Topic: "Knowledge connects: Innovative Education Projects and Democratic Education between Germany and Mongolia".

Date: 12 February 2025

TU Bergakademie Freiberg has maintained a close partnership with Mongolia for decades - whether through teaching at the German-Mongolian University, the innovative ERASMUS+ programme Nomadic Children, which introduces primary school children to science through play, or the opening of the Saxon-Mongolian Liaison Office on the campus of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology in summer 2024.

. The 33rd Krüger Colloquium provided an excellent opportunity to learn more about German-Mongolian educational cooperation. A particular highlight was the visit of the Mongolian Ambassador, H.E. Mandakhbileg Birvaa, who shed light on the impact of educational cooperation. Prof. Dr. Carsten Drebenstedt and Katja Polanski presented the existing German-Mongolian education projects, while Bolormaa Dandev, Head of the Scientific Liaison Office of the Free State of Saxony in Ulaanbaatar, presented the Nomad Children Project and gave an exciting insight into its development and impact.

The subsequent panel discussion with the Ambassador, graduates and doctoral students from TU Bergakademie Freiberg provided an opportunity to understand the impact of bilateral education projects from different perspectives and based on personal experiences. The colloquium was accompanied by an impressive photo exhibition, which presented fascinating images of trips and projects in Mongolia.

Topic: "Energy self-sufficiency of a district - a driver for prosperity and climate justice"

Date: 6 June 2024

Climate protection, renewable energies and regional added value belong together and form a unit. If districts and local authorities play their key role in the expansion of renewable energy correctly, they can become success stories for entire areas and regions. The example of the Rhine-Hunsrück district in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate shows how the region's prosperity has gradually developed since the end of the 1990s thanks to a sustainable strategic orientation, a climate protection concept, an agile climate protection manager and many cooperation partners.

Today, it generates more than three times the amount of electricity it consumes. It is also the first district in Germany to be CO2-neutral in the areas of heating, waste, electricity and transport. It has an annual added value of around 44 million euros from the operation of renewable energy plants and is one of the districts with the lowest level of debt. Many municipalities even have reserves. This will make it easier for communities that are active in climate protection to meet the challenges of demographic change.

Topic: "The language of human rights, the narrative of business"

Date: 14 May 2024

Germany's economic strength and prosperity would not be possible without imports of raw materials. The value chains, from exploration and extraction to the export of highly refined goods, are based on a global network of actors: people, companies, organisations and states. Within this network, people living in mining areas bear the human rights impacts of resettlement, loss of quality of life and environmental degradation, and are often exposed to hazardous working conditions.  However, responsibility cannot be clearly attributed to individual actors.

Drawing on his own research experience over the last ten years, Deniz Utlu asks for a common understanding of human rights and, together with Prof. Gari Walkowitz, Professor of Behavioural and Business Ethics at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, discusses the responsibilities that arise for European companies and for us as civil society. In addition to a classic human rights analysis, as is common in the field of business and human rights, he will also look at the language of human rights that has developed in this area and how it affects the narratives of companies: are the actions of the actors changing, or just their language?

Topic: "The future of mobility: What does the transport transition really mean?"

Date: 7 June 2023

After the "energy transition", a "transport transition" is now to follow: But what is that supposed to be? Energy can be generated in many ways, but the journey to work, the town hall, the pharmacy or your birthday is always the same...What is supposed to be new about the "transport or mobility transition"?"

The lecture attempts to describe how, after a successful transition, nothing in this area will be the same as we know it today, but that everything would be healthier, closer, quieter, more energy-efficient and more suitable for grandchildren - and above all more cost-efficient than it is today.

Theme: "The end of nature?"

Date: 5 July 2022

We are probably only at the beginning of the "great acceleration" of the Anthropocene and underestimate the immense environmental changes we will face in the near future, especially in the water sector. For example, humans are reshaping the global hydrological network through the construction of large dams, water transfer megaprojects and other technical projects. However, many technical projects - especially so-called megaprojects - are risky because they require large financial investments, take long periods of time from planning to completion and have major socio-economic and environmental impacts.

