Spread across six locations throughout Halle
Following the great success of our participation in the University of Halle’s annual Long Night of Science in 2025, it quickly became clear that the Just Transition Center would be taking part again this year – but on a larger scale, of course. In total, the JTC was represented at six stations across the city, meaning that our activities alone were enough to fill almost the entire evening.
At the main stand on Universitätsplatz, which we shared with the other MLU initiatives on structural change, the focus was primarily on energy. Here, at Team B3’s station, visitors could try out a chemical fuel cell and discover how rubbing a balloon charges it electrostatically, causing, for example, your hair to literally stand on end. Alternatively, visitors could test their knowledge of solar energy in our quiz, which Torsten Hölscher from Team B5 had developed for us. Some of the ten questions were quite tricky and caused a mix of astonishment and amusement amongst the visitors. Some had even come specifically for this and waited patiently, whilst others were discussing the questions with our Revier Scouts, Christian Hennicke and Cornelia Deimer, or with coordinator Simone Müller. The three of them never tired of telling stories all evening; they also spoke in general terms about the work of the JTC and handed out stamp booklets, which encouraged visitors to visit the other stations and promised small prizes.
Our multinational Team B6 was particularly enthusiastic, patiently showing the many children how to build their very first battery. Using aluminium foil, they constructed a mini aluminium-air battery, measured the current and voltage, and then watched in amazement as this tiny device lit up an LED.
“Seeing the children’s enthusiasm made all the work we’d put into preparing the activity worthwhile.” (Anjali Bhatt)
The parents were very proud of their battery-building offspring, but also asked plenty of questions themselves about batteries, energy storage and their importance for the success of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
Shortly before the end of the evening, a boy of about 11 asked a question that particularly stuck in the team’s memory: “Why don’t they actually send mirrors into space to generate electricity via solar cells at night?” The battery experts had to briefly step into the shoes of our photovoltaics team to answer this question: They explained how solar cells work, that the vacuum in space affects heat transfer, that objects in geostationary orbit and beyond move relative to the Earth’s surface, and that light would need to be focused over such a great distance; and how much energy it would take to launch the solar modules into Earth’s orbit.
From solar cells to research into biographical transformation
Anyone wishing to gain first-hand information on the subject was welcome to visit our B5 photovoltaics team and take part in one of the laboratory tours. During a total of eight tours, PhD students Oliver Wolf and Sebastian Zimmermann presented the measurement and preparation laboratory for new photovoltaic materials and provided insights into the development of modern solar cell technologies. During the discussions that followed and the solar quiz also on offer, guests engaged in lively discussions about energy supply options, ranging from small modular nuclear reactors to wind and solar energy, right through to e-fuels. Around 20 to 30 people turned up every hour, so they had to be split into smaller groups. “A resounding success!” said team leader, Torsten Hölscher.
At the Francke Foundations, visitors were able to explore, until 7 pm, what students on the Master’s programme in Educational Sciences had been working on with our Team A4 during the semester. The students had put together a poster exhibition on promises of transformation in the context of structural change, which was on display at Franckeplatz. The three student projects presented were:
- “You then decide what can be discarded and what must be preserved – The problem of generationality in structural change” – Fiona Teske
- “Promises of Transformation – How do key actors interpret the ongoing structural change and the associated transformation in the field?” – Judy Mehner, Frederike Martens, and Lara Weis
- “Remembering Together – Processes of remembrance in transformation” – Antonia Steckrodt and Sarah Kümpel
They demonstrated how transformation is negotiated at a local level in biographical, historical and organisational terms, and what expectations and lines of conflict are associated with it. In doing so, they sparked interesting discussions with the visitors, who were enthusiastic about the diversity of research perspectives and delighted “that research also addresses topics which are rarely discussed in the public sphere” (Eleonore Freier). Visitors were encouraged to reflect on the issues and were able to contribute their own experiences to the discussion.
Visitors could then continue on to Große Ulrichstraße, where the Werkleitz Society opened this year’s festival, ‘Sooner or Later’. Our colleague Gregory Gan was also represented at the exhibition there, which included the competition ‘100 Works of Art for the Times’. His artwork ‘Amsdorf’ is the first in a four-part series of paintings created using colour pigments sourced from the Central German mining region and the Lusatia. In addition to lignite, these include such ‘exotic’ materials as the wood-based substance lignin and concrete, which presented the artist with entirely new challenges during the preparation and processing stages.
Precious stones – are they all real or fake?
With our geologists at Weinberg Campus, visitors were able to examine metallic and mineral samples using a portable X-ray fluorescence analyser (XRF) and determine the chemical composition of the samples within a matter of seconds. Most of the visitors’ questions centred on how the analyser works. Many visitors had the chemical composition of holiday souvenirs (mainly stones) tested, and the occasional rare specimen was found, “including, for example, auripigment, which contains toxic arsenic. So next time, I’ll definitely bring gloves,” says PhD student Christian Lohmann. Most visitors were reassured: the jewellery and coins they had brought with them were genuine.
“We only had to disappoint one visitor: his supposedly medieval silver coin turned out to be a fake made of tin.” (Christian Lohmann)
Alongside the X-ray fluorescence analysis, there was a small hands-on exhibition featuring a wide variety of rocks. These represented the three main rock groups: igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks. Particularly exciting for the youngest visitors was the experiment to see whether rocks can float. For this, a few pieces of pumice were provided, which visitors could place in a glass filled with water. To the surprise of many visitors, the pumice floated in the water – this is due to the many pores and cavities in the rock, which result in a lower density.
Curious glances through the microscope
At the Biozentrum, Constanze Zwies and her B4 team demonstrated the vital role bacteria play in our everyday lives. They showcased their non-toxic, organic adhesive, which is produced from designer proteins grown in bacteria, and explained all the things it can be used to bond in everyday life and in industry: formaldehyde-free chipboard, for example, or sand moulds that can be recycled. Everyone was also invited to have a go and get involved:
“Watching living yeast cells in action – that was definitely a highlight for many of our youngest visitors,” reports the team leader.
Calculate child alimonies without dispute
Our law team C2 presented a fantastic, ready-to-use project in the lecture hall on Universitätsplatz: Luis Bartsch, a student assistant on the team, explained how the child allowance calculator works; it was designed specifically for parents who share custody and care for their children on an alternating basis. The parents in attendance had many questions based on their own experiences and were able to provide valuable input for the further development of the web-based calculator. Luis Bartsch was a little wistful, as this was his last appearance (for the time being) for the JTC. He has completed his studies and is now starting a new job in the legal tech sector. However, he has promised to continue following the progress of his former team.
One or two career choices have been influenced
Overall, all the participating research teams and Revier Scouts were satisfied with the event. The scientists are confident that their presentation helped inspire quite a few young visitors to take an interest in their field and pursue a career in the natural sciences. Over the sunny weekend that followed, they took the opportunity to put their feet up and let their hoarse voices recover.
