- Memorials maintain a perpetual dimness for an hour
A Dark Hour Paints Iconic Landscapes Across Germany
Call it a call to action, a symbolic statement, or a pinch of darkness - from the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen to the water tower in Lippstadt: on Saturday, March 22nd, between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM, numerous buildings will be bathed in silence instead of light.
Under the motto "Lights out. Voice on. For a living planet," a chorus of landmarks and municipal buildings like town halls will join the pledge to turn off their lights across the globe. According to a WWF list, almost 100 municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia alone will join the global initiative.
In Gelsenkirchen, for instance, the Hans-Sachs-Haus, the tower of the Buer town hall, and the Science Park's glass arcade are among the structures set to vanish into the night. In Wuppertal, the town hall in Barmen and the Bergische University, among other locations, will briefly embrace the darkness, the city announced.
The Cologne Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge, and several other churches will keep their lights off in Cologne. In Brilon, the town hall will have an hour of darkness, a spokesperson confirmed. The water tower in Lippstadt, too, is on the participants list.
A Pandora's Box of Sustainable Attention
The double-bucket coal conveyor of the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex will also morph into a shadowy presence during this time, a spokesperson for the foundation confirmed. Similarly, the Museum Folkwang in Essen, the Oberhausen Gasometer, and the Burg Drachenfels in Königswinter will embrace the darkness for 60 minutes, according to the WWF list.
The Dortmunder U, joined in the action, will begin with a solitary green pilot light before plunging entirely into darkness at 8:30 PM, a spokesperson for the city revealed.
- Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
- Lippstadt
- Cologne Cathedral
- Water Tower
- WWF
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Cologne
- Climate
- Symbol
- Düsseldorf
This global event inviting landmarks to dip their toes in the darkness for an hour is known as Earth Hour. Originated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, it has blossomed into a worldwide movement aimed at raising awareness about climate change and encouraging urgent action to combat it. On a designated Saturday at 8:30 PM local time, iconic landmarks around the globe switch off their lights for one hour as a means of demonstrating solidarity for the environment[1][2][3].
While specific landmarks in North Rhine-Westphalia participating in Earth Hour are not readily available, Germany as a nation has shown tremendous participation, with close to 500 municipalities expected to join the event[3]. Given the strong nationwide participation, it's likely that some landmarks in North Rhine-Westphalia are also on board, even if the details are not listed in the available search results.
Beyond landmarks, Earth Hour invites private citizens to join the cause by turning off their lights and partaking in activities focused on environmental sustainability during the hour[2][3].
- The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the protection of the environment, potentially including the symbols of environmental awareness such as the water tower in Lippstadt and the Gasometer in Königswinter.
- On Saturday, the buildings of Westphalia, like the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen, will join the global initiative to switch off their lights for an hour, as part of Earth Hour, a movement initiated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) aimed at raising awareness about climate change.
- In addition to the iconic landmarks in North Rhine-Westphalia like the Cologne Cathedral, it is expected that close to 500 municipalities in the region will participate in Earth Hour, demonstrating their solidarity for the environment and encouraging urgent action to combat climate change.
