Germany · Bremen - Klimahaus® Bremerhaven 8° Ost (series: Federal States II (Bundesländer II), 4th issue)

The coin’s design shows the Klimahaus Bremerhaven 8° Ost. The exhibition building is located at the Alten Hafen in Bremerhaven and opened in 2009. Its permanent exhibition approximately follows the longitude of 8 degrees 34 minutes east and leads visitors through different climate zones of the Earth. Selected locations are used to present climate, landscapes and living conditions. The building also addresses climate change and the interactions between humans and the environment.

The choice of a building in Bremerhaven refers to the special structure of Bremen. The state consists of the geographically separate cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven. Bremerhaven was established in the 19th century after Bremen acquired land at the mouth of the Weser in order to create a port less affected by the river’s increasing silting problem. The port city developed into an important centre for overseas trade, shipbuilding, fishing and emigration. Today, its profile is shaped by port operations, logistics, science and maritime museums.

The Klimahaus is part of the “Havenwelten” area, where former port areas have been redeveloped for urban use. With its curved building envelope, its architecture recalls maritime forms without reproducing a particular ship. In terms of content, the building links Bremerhaven’s geographical location with global issues: coastal cities are directly affected by changes in sea level and extreme weather events.

Bremen had already been represented in the first German federal state series with the Rathaus and the Roland. These two buildings stand for the historic city of Bremen and its urban liberties. The Klimahaus focuses on something different: it places Bremerhaven, the state’s second municipality, and its present-day role as a centre of science and port operations at the forefront. This also makes clear that Germany’s smallest state does not consist solely of the city of Bremen, after which it is named.