Dr. hc et Dr. hc Georg Müller wanted to better understand the world and its connections. It was for this purpose that, in 1984, with his Zürcher Forum, he invented and built the first Phänomena 1984 as a natural science exhibition on the shores of Lake Zürich. It was intended to be a bridge to a better understanding of an increasingly complex world.
The exhibition presented natural laws and Phänomena from the fields of optics, water, gravity, astronomy, plants, music, acoustics, chemistry, energy and magnetism.
Phänomena travelled from Zurich to Bietigkeim (D), Rotterdam (NL) and Durban (SA) and was seen by over 5 million people. The huge success in 1984 was an inspiration for many science centres that were created in Europe, including Technorama.
At that time, Phänomena took completely new paths: Interactive experiments made basic physical experiences understandable and tangible in a playful way.
Phänomena 1984 was the major event of the summer in Zürich and a highly acclaimed success, with 1.2 million visitors. The exhibition was so successful that in subsequent years it was presented with equal success in the Netherlands, Germany and South Africa.
Anyone who saw Phänomena in Zürich in 1984 can still remember it well today. For many people, it was an inspiration for their later career choice. Many times, we have heard things such as: “Do you know that Phänomena significantly influenced my decision to start this course of study…”