The research and exhibition programme focuses on the use of ships in the context of the maritime economy, research shipping and against the backdrop of changing environmental behaviour. Everything related to these topics can be found here: from ship models, ship equipment and the museum harbour to personal accounts, images and much more. The objects and sources form the starting point for a historical perspective on the invention, use, exploration and reflection of maritime technologies.
With its thematic focus incorporating a global historical perspective, the DSM has a unique selling point that is oriented towards the future, both nationally and internationally. As part of its cooperative research and exhibition approach, the DSM combines its own research with two scientific focus areas that are important for the state of Bremen: marine sciences and social sciences. The latest findings in these fields will be presented in the planned new permanent exhibition in the Scharoun building.
Thanks to its location directly behind the dyke and the city's oldest harbour area, the historical perspective of the DSM is embedded in the lively maritime culture of Bremerhaven, which is characterised by shipping.
The museum is currently undergoing renovation. In July 2024, the new permanent exhibition ‘Schiffswelten – Der Ozean und wir’(Ship Realms– The Ocean and Us) was officially opened in the Bangert Building. The exhibition invites guests to experience the world from the perspective of the sea and to gain a new understanding of the connections between humans and the ocean. The centrepiece of the cog hall remains the restored wreck from 1380.
