Open Heritage Day on September 13th
The Great Refractor.
Credit: Dr. BauersOn September the 13th the annual “Open Heritage Day“ takes place all over Germany. The opening ceremony for Potsdam will be held in the dome of the Great Refractor at 10 AM with a welcome by the Lord Mayor of Potsdam, Jann Jakobs. The “Förderverein Großer Refractor“ will act as host and offer guided tours and presentations for visitors throughout the day.
As the world’s fourth largest lens telescope, the Great Refractor is an important example of the fine mechanical and optical manufacturing of early astrophysical research at the turn of the 20th century.
It was inaugurated by Emperor Wilhelm II in 1899. In April of 1945, the building and the mechanical parts of the Great Refractor suffered heavy damage during an air raid. Following restorations between 1950-1953, observations focused on optical binary stars until scientific research ceased completely in 1968.
In 1997, the Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V. was founded in order to preserve the Great Refractor. Together with the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, the Brandenburg Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, and the historical preservation authorities, this development association is tasked with maintaining and preserving the building, its history and the telescope. Since May 2006 the Great Refractor is accessible for visitors during public events.
Many more monuments in Potsdam, Berlin and Brandenburg will open their doors September 13 to the public. More information on the programme is published in German here: www.potsdamer-dreiklang.de [not available anymore] and www.tag-des-offenen-denkmals.de.
Media contact: Dr. Janine Fohlmeister, presse@aip.de, +49 331 7499-802
The Great Refractor.
Credit: Dr. BauersOn September the 13th the annual “Open Heritage Day“ takes place all over Germany. The opening ceremony for Potsdam will be held in the dome of the Great Refractor at 10 AM with a welcome by the Lord Mayor of Potsdam, Jann Jakobs. The “Förderverein Großer Refractor“ will act as host and offer guided tours and presentations for visitors throughout the day.
As the world’s fourth largest lens telescope, the Great Refractor is an important example of the fine mechanical and optical manufacturing of early astrophysical research at the turn of the 20th century.
It was inaugurated by Emperor Wilhelm II in 1899. In April of 1945, the building and the mechanical parts of the Great Refractor suffered heavy damage during an air raid. Following restorations between 1950-1953, observations focused on optical binary stars until scientific research ceased completely in 1968.
In 1997, the Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V. was founded in order to preserve the Great Refractor. Together with the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, the Brandenburg Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, and the historical preservation authorities, this development association is tasked with maintaining and preserving the building, its history and the telescope. Since May 2006 the Great Refractor is accessible for visitors during public events.
Many more monuments in Potsdam, Berlin and Brandenburg will open their doors September 13 to the public. More information on the programme is published in German here: www.potsdamer-dreiklang.de [not available anymore] and www.tag-des-offenen-denkmals.de.
Media contact: Dr. Janine Fohlmeister, presse@aip.de, +49 331 7499-802
Images
The Great Refractor.