We therefore need a fundamental rethink in our relationship with nature, because sustainable solutions can only be found with and not against nature. And we have less and less time to successfully take countermeasures.

Topic: Groundwater resources in the light of global change

Date: 22 January 2020

The expected effects of climate change are undisputed in the scientific community. As a result of the global rise in temperature, the water cycle will accelerate and lead to an increase in extreme events. The growing volatility of previously known events will make it increasingly difficult in future to make reliable predictions about the global availability of water resources and to be able to meet increasing demand appropriately.

While just under four billion people lived on Earth in 1978, 50 years later there are already just under eight billion. Depending on model calculations, the maximum will be reached in the second half of this century. The associated demand for food and industrial growth in developing and newly industrialising countries will lead to further pressure on global water resources. Strategic exploration for previously unknown, mostly deep-lying groundwater resources can at least temporarily alleviate the immediate water stress. However, this utilisation must be designed for sustainability from the outset, planned and limited in time.

Different scenarios were outlined and presented for discussion on the basis of case studies.

Topic: The World Heritage Site in the Harz Mountains: Challenges, development potential and mediation mission

Date: 27 November 2019

The old town of Goslar and the Rammelsberg ore mine were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1992. The Upper Harz Water Management was added in 2010. The cultural heritage comprises over 800 monuments, which are scattered over an area of 200 km2 and have not been placed under protection as a closed cultural landscape.

This world heritage, which is socially constructed in a spatial sense, poses particular challenges in terms of communication and the economic and political development of acceptance due to its diversity, its long time horizon and its "invisibility".

The World Heritage Foundation in the Harz Mountains is dedicated to these tasks and is currently developing three World Heritage information centres, among other things, which are intended to open up the region and the first of which will open in April 2020.

Theme: Alexander von Humboldt and his science(s): In the field of tension between nature and culture

Date: 8 May 2019

Prof. Ottmar Ette presented a comprehensive picture of Humboldt's education and development. After studying at the Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and at the University of Göttingen, Humboldt enrolled at the Freiberg Mining Academy to study natural and mining sciences. Here he completed the three-year degree programme in just nine months. His interest in research was also evident underground: He discovered and studied species of lichen and fungi that grow in mines without light. This resulted in his highly acclaimed publication Florae Fribergensis Specimen. With his expeditions and research trips to the American tropics and later also to Russia, he made a decisive contribution to presenting the entire knowledge of his time, the cosmos idea.

Prof. Ette went into detail about Humboldt's approach in his research, not concentrating on individual scientific observations, but recognising overall contexts. For Humboldt, there was no sharp division between the disciplines. After the interim division into individual specialised disciplines, this global-ecological approach only regained importance in the second half of the 20th century.

Topic: China's new role as a climate protector

Date: 16 January 2019

China has almost 1.4 billion inhabitants. The world's most populous country is currently responsible for around a third of global CO₂ emissions. No other country in the world emits more CO₂. The reasons for this include the numerous coal-fired power stations and steelworks as well as the growing volume of private car traffic.

A rethink has been underway for some time now, as the country is already experiencing serious environmental problems. This has been visible to the global public since the World Climate Conference in Paris at the end of 2015 at the latest. Since then, China has played a decisive role in climate negotiations.

The country is now highly ambitious in its commitment to climate protection and has set itself the ambitious goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 40 per cent within 10 years. This is to be achieved through a series of measures. China is already leading the way in the switch to renewable energies; no other country is investing more in wind energy and photovoltaics than China. High-emission power plants are being closed or equipped with filter systems, and CO₂ emissions trading has been introduced.

And yet: everything is just a start. There is still a lot to do. Chinese Ambassador Shi Mingde gave a fascinating insight into this controversial topic.

Topic: Circular economy 4.0 - a world without waste?! The European Union as a pioneer

Date: 6 June 2018

The circular economy offers a wide range of opportunities for European industry and for society as a whole. Not only does it offer companies the opportunity to act as market pioneers and anticipate the necessary changes, but it can also help to bring about the necessary changes in consumer behaviour.

