Museum

On November 18th, the Wildbiene kindergarten, a climate-friendly daycare center supported by the Paul and Karin Gauselmann Foundation, 
visited the German Wind Energy Museum with a group of 12 enthusiastic children. 
The curious young explorers were accompanied by their two teachers, Luisa and Asiye, who had lovingly prepared and organized the trip. 
The eventful morning, focusing on renewable energies (PV and wind), climate protection, and sustainability, began promptly at 9:00 a.m.

The Wildbiene kindergarten is part of a modern new building on Hindenburgring in Espelkamp, ​​made possible by the generous support of the 
Paul and Karin Gauselmann Foundation. The foundation financed the construction with approximately €3.5 million, creating a contemporary 
and attractive childcare environment for 70 children. Sustainability and nature-based learning play a key role here: Energy-efficient 
technologies and a diverse outdoor area, bordering the forest and offering ample space for exploration, were key considerations in the 
planning and furnishing of the building.

At the German Wind Energy Museum, the children first explored the extensive outdoor area. During an age-appropriate guided tour, 
they learned how wind is created and how wind turbines generate electricity – explained clearly, playfully, and in a child-friendly way. 
Many children found it particularly exciting to directly experience the large rotor blades turning in the wind, thus making the power of
nature visible. The children were also able to explore the workings of photovoltaic modules in more detail.

The Paul and Karin Gauselmann Foundation has supported numerous social, cultural, and educational projects in the Minden-Lübbecke region
for many years, aiming to promote community, education, and quality of life. Founded in 1999, the foundation has since accumulated capital
that enables it to fund a wide range of initiatives, particularly in the area of ​​child and youth welfare.

The visit to the German Wind Energy Museum was an unforgettable experience for the children of the Wildbiene Climate Kindergarten,combining
technology, environmental education, and playful discovery. With shining eyes and many new impressions, they returned to the kindergarten 
– ready to share what they had learned and eager for their next adventure.

As part of this year’s energy tour, the ZWAR Group Stemwede visited the German Wind Power Museum today, Friday, October 10. The excursion was entirely dedicated to renewable energies and offered participants exciting insights into the history, technology, and practice of modern energy generation.

The day began at 11:00 a.m. at the German Wind Power Museum, where the group received a warm welcome. Over a cup of coffee, the visitors listened to informative presentations on the development of wind energy – from early windmills and the pioneering work of German engineers to modern wind turbines that make a significant contribution to power generation today. It became clear how technology, material use, and efficiency have evolved over the decades and how the museum, with its numerous exhibits, vividly documents this development.

The tour then continued to Reinhard Schlechte, who introduced the participants to his biogas plant in Stemwede. There, the visitors learned firsthand how methane is produced in such a plant from renewable raw materials – usually corn, grass, or manure – which is used in a combined heat and power plant to generate electricity and heat.
Schlechte also explained the economic aspects: Biogas plants not only contribute to decentralized energy supply but also enable the efficient use of agricultural residues. Furthermore, through the fermentation of organic materials, they make an important contribution to climate protection, as they generate CO₂-neutral energy and can replace fossil fuels.

After a short drive, the program included a visit to the Tiefenriede wind farm in Stemwede. The wind farm, consisting of several modern wind turbines, has been continuously expanded in recent years and now feeds several million kilowatt hours of electricity into the grid annually – enough to meet the needs of many households in the region.
The participants were able to view the impressive plants up close and learned how wind energy is converted into electrical energy. Topics such as grid feed-in, maintenance, noise levels, and the significance of such projects for the local energy transition were also discussed.

At the end of the day, the group returned to the German Wind Power Museum. There, the eventful day concluded in a relaxed atmosphere with grilled sausages and cold drinks. Those particularly interested also had the opportunity to discover additional exhibits and historical facilities on a guided tour of the museum’s outdoor grounds – from the first post-war wind generators to prototypes of the modern megawatt class.

Thus concluded a varied and informative day that impressively demonstrated the diverse and practical nature of renewable energy in the Stemwede region – and how committed citizens like the ZWAR Group are contributing to spreading knowledge and enthusiasm for sustainable forms of energy.

Today, Friday, September 26, 2025, the German Wind Power Museum welcomed a special visitor: Around 20 employees from JUWI Hannover stopped by our Stemwede location as part of a company outing.

The day began comfortably – with sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee, they first enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Just as with a wind turbine, nothing works without a power supply. With this little refreshment in hand, the group was well prepared to explore the outdoor area with our museum team.

