Presentation of Dr. Friedhart Knolle and Christian Reinboth at the 20th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (ISSRM 2014) on June 10th 2014 in Hannover, Germany.

1. Winter Tourism and Protected Areas
in the Harz Mts. – History, Problems
and Perspectives
Dr. Friedhart Knolle
Christian Reinboth
ISSRM 2014

2. 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/

3. (Credit: Harz National Park)
Topography of the Harz and protected areas in this region

4. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
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

5. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
Historical winter sport traditions
Sankt Andreasberg during the 1920s
Advertising for the „German
Winter Fighting Games“ of 1934
Credit: Dr. Falkner

6. Museum of Skiing and Winter Sports in Braunlage, Germany
Credit: www.braunlage.de

7. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
Expansion of the Wurmberg ski resort

8. Credit: BUND Westharz
Construction of the water storage basin on top of the Wurmberg in 2013

9. Credit: Wurmberg-Seilbahn GmbH
Construction of the water storage basin on top of the Wurmberg in 2013

10. 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

11. Credit: Dr. Eick v. Ruschkowski
Climate monitoring station on top of the Brocken (1141 m)

12. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
Average annual temperature 1848 – 2013
Credit: Deutscher
Wetterdienst (DWD)

13. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
Sliding average for Braunlage and the Brocken
Credit: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) /
Harzwasserwerke (modified by Prof. de Jong)

14. An almost conflict-free form of winter sports: Nordic Skiing
Credit: Dr. Ulrich Krynitz

15. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
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).

16. Credit: Michael Schomann
The visible band of the Milky Way over Sankt Andreasberg

17. Credit: Oliver Maiwald
The 2012 Transit of Venus observed from Sankt Andreasberg

18. Credit: Christoph Ries
Wendelstein ski resort after deactivation of slope lighting

19. Credit: Christoph Ries
Wendelstein ski resort before deactivation of slope lighting

20. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
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:

21. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
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)

22. Credit: Christian Reinboth
Failed efforts in producing artificial snow in December 2013

23. Failed efforts in producing artificial snow in December 2013
Credit: Christian Reinboth

24. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
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.

25. 10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains
Thanks for the attention!
http://www.gfn-harz.de
For more information please visit:
http://goslar.bund.net/presse/wurmberg/