| Author | Organisation | Keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Melanie Wunsch | Neanderthal Museum | Höhlenblick Tower Interactive Exhibits Augmented Reality |
Since December 2022, visitors to the Neanderthal Museum can enjoy a new and exciting feature: the Höhlenblick ("Cave View") Tower. This open steel structure stands on the site of the Feldhofer Grotte, a cave that was destroyed by lime mining in the 19th century. The 22-meter-high tower is fully accessible, with alternating inner and outer ramps spanning 360 meters, allowing an almost effortless ascent. Along the way, visitors are treated to short audio stories from figures in the valley's history at each turning point of the ramps.
A Tower with a Unique Landmark
The tower’s crowning feature is a skull-shaped dome above the upper platform, symbolizing the oversized skullcap of a Neanderthal. This massive structure is about nine meters long and weighs an impressive six tons. The Höhlenblick Tower offers a thrilling experience for visitors, allowing them to climb the lost gorge and stand where the Neanderthal's cave once existed. From this vantage point, visitors can gaze down across the valley, much like the Neanderthals once did from the now-vanished Feldhofer Grotte.
Interactive and Immersive Experiences
For the adventurous, a net tunnel below the top platform offers a dizzying perspective of how deep the former Neanderthal gorge was. The 16 bones of the Neanderthal, presented as a tactile exhibit on the uppermost platform, add to the hands-on experience. A QR code here triggers a 360-degree video of the Feldhofer Grotte, showcasing the burial scene where the famous Neanderthal was laid to rest.
The construction of the Höhlenblick Tower is the most important event since the opening of the Neanderthal Museum in 1996.
Augmented Reality: A Journey to the Ice Age
Digital "Telescopes" on the upper platform’s edge provide a remarkable augmented reality experience. Visitors can peer into the Ice Age past, witnessing Neanderthals hunting bison, observing their daily life at the campsite in front of the Neander Cave, spotting distant herds of mammoths, and even catching a glimpse of a mighty cave lion leaping to capture a giant deer.
Key Messages and Sensory Staging
In collaboration with the Berlin design office Art & Com, three core messages were crafted to be conveyed through this immersive experience:
- "I stood at the top where the Neanderthal's cave was!"
- "The Neander Valley used to be a deep gorge!"
- "The Neanderthals buried their dead in the cave!"
Enhancements to the Path and Historical Insights
The path leading from the museum to the site has also been enhanced. Life-size silhouettes of historical figures, such as a quarryman or the painter Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, come to life with kinetic audio stations, sharing their stories and insights about the valley's history.
A Long Journey to Recognition
The site was first opened to the public in 2002, with the aim of creating a place of remembrance. The landscape architects from Lützow 7 in Berlin were commissioned for the design, but it initially lacked clarity for visitors. Recognizing this, the first ideas for upgrading the site began to take shape around 2010. An architectural competition held in 2014 led to the selection of Prof. Jürg Steiner's design. Following the approval planning, construction began in November 2021.
A Landmark Achievement for the Neanderthal Museum
The construction of the Höhlenblick Tower marks the most significant development since the Neanderthal Museum opened in 1996. With this tower, the site where the Neanderthal was discovered finally receives the recognition and attention it has long deserved.
