Since the beginning of June, everything quiets down in German IKEA stores on Wednesdays between 5 and 7 p.m. — with no music to be heard, dimmer lights and no announcements over the PA system (except in the case of an emergency). All in all, customers and staff are experiencing less of a strain on their senses — and that’s the whole idea behind the Quiet Hour.
The concept stems from an initiative by the German association Gemeinsam Zusammen (Together Together). “We want the Quiet Hour to provide relief for people with invisible disabilities. Their nervous systems are often permanently overwhelmed, which is why we’d like to provide them with moments of relief, with low sensory stimulation,” Rebecca Lefevre, the association’s spokesperson, told DW.
The Quiet Hour is meant to break down the kind of barriers that often prevent sensory sensitive individuals from even leaving the house to avoid overload, which can hamper communication and result in social isolation.
Able-bodied people are often not consciously aware of the many different ways a shopping trip to a supermarket or furniture store can be a real shock to the senses. Colorful signs, rattling shopping carts, different overlapping scents are overwhelming for many people, including for people with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or those suffering from chronic fatigue, chronic pain, psychological disorders or other conditions affecting their senses.
The pioneer of the Quiet Hour is New Zealander Theo Hogg, who has an autistic child himself and works at a supermarket chain. In 2019, he persuaded his employer to introduce a “Quiet Hour” in all stores across the country.
Since then, a number of countries have followed his lead.
Germany has had its own initiative for inclusion since 2023. “For us, raising awareness is the main goal,” explains Rebecca Lefevre, “because people with these kinds of disabilities often can’t say exactly what the precise problem is, and their conditions aren’t visible to others. These people often just get told they’re just putting on an act.”
More and more businesses and stores are observing a Quiet Hour — including many EDEKA and REWE supermarkets.
Rudolf Schmidt runs one such REWE in Diez, where the Quiet Hour lasts from 3 to 4 p.m. every Wednesday. Employees dim the lights, turn off the beeping sound of the cash registers and postpone restocking shelves.
“And if there’s someone talking loudly on the phone, we kindly ask them to end their call,” explains Schmidt.
The supermarket manager was one of the first supporters of the Quiet Hour. “The customers who make a point of visiting us specifically for this reason thank us. From time to time, someone does complain, ‘Is this really necessary?’ But after we explain things, they always become more understanding.”
Rebecca Lefevre stresses that the Quiet Hour isn’t limited exclusively to stores. “Movie theaters, swimming centers and bowling alleys are also participating. We will probably also have an indoor trampoline park soon — where there’s extreme sensory overload. But the aim is just really to say, we’re giving it a try.”
The Stadtmuseum Münster (Münster City Museum) has also been involved in the initiative since February. One Tuesday every month, from 4 to 6 p.m., visitors can use an app or brochure to tour the museum along a Quiet Hour route. During this time, the museum stops conducting guided tours and offers a dedicated space for peace and quiet as well as communication cards.
“Of course, we don’t keep track of how many people come especially for the Quiet Hour, but we can already tell people are taking advantage of it,” Axel Schollmeier, assistant director of the Stadtmuseum Münster, tells DW.
Frank Rohde’s specialist gardening shop in Kassel is among the participants featured on stille-stunde.com, the official website of the initiative. Rohde’s business actually observes a Quiet Hour at all times during opening hours: “It’s the way we’ve always done things: no music, it’s quiet and we talk to our customers,” he tells DW. “They find things pleasant that way — they don’t like a lot of noise either.”
Of course, in the age of constant overstimulation with smartphones and social media, it doesn’t take a psychological or neurological condition to appreciate having a quiet experience in a public space.
Rebecca Lefevre believes the concept is a welcome bonus that also benefits people without disabilities. “It certainly does a lot of people good, since we live in a country with a lot of overstimulation,” she says. “But, of course, there’s a difference between someone who simply thinks it’s nice to have more peace and quiet, and someone experiencing sensory overload that is causing them to suffer and possibly experience pain — or excludes them from social life.”
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
This article was originally written in German.
About The Author
