Ausstellung des Michael-Otto-Instituts im NABU
White stork exhibition in the stork village of Bergenhusen on storks and the Eider-Treene-Sorge river landscape, open from mid-March to mid-September.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The exhibition belongs to the NABU nature conservation center in Bergenhusen. The impetus came from the Schleswig-Holstein state government, which in the 1980s wanted to place the Eider-Treene-Sorge river landscape under special protection and needed a contact point for this. At the same time, NABU was looking for a central location for its work to protect the white stork and found it in the stork village of Bergenhusen.
The center is housed in the Medauhaus, an approximately 150-year-old farmstead that the state bought and had renovated. In 1992 the NABU institute was founded, at the time still under the name Institut für Wiesen und Feuchtgebiete (Institute for Meadows and Wetlands); the exhibition opened in May 1993. Since a generous donation in 2004, the house has carried the name Michael-Otto-Institut im NABU.
Using information boards and landscape models, the exhibition shows how the river landscape came into being and how drainage and agriculture shaped the wet meadows and their wildlife. A replica stork nest, a live camera on a nest in the village and a feeding scale illustrate the stork year. The institute also conducts research on white storks and meadow birds; in the village, signs with QR codes and a stork trail complement the offer.
Highlights
- Replica stork nest and live feed from a nest in the village
- Landscape models of the Eider-Treene-Sorge river landscape
- The stork year in words and pictures, plus calls and specimens of meadow birds
- Stork rally and radio plays for children
- Guided tours of the exhibition and the stork village
Permanent exhibition
- Weißstorchausstellung – Information boards, landscape models and a replica stork nest explain the stork year and the animal and plant life of the Eider-Treene-Sorge river landscape.
- Founded
- 1993
- Operated by
- Michael-Otto-Institut im NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2People with disabilities, pupils, students and seniors |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 12 · Children up to and including age 12 enter free. |
| Guided tour (adults, including exhibition admission) | €545–60 minutes |
| Guided tour (children, including exhibition admission) | €3 |
Admission is also free for NABU members and residents of Bergenhusen.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The exhibition is at street level; the path from the road to the main entrance was newly and evenly paved in 2017, so wheelchairs and strollers can get in without obstacles.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 12 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Stroller-friendly
For children there is a stork rally with a small surprise, and radio plays about the young stork Rotschnabel and the sparrow lady Lünk. The institute also offers children's holiday days.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
By train to Friedrichstadt or Schleswig, then by bus line 1512 or 1518 to Bergenhusen.
By car via the A7 (Schleswig/Jagel junction) or the A23 (Albersdorf junction); the exhibition is signposted in Bergenhusen. It is about 17 km from Friedrichstadt and about 32 km from Schleswig, and also easy to reach by bike.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Nature shop in the exhibition with books, maps, souvenirs and plush storks. In the village there are the Landgasthof Hoier Boier inn and the Bistro Storchenschnabel.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours of the exhibition or the village are possible without registration at the public times (meeting point Landgasthof Hoier Boier, Dörpstroot 12A). Individual tours for groups of 10 to 20 people can be arranged by phone or email; larger groups are divided. Those who want to explore the village alone can use the Smart Guide with QR-code signs. |