At the end of 2015, the European Commission presented a comprehensive action plan for the transition to a circular economy, which covers all phases of the economic cycle - from raw materials to the extraction of secondary raw materials from primary products. The process of developing and implementing the action plan has made the concept of transition to a circular economy an integral part of the European Union's overall economic strategy. The action plan comprises 54 measures covering the entire value chain - from production and consumption to disposal - which the European Commission has been implementing since 2015.

Powerpoint presentation (PDF)

Topic: On the carbon footprint of global trade

Date: 16 May 2018

Fossil energy enables the transport of goods over long distances and thus also the global division of labour that shapes our economy. The location of energy-intensive production processes significantly determines the carbon footprint of the goods produced. China's entry into the global economy and its role as a workbench for the production of goods explains a large part of the dramatic changes in our economy and also the rapid rise in CO2 emissions over the last 20 years. Since goods production causes higher emissions than services, the growing global division of labour is also shaping climate policy.

Edgar Hertwich is a pioneer in the use of global input-output models to quantify the carbon footprint of countries, households and businesses. In this colloquium, he will discuss the development of emissions required for the production of internationally traded goods. He shows that a growing proportion of value creation is dependent on imports and that the formulation of climate policy for the WHO can have relevant effects on the global division of labour.

Edgar Hertwich is Professor of Industrial Ecology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. He previously taught at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim and was a researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna. He was an author of the energy chapter in the last World Climate Report and is currently leading a study commissioned by the G7 to analyse the contribution of the circular economy to climate protection.

Topic: Raw materials supply and security policy - challenges for the future

Date: 7 June 2017

In times of increasing global political uncertainty, awareness that the security and prosperity of people in Germany depend on the strategic direction of political action has increased significantly. Secure access to raw materials is a crucial issue for the future, both for Germany's competitiveness and for the basic security of the nation.

The lecture focussed on the changing framework conditions of international security. Against this backdrop, he focussed on the risks of raw materials supply in Germany and placed raw materials policy as part of German security policy in a national and European context.

Topic: Pulling lignite out of the fire

Date: 1 February 2017

Can German lignite only be used to heat water and power a turbine? Or are there even more intelligent utilisation options beyond the energy industry?

Germany's most important natural resource can take on a new significance, especially in the context of climate protection. Sector coupling not only opens up new opportunities for a successful energy transition, a coupled use of lignite in the energy and production sectors can also enable the closing of material cycles in the long term.

However, "decarbonisation" is the wrong political term for this, as it simply demonises carbon, even though it is a central element of life. New political communication is therefore also required: the aim must be to develop balanced, sustainable solutions. Concepts of sustainability, long-term CO2 neutrality and the model of a circular economy must become key political objectives. There is a lot to do for science, industry and politics.

About the person:
Guido van den Berg is a member of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament. The 41-year-old social science graduate is deputy district administrator of the Rhine-Erft district and was spokesman for the Social Democrats on the commission of enquiry into the future of the chemical industry in NRW. This resulted in a cross-party vote in favour of using lignite as a chemical raw material.

Topic: "Post-Paris: Challenges for climate policy"

Date: 19 October 2016

The Paris Agreement of 2015 is a diplomatic success - but not a breakthrough in climate policy. The international community has agreed on a climate target and voluntary commitments; now it is time to tackle the implementation of the desired goals through an international, global climate policy in which cooperation between states is stabilised and gradually expanded.

However, it will not work without a minimum price for CO2 emissions: It provides a triple incentive for climate protection. Burning coal and oil will become more expensive, energy from solar and wind will become more attractive and revenue will be generated that can be used to finance infrastructure. These infrastructure investments, such as access to clean water, clean electricity and transport, can reduce poverty and increase the competitiveness of national economies. In this way, climate policy would also create short-term benefits that facilitate policy implementation in many countries.

Germany must achieve its emission reduction targets in order to maintain the German energy transition as a credible role model. However, a phase-out of coal use cannot be realised on a national level alone. This requires a comprehensive reform of emissions trading.