During the tour, the guests immersed themselves in the exciting history and technology of wind energy utilization – from the first pioneering turbines to milestones in development and impressive original exhibits. There was not only much explanation and amazement, but also hearty laughter: As serious as the art of engineering is, some of the early constructions tell their own, sometimes very adventurous, story.

Of course, a souvenir photo was a must at the end. In a cheerful mood, the JUWI employees posed for a group photo – a perfect conclusion to a successful visit.

The feedback was consistently positive: Enthusiastic about the mix of knowledge, technological history, and vivid impressions, the group announced on site that they would be happy to return.

We would like to thank JUWI for the visit – and wish them a fresh breeze of support for all future projects!

After visiting the Folkecenter in Denmark, Wilfried Winkelman, Judith Plagemann, and Christian Schulz visited the Tvindkraft plant.

Tvind is the name of an alternative school system in Denmark founded by young people in 1973. The premise was “travel and learn.” In northern Jutland near Ringkøbing, an old farm (Tvind Gaarden) was purchased and converted into a school.

During the oil crisis, participants in a teachers’ seminar began considering the construction of a wind turbine.

From 1975 to 1978, the Tvindkraft plant was built by teachers, pupils, students, experts, and regional construction companies – using their own private money. The decision to build nuclear power plants in Denmark was imminent. It wasn’t known whether this could be prevented, but resistance was fierce, and proof that wind energy generation works had to be provided.

Like Growian, the turbine is a leeward-wind turbine. The Tvindkraft turbine is a 2 MW turbine, 54 m high, and for several years was by far the largest wind turbine in the world. The foundation and tower were built from reinforced concrete. The nacelle is made of rolled steel plates.

Initially, it could only feed 400 kW into the grid due to inadequate grid connections. The surplus electricity was used to heat the school.

What’s special about it: it still works today and has been supplying electricity to the grid since 1978.

For comparison, Growian, the turbine built by the grid operators HEW, Schleswag, and RWE, as well as MAN, the Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics at the University of Stuttgart, and the University of Regensburg, was idle for most of the period between its first test run on July 6, 1983, and its end of operation in August 1987.

Although the Tvindkraft plant had been successfully producing electricity since 1978, Growian proved to grid operators that wind energy doesn’t work.

RWE board member Günther Klätte stated at a company general meeting: “We need Growian (large wind turbines) to prove that it doesn’t work,” and explained that “Growian is something like an educational model to convert opponents of nuclear power to the true faith.”

It is a special moment to stand in front of this Tvind plant, whose foundation houses a corridor with photos and information about its construction.

September 20, 2025

Wilfried Winkelmann, Judith Plagemann, and Christian Schulz used the weekend after the trade fair in Husum to travel to Denmark to the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energies.

There, Wilfried Winkelmann, founder and initiator of the German Wind Power Museum, met Jane Kruse, who has been active in the Folkecenter since its inception and is now the current director of the Folkecenter.

Jane Kruse gave us an overview of the FC’s history and a several-hour tour of the extensive grounds.

Preben Maegaard, founder of the Nordic Folkecenter, bought a farm with land in 1970 where training and continuing education initially took place. It was then called the “International Craft Training Center.” In 1973, it became part of the Nordenfjord World University, which consisted of 20 training centers.

At that time, 93% of Denmark’s total energy consumption was covered by oil. Following the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the OPEC oil embargo triggered the first global oil crisis in the Western world in 1974. The consequences in Germany were unemployment, short-time work, a decline in automobile production, and austerity measures such as Sunday driving bans and a 100 km/h speed limit on highways.

In Denmark, as in almost all Western countries, nuclear power plants were immediately planned, and massive resistance arose among segments of the Danish population and many NGOs.

In 1975, the OVE (Organization for Renewable Energy) was founded under the chairmanship of Preben Maegaard. It constructed the first wind turbine in 1976, and the first wind turbines were sold.

In 1982, the Danish Parliament approved the establishment of a National Center for Renewable Energy with funding for four years. The National Center began its work on July 1, 1983. Three years later, the trainee program was launched, which remains one of the Folkecenter’s main tasks to this day.

To date, the Folkecenter has worked on all types of renewable energy generation and supply, including photovoltaics and solar thermal energy, vegetable oil CHP and pellet heating, tidal and wave power plants, aquaculture, and low-energy houses. Today, the focus is primarily on energy storage for small solar and wind energy systems. Jane Kruse emphasized that optimizing the control systems for such systems is particularly important. The Folkecenter maintains various research and demonstration facilities for this purpose.

Former Folkecenter trainees have established similar projects all over the world.

