There was great joy when it was announced last year that Oldenburg had been named the City of
Science 2009. As a scientific institution with a national reputation, it is also a special task for the institutions in The Haus des Hörens to organise
numerous high-profile events this year. The Year of Science therefore began with an unprecedented bang for hearing research: a children's university in the EWE Arena! On Saturday 24 January, it was Prof. Dr Dr Birger Kollmeier's job to get over 2,400 young and old researchers excited about the topic. With interesting live experiments on the subject of "How does music get into the head", he succeeded in sensitising them to the subject in a playful way and creating a positive awareness of the sense of hearing. "It is a special challenge for me to organise a lecture for children, as they react incredibly openly and creatively to new ideas, but at the same time complex topics have to be presented in a clear and understandable way
," said Kollmeier after the event.
Another listening event was offered on 21 February 2009 by the project 'Grenzenlose Klangwelten'. Anyone who has ever wondered how people actually hear underwater and why whales don't have auricles was in the right place at this event. Around 50 visitors to the OLantis Huntebad took the rare opportunity to listen to a live concert underwater in the Lamberti Church. While staff from the UAS degree programme in Hearing Technology and Audiology at
were responsible for the complex transmission technology, a team from the HörTech Center of Competence
HörTech took visitors on an acoustic underwater journey. Further concerts will be offered on 26 April, 21 May, 8 and 27 November 2009.