhibits, and soon the concept became so popular that the university said “Enough!” They told Prof. Fieser that the exhibits had to go because of the noise and commotion of increasing numbers of visitors clamoring to see the exhibits on campus.


The city of Flensburg saw value in the educational and tourism value of the exhibits and provided space for the next phase of Phaenomenta. Meanwhile, a group formed to build more exhibits, all with the philosophy of direct contact with real phenomena. The project grew and grew, and small buildings adjacent to the first were acquired and connected together. Today, the center has about 15 regular staff, 25 part-time students, and 4 interconnected houses full of exhibits plus a storage space across the street and additional space in an adjacent masonry tower remaining from the wall that once surrounded the city. A major addition is in construction that will add more exhibit space.

The building is one block from the harbor on a narrow cobblestone street, and parking will likely be an increasing issue as attendance grows. Inside, the building is a labyrinth of floors and ramps that invite playful discovery. Lighting is for the most part natural, and despite the small rooms, exhibits are placed around the floor in a way that encourages multi-sided group interaction and learning.


The exhibits are for the most part simple and an important aesthetic here is that they are built on simple gray bases that reduce the attractiveness and visual impact of the cabinetry and instead attempt to focus visitor attention on the phenomena themselves. Most exhibits are built on-site in a tiny shop (with some special services outsourced).

Exhibits are offered for sale on an informal basis to support the budget, which is supported 70% by admissions and memberships, 25% from sale of exhibits, and 5% from corporate sponsorship support.

The walls are used to good advantage for perception and optical exhibits. Exhibits are specifically not arranged in thematic groups because the museum believes that real phenomena and science are themselves not grouped by subject. There are so many combinations and overlaps in nature that educators here want visitors to experiment and discover that an exhibit on mechanics may just as well provide opportunities to experiment with perception, light, sound or other phenomena.

There is a small outdoor science park with a massive build-it-yourself ball raceway (using 100-mm-diameter PVC) and a clever water play area in which the water is pumped by visitors spinning a hamster-wheel.

Demonstrations are offered at noon and 3 pm by staff. These shows use everyday materials such as extinguishing a short candle in a bowl by adding vinegar and baking soda. The activities are presented on a simple table to small intimate groups in one of the galleries. Because visitors are standing right next to the presenter and the presenters are enthusiastic and friendly, visitors can really connect with science at these shows.

Phaenomenta has 2 small clubs for science enthusiasts ages up to 14 (one for girls, one for boys) that meet for 3-4 hours one night a week. Two students from the university in town staff the groups and help them with projects ranging building small exhibits to developing soap-box racers for competition.

The atmosphere at Phaenomenta is enthusiastic and dedicated, with a strong emphasis on its founding principles of hands-on learning, a focus on direct experience with phenomena, and the use of simple materials wherever possible. The center reflects an organization that is still young at heart, growing, and proud of its reputation.

Interestingly, several other groups in Germany have adopted this model and have spawned a “Phaenomenta” of their own. The network is loose and informal, and there are no central administration or regular network meetings. However, to use the name, a center must adopt the pedagogical principles of discovery learning and simple exhibits that focus attention on phenomena.