Eise Eisinga Planetarium
The Eise Eisinga Planetarium is the oldest working planetarium in the world. Accordingly, it was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, in 2023. The accurately moving model of the solar system was created between 1774 and 1781 by the Frisian wool manufacturer Eise Eisinga. The model shows the current position of the Earth, its moon and the five other then-known planets relative to the sun at any time of day. It still shows the current position of the celestial bodies and makes the movement of the solar system clear to a wide audience.
Wool producer Eise Eisinga ingeniously built the mechanism into the ceiling and bedside cabinet wall of his living room. As a result, he was able to build a large model in which the celestial bodies are clearly visible above the visitors. Eisinga's ingenuity and the detailed maintenance instructions he left behind contribute to the fact that the mechanism still works today.