Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mts. – History, Problems and Perspectives

Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mts. – History, Problems

and Perspectives

Dr. Friedhart Knolle Christian Reinboth

ISSRM 2014

10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains

Agenda

(1) Topology and topography of the Harz mountain range (2) Historical development of winter sports in the Harz (3) Climate change and its effect on the Harz region (4) Conflicts between sustainable tourism and winter sports (5) The Wurmberg ski resort during the season of 2013/2014

We will be glad to answer all further questions after the presentation For more information please visit: http://goslar.bund.net/presse/wurmberg/

http://goslar.bund.net/presse/wurmberg/

(Credit: Harz National Park)

Topography of the Harz and protected areas in this region


Historical winter sport traditions

Senior forester and skiing pioneer Arthur Ulrichs (1838 - 1927) in 1883

Credit: Dr. Falkner

The first skiing clubs were founded after 1892

Credit: Helmut Tischler


Historical winter sport traditions

Sankt Andreasberg during the 1920s

Advertising for the „German Winter Fighting Games“ of 1934

Credit: Dr. Falkner

Museum of Skiing and Winter Sports in Braunlage, Germany

Credit: www.braunlage.de


Expansion of the Wurmberg ski resort

Credit: BUND Westharz

Construction of the water storage basin on top of the Wurmberg in 2013

Credit: Wurmberg-Seilbahn GmbH

Construction of the water storage basin on top of the Wurmberg in 2013

Credit: Dr. Hermann Fischer

Construction of the water storage basin, several alpine ski runs and the new parking place (rear) on top of the Wurmberg

Credit: Dr. Eick v. Ruschkowski

Climate monitoring station on top of the Brocken (1141 m)


Average annual temperature 1848 – 2013

Credit: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)


Sliding average for Braunlage and the Brocken

Credit: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) / Harzwasserwerke (modified by Prof. de Jong)

An almost conflict-free form of winter sports: Nordic Skiing

Credit: Dr. Ulrich Krynitz


Conflicts with sustainable tourism

• The Harz is one of only eight regions in Germany (Eifel, Terra.vita, Westhavelland, Rhön, Harz, Schwäbische Alb, Altmark and Schwarze Elster) which still exhibits a nearly perfect dark sky (21.75 mag/arcsec²) almost unspoiled by light pollution.

• This makes Harz National Park one of the primary candidates for a „Dark Sky Park“ designation from the IDA (International Dark Sky Association) as well as a potential destination for sustainable astro-tourism.

• This outlook is threatened by the proposed installation of a floodlighting system for the illumination of ski slopes at the Wurmberg (Hänel/BfN-Skript 336/2013).

Credit: Michael Schomann

The visible band of the Milky Way over Sankt Andreasberg

Credit: Oliver Maiwald

The 2012 Transit of Venus observed from Sankt Andreasberg

Credit: Christoph Ries

Wendelstein ski resort after deactivation of slope lighting

Credit: Christoph Ries

Wendelstein ski resort before deactivation of slope lighting


Proposed illumination on the Wurmberg

Class I: Facilities for high performance sports and international sporting events Class II: Facilities for important national sporting events with many spectators Class III: Facilities for leisure sports, school sports and general training The investor has proposed a 150 lx floodlighting. Some concessions were made: The lighting system will only be in use during three days per week for a maximum duration of four months per year. Additionally, the lighting will be shut off after 22:30 p.m.

Class Illumination level Illumination equability

I 100 lx 0,5

II 30 lx 0,3

III 20 lx 0,2

Suggested illumination levels for ski slopes according to DIN EN 12 193:


Performance during the season of 13/14

„Based on the available data, the authors estimate that the production of high-quality artificial snow (no sludge) will

require sub-zero temperatures of at least -5°C.“

„The people living in the Harz might be peculiar, yet even the land of witches and myths is governed by the laws of nature. Water will freeze at 0°C – even in the Harz

and even at 100% air humidity.“

„As soon as the temperature falls below -3°C, we can begin with the production of artificial snow.“

Report on artificial snow production in the Harz by de Jong / Knolle / Reinboth (2012)

Press release by the investor in reaction to the report (2012)

Statement by the investor for the Gos-larsche Zeitung (2013)

Credit: Christian Reinboth

Failed efforts in producing artificial snow in December 2013

Failed efforts in producing artificial snow in December 2013

Credit: Christian Reinboth


Performance during the season of 2013/14

• The opening of the ski resort had to be postponed twice (December 6th, December 14th) because of the lack of snow. The resort finally opened on January 11th – still without snow.

• The „naked sledding“ event, which draws about 10.000 visitors annually, had to be moved from Braunlage to Cochstedt Airport in February of 2014 because of „springlike“ (MZ) weather conditions in the Harz.

• Even though city and investor still assume, that the installation will be able to provide reliable snow coverage for 100 days per season on average, the resort had only 40 stream days during the season of 2013/2014. Due to the low turnover, the lighting installation will probably be postponed.

• In May of 2014, engineers concluded that the ski jump tower on top of the Wurmberg (built in 1922) is so dilapidated, that it needs to be dismantled.


Thanks for the attention!

http://www.gfn-harz.de

For more information please visit: http://goslar.bund.net/presse/wurmberg/

http://www.gfn-harz.de/



http://goslar.bund.net/presse/wurmberg/

Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mts. – History, Problems and Perspectives

Environment

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