Looking back, Jane Kruse attributed the success of the development of wind energy generation to the open exchange of ideas, experience, and knowledge between scientists, industry, engineers, technicians, and craftspeople. For many years, for example, a regular meeting was held at the Folkecenter every first Saturday of the month, where the “who’s who” of European wind energy gathered. Alois Wobben, among others, was a frequent participant in these meetings. Early experiments on magnetic excitation in wind turbine generators were conducted at the Folkecenter. Two such systems were on display during our visit.

Preben Maegaard and Jane Kruse were awarded the “World Wind Energy Award” in 2008.

Preben Maegaard died on March 25, 2021. He can be seen in the film “The 4th Revolution – Energy Autonomy” by Carl-A. Fechner.

Image: CS

This year, the German Wind Power Museum was represented as a co-exhibitor at the ICS – Ingenieur Consult Schulz booth. We sent invitations with a discount code for reduced admission to all members of the museum’s association and announced the exhibit on the website. A profile of the museum was available in the exhibitor directory.

We welcomed several trade fair visitors to our booth who used the discount code, as well as visitors who were attracted by our entry in the trade fair directory.

We brought 500 flyers printed especially for the fair and distributed them to interested parties at the fair. Along with pens printed with DWM advertising, we received a great deal of interest. For example, Flensburg University of Applied Sciences wants to visit us with students, and the Fraunhofer Institute in Bremen is planning a company outing at the museum with its employees. Overall, interest in company outings was very high, but many individuals also announced their interest in visiting us.

Interest in the technology and the history of wind power was roughly equal.

The event, including the flyers and pens, cost just over €1,400, which was covered by the company ICS.

According to the trade fair company, over 600 exhibitors and approximately 12,300 visitors were in Husum.

Image: ©MHC

The Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg will open the exhibition “Utopia. The Right to Hope” on Friday, September 26, 2025. A rotor blade, donated by the German Wind Power Museum, will be presented as part of this exhibition.

“We are currently experiencing a phase of polycrisis worldwide that is unprecedented: In addition to wars, global refugee movements, and a growing loss of trust in democracies, the man-made climate catastrophe, above all, dominates the thoughts and actions of many. Beyond cynicism and doomsday sentiments, however, a coexistence based on solidarity and community should be possible as the foundation for civilizational and ecological survival. In the 21st century, it is primarily artists who capture hopeful ideas in their works, advance the discourse on possible utopias, and anticipate the prospect of a better future in the here and now. So let us dare to create more utopias!” (https://www.kunstmuseum.de/ausstellung/utopia-recht-auf-hoffnung/)

In the featured image, you can see a collage where you can follow the journey of the rotor blade from the German Wind Power Museum in Stemwede to the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg. The blade was retrieved from the collection, washed, charged, transported to Wolfsburg, and then made available to the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg.

We are very much looking forward to the upcoming opening of the exhibition Utopia. Right to Hope, which will be celebrated on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, and are excited to see how our rotor blade will be presented on site. Admission is free, and no prior registration is necessary.

You can find out more about this exciting project with the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg on the corresponding subpage of our website. We would be delighted to see some familiar faces at the exhibition’s opening ceremony.

On Thursday, August 21, 2025, a group of children and young people visited the German Wind Power Museum as part of the LifeHouse Stemwede summer holiday games and participated in the program “From Wind and Sun to Electricity!”

The German Wind Power Museum once again offered an interesting and informative program for the children and young people in Stemwede on the topic of renewable energies. Various experiments explained how renewable energy is used to generate electricity. Using LexSolar experiment kits, several experiments on the topic of wind energy were conducted. Also present was board member Klaus Kuhnke, who conducted specially developed experiments on photovoltaics with interested participants in the outdoor area. Before the two groups switched, there was a guided tour where the children could inspect the numerous exhibits on the history of wind power, which are displayed in the museum’s outdoor area.

The children expressed their satisfaction with their time at the German Wind Power Museum. Interested children and young people can return as part of the upcoming holiday activities at LifeHouse Stemwede in the fall. The museum will also be offering a supporting program there on Thursday, October 16, 2025, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Please note the date if you are interested.

On Saturday, August 2, 2025, the Stemwede local chapter of the B90/Greens visited the German Wind Power Museum.

Reinhard Ernst, one of the former board members of the German Wind Power Museum from the Diepholz district, began by explaining the founding and development of community energy companies in the field of photovoltaics and wind energy using various examples. He then also provided information on the current environmental education opportunities at the German Wind Power Museum.

The German Wind Power Museum was very pleased with the visit and hopes to welcome interested politicians to the museum in the future.

See also: http://gruene-stemwede.de/2025/08/03/besuch-windkraftmuseum-am-02-09-25/