Topic: Freiberg: A cornerstone of Industry 4.0

Date: 8 June 2016

This lecture was also the opening lecture for this year's Berg- und Hüttenmännischer Tag (BHT).

For many centuries, Freiberg has been a global leader in the fields of mining, processing and metallurgy. Today, the city also plays an important, innovative role in the sustainable utilisation of raw materials. One key to the sustainable use of raw materials is summarised under the term "Industry 4.0", whose core components include process metallurgy and its digitalisation.

The presentation describes Freiberg's role in shaping a sustainable circular economy with the aim of reconciling energy and resource efficiency.

Topic: Towards better governance for natural resource development - the contribution of organised civil society

Date: 27 April 2016

The globalised economy is poorly governed. Too much responsibility lies with national governments, which traditionally have sovereign means and legitimacy, but are unable to create a sustainable equitable global economy due to limited geographical reach, short time horizons and diversified interest groups. The result is widespread poverty, destruction, war and displacement - the opposite of a just, social market economy. Pervasive corruption and exploitation testify to the urgency of a new paradigm of global governance to shore up the failing efforts of national governments and their international governmental organisations.

International corruption was a vivid example of the impotence of national governments until 1999. Most states allowed their guarantors abroad to bribe because it seemed impossible for them to enforce sound rules in the poorly governed global marketplace. This was particularly the case in the international commodities business, where huge values had to be deployed in countries with fragile legal systems in the long term - an almost irresistible temptation for both sides to achieve supposed stability through bribery. It was only when new players got involved, civil society organisations such as TI, that the tide turned. Since TI helped to create the OECD Convention against Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in 1999, the prohibition of international corruption has gradually gained acceptance.

This experience of TI encouraged the concept of involving civil society organisations for good governance to be taken further in difficult markets, such as the extractive sector. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which Peter Eigen helped to set up as founding chairman, included the three key players: the state, companies and civil society organisations in a multi-stakeholder structure. Today, EITI ensures greater openness and accountability of the powerful and fair rules in the development of oil, gas and other commodities in 50 extractive countries. This allows all stakeholders to ensure sensible, sustainable development in this important sector - for example in line with the NRI's holistic Natural Resources Charter.

In addition to his report on these ongoing initiatives, other transparency initiatives, e.g. in the fisheries sector, in the clothing industry and in climate policy, will be presented, in the expectation that the participation of civil society organisations can also make an important contribution here.

Topic: Energy transition, sustainability, growth - can they go together?

Date: 21 October 2015

The energy and resource transition is a task of the century. However, the current sustainability policy may not go far enough. Are Germany and Europe really on the right track to achieving their climate and environmental goals? Do we perhaps also need uncomfortable measures such as a consistent increase in the price of fossil fuels?

Felix Ekardt also analyses how societies and individuals could change and thus contribute to a genuine global energy and resource transition, even though our everyday desires often stand in the way of this. He asks whether a clearer German or European approach could make sense (also economically) - and whether new lifestyles would be a restriction or could instead promote freedom, human rights and social justice.

Theme: Alexander von Humboldt and Russia. A search for traces

Date: 27 May 2015

In the spring of 1829, Alexander von Humboldt and the young Berlin professors Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg and Gustav Rose accepted an invitation from Tsar Nikolai I to travel into the depths of the Russian Empire, which was to take them to the Urals, the Altai, the border with China and the Kaspi depression. Humboldt's second great journey was overshadowed by his first to Central and South America and was almost forgotten in the 20th century.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a German-Russian team of explorers set off in seven stages to the Humboldt sites in Russia. The aim of these expeditions was to collect authentic material on the places travelled to and described by Humboldt, on the people he met and on the scientific and social circumstances and after-effects of the journey. The growing response to these expeditions led to the naming of the highest elevation on the main ridge of the Northern Urals as gora Gumboldta (Humboldt Mountain), a late tribute to the German explorer in 21st century Russia.

