Mediendom Planetarium of the Polytechnic Kiel

Mediendom Planetarium der Fachhochschule Kiel
Kiel-Dietrichsdorf
24103, Sokratesplatz 6 (Building 2)
Telephone 0431/210 17 41

Opening Times:
The current times are available here!

'Mediendom': Fantastic worlds thanks to international advanced technology

As the new presentation-location of the Polytechnic Kiel, the 'Mediendom' opened on the 17th of September 2003, at the new campus in Kiel-Dietrichsdorf. It was also affiliated into the venerable Polytechnic. The Mediendom in Kiel and the Planetarium Hamburg are Europe wide the first venues that are fitted with a novel 'Cosmos-Simulator'. The Mediendom is at the same time precursor of a new form of a cultural facility, the 'Digital Theatre'.

Conventional Planetarium technique showed until now the starry sky only as seen from earth. Visitors in Kiel can now go on a virtual trip that leads on basis of scientific data seamlessly from earth to the cosmos. The Planetarium's cupola seems to open up; the audience is situated in the middle of an event of unimagined aesthetic and reality.

The new technique goes far beyond classic astronomy. It looks like a new music instrument that can fascinate with sounds and pictures. With this instrument one is able to present any theme from science, literature, plays and music in a novel kind.

'It is the dream of every pedagogue to give everybody to personally experience bygone times and inaccessible places and present abstract subject matter depicting,' says Eduard Thomas, head of the Mediendom of the Polytechnic Kiel. 'This dream has become within reach. The new technique will give our students the possibility to be involved in the first steps into the fantastic worlds of clearness and offer our audience at the same time much more than before.'




The new effects are being made possible by the cutting-edge technology of the American company Evans & Sutherland, which is based on decade-long experience of building simulators. The acoustic facility in Kiel, performed in a world premiere with flat-membrane loudspeakers of the Kieler company Elac Elektroakustik, a guarantor for listening pleasure.

The Mediendom pursues a nationwide unique concept. During the day at lecture time it serves as a multimedia lecture hall and thus changes in the evening and on weekends, into a digital theatre with 65 seats. In the sense of an 'open college' it is to become a place of daily dialogue between college and the public.

The extensive programme encompasses astronomic events (for example 'Infinite Vastness - from the Big Bang to Earth' or 'Planets - Wonderful worlds') for adults and for children (for example 'The rescue of the star fairy Mira'), leads into the rain forest of Costa Rica ('Fascination Rain Forest') or uses the new technique for show and entertainment (for example 'Midnight Show'). Events take place every weekend. Individual events, for example concerts or readings take place as quarterly highlights.