To download, click on the photo/video on the right and select “Save target as”.

Videofootage:

File 1 – Transportation and assembly – time lapse

File 2 – Bridge installation part 1

File 3 – Bridge installation part 2

File 4 – Bridge installation time lapse 1

File 5 – Bridge installation time lapse 2

File 6 – Bridge installation time lapse 3

File 7 – Bridge installation time lapse 4

File 8 – Bridge installation time lapse 5

After 14 years, the time had finally come this morning at 06:04. One of the largest cranes in Europe lifted a 25-meter-long pedestrian bridge 40 meters above the Miniatur Wunderland warehouse, which was then attached to the warehouse opposite at a height of around 16 meters. A spectacular event at dawn – and the starting signal for the future of Wunderland.

It wasn’t clear whether it would work until shortly before the start. It rained all night and even one wind force more would have made the single-rope act too dangerous. Everyone was all the more relieved when crane operator Alexander Lorenz received the start command shortly after six o’clock.

It was an incredibly emotional moment for Wunderland founder Frederik Braun: “I have been waiting for this day for 14 years. I remember the exact day when I stood at the hatch of our warehouse and said, rather jokingly, that we would one day build a bridge and create new worlds on the other side. The idea never left me and I struggled for many years to make it a reality. For me, this moment at this uncertain time is incredibly emotional, makes me happy and strengthens my belief in the future.

For more than a decade, Miniatur Wunderland has been working together with HHLA and the monument preservation authorities to develop a vision for the future of Germany’s most popular attraction. In future, the bridge will connect the warehouse block opposite and thus build a bridge between the old Wunderland and the new world. From 2022, small trains and visitors will be able to cross the bridge and land on another continent on the other side of the Fleet.

Over the next 10-15 years, completely new and spectacular sections will be created on the additional 3,000 square meters. South America will be the first to open in 2022. Together with the Martinez family, the Miniatur Wunderland model makers are building a spectacular model of the Andes continent with all its beauty and hidden treasures right in Buenos Aires. The first part, Rio, has already been completed and will soon cross the Atlantic and find its home in the new Speicher L.

When the bridge crossed Block L shortly after seven o’clock and the crash-proof specialists fastened the first bolt to the bridge, Gerrit Braun’s relief could be read on his face. “The future of Wunderland begins today. In our minds, the course of the day has actually been fixed for years. We imagined a huge event with grandstands, a show program, popcorn and thousands of spectators. We would have loved to share this spectacle with the whole of Hamburg. Unfortunately, due to the corona rules, we had to go through with it in a quiet room. I am all the more pleased to see visitors crossing the bridge in two years’ time and hope that they can enjoy this phenomenal view in a similar way,” explains Gerrit Braun.

In the coming months, the warehouse opposite will be extensively renovated before South America, Asia and parts of Africa can get ready in the brick building.

You can download this press release here.

You can download the press kit here.

The post Bridge crosses the Atlantic – 750-ton crane successfully connects two worlds first appeared on Miniatur Wunderland.

This August, Miniatur Wunderland will be 18 years old and thus come of age. Time to think about the future. It will be very different from what was planned a few years ago. Somehow typical for almost 18.

In March, a new rental agreement was signed for the expansion of Wunderland in the Speicherstadt. A further 3,000 square meters are to be connected to Wunderland on the other side of the canal.

The Monaco and Provence section is currently being built as the last section in the existing building for the time being. Gerrit Braun and his team are trying to develop a completely new type of technology here. The vision is to create a miniature Formula 1 race using scalable magnetic fields. It remains to be seen whether this will really work. “Next to our airport, a miniature Formula 1 race is the most technically challenging project in the history of Wunderland. We have just got the first cars driving on a test track. However, we still have a long way to go before we can reproduce F1 races with different driving characteristics and overtaking maneuvers,” reports Gerrit Braun. The opening is planned for November 2020.

Even before that, a small but very detailed section of nine square meters will be opened: a new funfair. The previous funfair, which was built in 2001 for the opening of Wunderland, is now being completely overhauled and more than doubled in size. New rides, around 100,000 LEDs and many technical gadgets will be the highlight of one of the original sections of Wunderland. The new funfair will be officially opened in November 2019.

However, the most spectacular project by far is undoubtedly the expansion of the site. England was originally planned on the other side of the Fleet. However, this idea has now been replaced by the biggest adventure in the history of Wunderland: “We have already completed our Brexit, so to speak,” explains Frederik Braun with a wink, adding: “25% of our guests now come from abroad. For many, Europe looks very similar. Old houses, small towns, meadows, fields, forests and the occasional mountain. We have therefore decided to create completely new worlds. We are starting this project with the South America section. The idea came to us in New York when we met a family from Argentina who were completely crazy – in an entirely positive sense.”

In the summer of 2017, the vision was born: to build South America in South America, together with this wonderful family. The South American continent is vastly different from Europe. While Europe is filled with bright lights and civilization, South America offers the exact opposite: the last unexplored regions of the Amazon Delta, myths, breathtaking nature, and vibrant cities. Bringing all this to life authentically, from a workshop thousands of kilometers away in Hamburg, is nearly impossible—especially since, fortunately, there is no Google Maps for the rainforest or Antarctica yet.
That’s why, for the past year, Wunderland has been working in a suburb of Buenos Aires on its boldest project ever, in collaboration with the Martinez family. Wunderland’s model builders and a team of 15 South Americans are constructing this stunning new section. The first phase will cover 200 square meters, featuring landscapes from the Amazon, the Andes, Rio de Janeiro, and even Antarctica.
“The South America project is both an adventure and a fairy tale,” says Gerrit Braun. “The father of the family, Ricardo Martinez, a passionate and slightly crazy model builder and drummer, first discovered Miniatur Wunderland through a documentary on Deutsche Welle in 2002. He recorded it on VHS and played it over and over again for his four children. They practically grew up with this VHS tape and our YouTube channel. They had always dreamed of visiting Wunderland—and now, we’re embarking on an exciting expedition into the unknown together.”

Parallel to the South America section, another very special section is also being built in Hamburg. On the way into the new building, visitors will have the opportunity to travel around the world from a bird’s eye view. In the “The World from Above” exhibition, we will be recreating the most beautiful places in the world from the perspective of a low-flying aircraft. A total of around 10 million euros will be invested in the new sections over the next few years.
“We’re entering an incredibly exciting phase,” says Frederik Braun. “For years, we’ve been expanding Wunderland one section at a time. Now, we’re venturing into completely new territory and embarking on a grand adventure. Will everything turn out the way we imagine? I don’t know yet. But we’ve always strived to outdo ourselves and surprise our visitors. To achieve that, sometimes you have to leave the safe, well-worn paths and explore the unknown. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Press Kit 

In our press kit you will find everything you need to know about Miniatur Wunderland, its history, the people behind it and facts and figures about the attraction.

Press Kit

Video Footage

“How to build South America” – The Documentary

“The future of Wunderland” – The video about the vision

The blog for our new construction section South America

Viva la Miniatura 

Pictures for download

Right-click on an image and select “Save image as…” to download an image in full resolution.

You can find more pictures in the download area of our press page.

Contact person

Sebastian Drechsler 

kontakt@miniatur-wunderland.de

Tel. 040-300 680 0

The post Miniatur Wunderland Builds a Bridge Over the Fleet and Crosses the Atlantic first appeared on Miniatur Wunderland.