Topic: Reliable, inexpensive and flexible - domestic lignite as a partner for the energy transition

Date: 11 February 2015

Dr Hartmuth Zeiß addresses an explosive topic. The CEO of Vattenfall Europe Mining AG/Europe Generation AG is convinced that domestic lignite is not only reliable, inexpensive and flexible to use as a partner in the energy transition, but also indispensable.

Four hours a day, consumers in Germany rely on the fact that the lights will not suddenly go out or a machine will not stop in the middle of production. A reliable supply of energy is a driver of prosperity and growth for our society. With the energy transition, this engine is to be switched to a new fuel mix while it continues to run. Nobody wants it to grind to a halt, let alone imagine a breakdown or engine failure.

We have more power generation capacity today than we did a few years ago. But new and renewable electricity is not constantly available. Sun and wind determine the supply - and this has priority in the German electricity grid. A flexible partner is needed to secure the basic supply and balance out fluctuations. But opinions differ on the question of who this partner should be. Lignite can do it. But not everyone wants to use it, even though there are good arguments in its favour.

Theme: Alexander von Humboldt - timelessly modern even after 150 years

Date: 14 January 2015

Prof. Schwarz, born in 1943 in Nickenich (Rhineland-Palatinate), is a German chemist and President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

After studying chemistry in Berlin, he received his doctorate from TU Berlin in 1972, where he also habilitated in 1974. Four years later, he was appointed Professor of Theory and Practice of Mass Spectrometry at the same university. Schwarz has been Professor of Organic Chemistry at the TU Berlin since 1983. He has been instrumental in the further development of mass spectrometry, an analytical method frequently used in chemistry and forensics.

As a visiting professor, Schwarz has worked at several research institutions abroad. He has received numerous awards for his research work.

Helmut Schwarz was one of the first new members to be admitted to the reopened Academy of Non-Profit Sciences in Erfurt in 1991. He is a member of other academies of sciences in Europe. He has been President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation since 2008 and a member of the Executive Committee of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina - National Academy of Sciences since 2010.

Topic: Quantum light as an information carrier: a new technology for communication and information processing

Date: 22 October 2014

Christine Silberhorn is the youngest winner of the 2011 Leibniz Prize. Despite being only 38 years old, she already holds a leading position in experimental quantum optics with enormous international visibility. Her work on quantum information processing is characterised by the use of continuous rather than discrete variables and an extraordinary range of topics. This ranges from quantum systems with single photons and continuous variables to the implementation of entangled light, based on optical fibres and waveguides, to quantum networks with numerous channels. Silberhorn's contributions to the realisation of so-called Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen states and to quantum cryptography with continuous variables caused a particular stir. Her more recent experiments on the realisation and measurement of so-called Fock states with a high photon number are also significant. (Source: DFG)

In 2013, she was admitted to the Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences and one of the oldest scientific academies in the world.

After completing her doctorate at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in 2002 and her habilitation at the same university in 2008, she was head of the Max Planck Research Group, Integrated Quantum Optics, at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen until 2011. In April 2010, she took over the Chair of Applied Physics, Integrated Quantum Optics, at the University of Paderborn.

Topic: Christoph Hein (member of the festival curatorship) presents his latest narrative work "Before Time"

Date: 25 June 2014

Christoph Hein, born on 8 April 1944 in Jasienica (Śląsk, Poland), is a German writer, translator and essayist. He studied philosophy and logic in Berlin and Leipzig from 1967 to 1971. He then became a dramaturge and author at the Volksbühne theatre in East Berlin. He has worked as a freelance writer since 1979.

In 1982, Christoph Hein became famous for his novella "Der fremde Freund", which was published in West Germany as "Drachenblut" due to title protection. His most successful work, "The True Story of Ah Q", was published in 1983. Hein received numerous literary awards and was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1994.

Topic: Prospects for Chinese economic development and the relationship between China and Germany

Date: 16 April 2014

Since the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee in December 1978, with which China introduced the policy of reforms and its economic opening-up, and since the establishment of special economic zones from 1979, the country has increasingly developed into a major economic power. The economy has been highly dynamic for many years. Leading financial experts agree that China will overtake all industrialised nations in terms of economic output by 2050.

