Experts in wind power history met at the German Wind Power Museum
Experts in wind power history met at the German Wind Power Museum to discuss ways of improving international collaboration
Bonn/Stemwede, 10 April (WWEA) - Some time ago, WWEA launched an initiative to improve the international archiving of wind energy records, primarily by linking existing archives, but also by advising archives owners in Europe and around the world. The Mills Archive Trust, based in the UK, has become the main partner in this endeavour as an organisation that has already collected more than 3 million items.
As part of a project focusing on archives in Europe, experts met at the German Wind Power Museum in Stemwede in northern Germany. The museum is another beacon in the preservation of wind energy history, collecting and displaying dozens of wind energy items.
Participants of the meeting at the German Wind Power Museum in Stemwede.
Credits: Deutsches Windkraftmuseum
Stefan Gsänger, WWEA Secretary General: "WWEA is pleased with the international cooperation aimed at protecting our heritage. This is our way of showing respect for the achievements of the early wind energy pioneers. It is also vital to be aware of our history and roots in order to meet current and future challenges. We are grateful to the Mills Archive Trust for their excellent cooperation and to the German Wind Power Museum for their hospitality and sharing of their expertise.”
Elizabeth Bartram, Director of The Mills Archive Trust: “It was an honour to take part in this visit on behalf of The Mills Archive Trust and we are thankful for the warm hospitality we received from those involved in WWEA and the German Windpower Museum. We are also grateful to funding from the European Heritage Days programme, a joint project between the European Union and the Council of Europe, which made this visit possible. The meeting was a rare and valuable opportunity to share knowledge and in doing so, we were delighted to meet equally committed and passionate people determined to preserve and engage the public in wind energy history, providing education and messages of hope in a world of uncertainty. It also feels like we are making history together and we are excited to find out what the future holds.”
Kolya Abramsky, Special Advisor on Archives and Records to the World Wind Energy Association: “This meeting at the German Wind Power Museum has crystallised a European-collaboration that has been several years in the making. We also took the opportunity to present the initial findings of a European-wide survey aimed at identifying which historical records of the wind energy sector exist and in which institutions they can be found, including those records held in private hands by pioneering individuals and organisations. This is as a stepping stone to wider global collaboration in the field, which is absolutely necessary as the wind energy sector is increasingly global, with important actors existing now in many different countries on all continents.”
At the WWEA Head Office in Bonn. From left to right:
Stefan Gsänger (WWEA), Kolya Abramsky (Consultant), Elizabeth Bertram (MAT), Arne Jaeger (DWM), Rachel Riddell (MAT)
More information about the project “Mills to Megawatts”: https://new.millsarchive.org/mills-to-megawatts/
