WHAT
Thomas Bickhardt was driven by a longing for Norway from an early age, until he realized his dream in his early 30s and leased a lighthouse in the rugged west of Norway, on a steep cliff surrounded by the North Sea. Here he is thrown back on himself, battling with the elements, the job of lighthouse keeper, the failure of plans and the setbacks of everyday life. But in nature and the daily confrontation with its untamed power, he also gains a completely new perspective on himself. He lives a whole life in his new home, gets married, opens a hotel, has a lighthouse child with his wife and sees his love fall apart again. At the end of 30 years in the stormiest house in Norway, he is strengthened by the knowledge that there is no such thing as standing still, that life and the sea are always changing and that the next day always holds the chance to be completely different.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
After training as a sailor and studying psychology, Thomas Bickhardt fulfills his childhood dream, emigrates to the west coast of Norway and leases the old lighthouse Kråkenes fyr. Running a small lighthouse hotel makes him famous all over the world. As a storm photographer, he depicts the world around him in several successful books. After 30 years in Norway, Thomas Bickhardt returned to Germany in 2023 at the age of almost 60, where he now runs seasickness training courses and works as a coach for managers.