What achievements, but also problems, have been associated with the development of the People's Republic over the past 35 years?

In November 2013, the 18th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China decided on important questions regarding the all-round deepening of reforms up to 2020. How does China envisage its further development until then? What are the century goals and guiding principles of this process?

What special role does the relationship between China and Germany play in this and how can cooperation between the two countries be deepened?

Topic: The future of the solar industry in Germany

Date: 9 April 2014

The German solar industry is in crisis. Massive overcapacity worldwide, dumping prices from state-subsidised Chinese manufacturers, the financial crisis and bad political decisions have led to an unprecedented collapse of the industry. Within two years, more than half of industrial jobs have been lost and numerous well-known suppliers such as Conergy, Solon and the former global market leader Q-Cells have had to file for insolvency.

But does the production of solar systems in Germany still make sense at all? What future does the solar industry have in Germany?

Mario Behrendt is convinced that the German solar industry can hold its own against international competition. He is the Freiberg-based divisional director of SolarWorld AG, the largest European solar manufacturer and the only non-Chinese company in the global top 10. He shows how German companies can stand up to the competition from low-wage countries.

Topic: Presentation of the autobiography "Bewegte Zeit: Ein Leben voller Energie" by Prof. Klaus-Ewald Holst,

former Chairman of the Executive Board of VNG, Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Norway, Member of the University Council of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg

Date: 4 December 2013

"His energy sets him apart: Klaus-Ewald Holst was Chairman of the Executive Board of Verbundnetz Gas AG for 20 years. VNG became his life's work: when the socialist combine was to be privatised by the Treuhand, he succeeded in transforming the company into a public limited company before economic and monetary union. This was the beginning of an unrivalled success story. In his autobiography, he reveals how he took his fortune into his own hands and what help he received along the way." (mitteldeutscher Verlag)

"Klaus-Ewald Holst tells vividly and with subtle humour about the exciting, revolutionary times, about his continuous, political and professional development with breaks, upheavals and how he overcame them." (Thuringian Prime Minister Christine Lieberknecht)

Topic: Challenges for the resource economy

Date: 11 October 2013

"A revolution in economic activity is on the horizon. The world will change fundamentally in the 21st century. Either mankind learns to treat the earth sustainably, or nature will strike back."

Prof. von Weizsäcker presents a concept for a future-proof, environmentally friendly economy. How can raw materials be used more efficiently? Can the use of new technologies increase prosperity and quality of life while protecting the environment and resources? How do we meet the current ecological challenges?

Topic: The early history of our solar system: The first 10 million years

Date: 17 July 2013

The formation of our solar system is one of the fundamental problems in cosmochemistry and astrophysics, and great progress has been made in this field in recent decades. The chemical elements (with the exception of hydrogen and helium, which were created in the "Big Bang") that make up our universe were formed inside giant stars (supernovae, red giants). At the end of their lifetime, these stars explode and the elements and "stardust" are dispersed into interstellar space, where they form huge, cold molecular clouds. Their cores collapse and form "star nurseries", where countless young stars like our sun are formed, often surrounded by clouds of dust and gas ("protoplanetary disks" or solar nebulae).

Age determinations of the constituents of meteorites (the first rocks to form in our solar nebula) show that the first solids, which then formed our planets, moons, asteroids and comets, formed exactly 4567.30 ± 0.16 million years ago, and that the formation of these solids took place in the astonishingly short time of less than 3 million years and the formation of the "protoplanets" (asteroids) in less than 10 million years. Meteorites also contain "stardust", such as diamonds and graphite, which are older than our solar system and originate from the stars that formed our solar nebula. Their isotopic composition allows astrophysicists to test theoretical models of star formation. Are there other solar systems? Enormous progress since 1992 has so far led to the discovery of over 900 "exoplanets", i.e. planets outside our solar system in our galaxy, the Milky Way, and their number is constantly growing. After a summary of this exciting topic, Prof Keil will conclude with a brief insight into the University of Hawai'i.

Topic: Future challenges from the perspective of the geosciences

Date: 18 January 2012

Prof. Onno Oncken (born 1955) is a geologist and winner of the 1998 Leibniz Prize. He is a professor at the Free University of Berlin and Director of Section 3.1: Dynamics of the Lithosphere at the Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam.

Oncken's research focuses on the study of the dynamics of geotectonic processes (geodynamics) and their quantification and modelling, as well as the investigation of the kinematics of tectonic plates (global tectonics). He and his research group are also involved in the interpretation of seismic experiments in the Variscides, the Urals and the Andes. He became project leader of the German Continental Reflection Seismic Project (DEKORP) in 1994.

Topic: The Astrolab mission

Date: 7 December 2011

Dr Sigmund Jähn (* 13 February 1937 in Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz) is a former German cosmonaut. He was the first German in space.

Dr Thomas Reiter (* 23 May 1958 in Frankfurt am Main) is also a former German space traveller. He is Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations at the European Space Agency ESA.

Topic: The magic word sustainability: The career of a term - from Freiberg to the global vocabulary of the 21st century.

Date: 18 May 2011

Ulrich Grober, born in 1949, studied German and English language and literature in Frankfurt am Main and Bochum from 1968 to 1974. He later worked as a teacher in socio-cultural projects and in adult education. Since 1992, he has worked as a freelance author and journalist for various radio stations.

Dr. rer. nat. Norman Pohl, born in 1962, studied Chemistry and History of Natural Sciences in Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg. From 1988 to 1994, he was a research assistant at the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), Hamburg office, where he dealt with waste treatment issues. Afterwards he was a scient. He was then a research assistant at the Chair for the History of Technology at BTU Cottbus.

Topic: The LHC world machine at CERN, insights into the early universe

Date: 27 April 2011

The launch of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN marks the beginning of a new era in particle physics. The LHC will provide a deeper understanding of the processes in the universe and has the potential to revolutionise our view of the world. Scientists expect profound insights into the structure and origin of matter, the nature of dark matter and perhaps the existence of additional spatial dimensions. The lecture will describe the fascinating physics potential of the LHC, present the most important results from the first data collection last year and provide an outlook on elementary particle physics at the high-energy front.

Topic: German Unity and International Security Policy, From the Ten-Point Programme to the Two-Plus-Four Treaty and Today

Date: 10 November 2010

As Deputy Head of the Federal Chancellery and long-time personal advisor to former Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Prof. Dr Horst Teltschik played a key role in the German-German reunification negotiations and the international talks with the victorious powers of the Second World War. He was born in the Sudetenland in 1940 and studied political science, modern history and international law at the Free University of Berlin. In 1977, he became Head of the Office of the Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag and then, from 1983, Deputy Head of the Chancellery. He was Managing Director of the Bertelsmann Foundation and a member of the Board of Management of BMW AG and chaired the Munich Security Conference from 1999 to 2008.

Topic: Resource productivity as a new melody of technical progress

Date: 30 June 2010

The well-known and controversial scientist Prof. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker will speak and discuss the possibilities and difficulties of increasing resource efficiency on 30 June 2010 in the Alte Mensa. The lecture, entitled "Resource productivity as the new melody of technical progress", is part of the Krüger Colloquium. In terms of content, the author is following on from his book "Factor Five", in which he and his co-authors present the concept of a future-proof, environmentally friendly economy. Weizsäcker says: "Our planet cannot accommodate nine billion people with living standards like those in Germany or even the USA, at least not if the current type of clumsy, inefficient technologies dominate. However, at least a fivefold increase in energy and material efficiency is possible." In the second part, he deals with the question of how this can be realised politically. After all, the technical revolution will certainly not happen on its own. Weizsäcker's demand is therefore: "Resources must become more expensive." And to ensure that this happens in a socially acceptable way, his proposal is to raise energy and resource prices in line with efficiency gains. What does this mean for the competitiveness of the German economy? The author surmises: "Only good things".