culTUre 3/2025 ENG

Face with blue eyes and many colors behind the hand.

Main focus

Sustainability

University & SOCIETY

HEALTHY UNIVERSITY

DIVERSITY

CAMPUS

Events and Dates

Main focus: Sustainability

Two women sit on a bench in a garden setting, smiling at the camera. Green foliage in the background, yellow flowers in a pot on the left.

Interview on new sustainability positions in University Culture
Focus article on ESD and emission-free professorship

Marie-Luise Steffler and Maike Heitkamp-Mai have been part of the sustainability structure in the Department of University Culture since this spring. In this interview, they talk about their tasks, plans and ideas.

In the article “Sustainability in focus”, Dr. Robert Kupfer reports on an international workshop on life cycle analysis in mechanical engineering.

In a second article Kirsten Wolfrath presents the climate-neutral Chair of Industrial Design Engineering.

Full interview

Article "Sustainability in focus"

Article "Climate-neutral professorship 2025"

Sustainabilty

The photo shows benches standing in a semicircle on a meadow. There is a white board in front of the benches. The benches stand between trees and bushes.

Sustainability Week banner showing the date

4. Sustainability Week at TUD from June 16 to 23

From June 16 to 23, “DO it NOW” presents the diverse ways the university and the city community are working towards sustainability. Participants can join workshops on sustainability in event planning, digital cleanup, and sustainable office organization, or go on excursions to the Botanical Garden and the community garden.
You can also take part in hands-on planting activities, a plant exchange, or get an inside look at the strategies for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions developed by the Chair of Industrial Design Engineering at the “Reallabor tdCON”. Exhibitions, lectures, clothing swaps, and insights into research round out the week.

Further information

A sustainable snack for breakfast: Bits'n Pieces – Snacks & Chat on June 18

Attention gourmets! If you want to start the morning with a relaxing breakfast and talk to stakeholders in the fields of education, nutrition or sustainability at TUD, join us on June 18 from 10:00 am to 12 noon for a free snack on the lawn behind the Auditorium Center. Everyone is welcome. And you can even get your legs involved in making a smoothie with the smoothie bike. Stakeholders in nutrition and education such as Foodsharing, arche noVa e.V., the Verbrauchergemeinschaft (a community selling locally sourced, ecological products), the Ernährungsrat (a forum focusing on local nutrition), the Center for Continuing Education (ZfW), the ZLSB, and the ZiLL will all be at the event.

Further information

Shaping change together – networking event for education for sustainable development at TUD

The decisions we make today shape the world of tomorrow. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a UNESCO concept that empowers people to understand the impact of their actions and make sustainable decisions. Universities have a special role to play in training future professionals, managers, and teachers, as well as in researching sustainable development. So, how can we strengthen ESD at TUD? Anyone interested in learning more is welcome to attend the networking event for ESD at TUD, where the theme will be “Shaping change together”. The event will take place on June 19 at 1:00 pm. The event will also be used to showcase existing approaches, initiatives, and concepts and to connect multipliers with one another.

Further information & registration

Giant letters spelling out TUD on a lawn. The photo shows a group of people holding watering cans, distributed between the three letters.

Heroes with watering cans: The rainwater tank has moved

The rainwater storage tank used by the Watering Can Heroes has been moved to the König Building and is now located opposite the Auditorium Center (Kastanienallee). Staff and students can once again use rainwater to water trees and campus greenery this year. The watering cans are available on site.

Stadtentwässerung Dresden GmbH and the Dresden gießt initiative launched the Dresden Watering Can Heroes campaign in 2024 to support volunteer plant-watering initiatives.

Further information & participating

“Together we are unbearable”
Exhibition about the independent women's movement in the GDR

Against all odds, an independent women's movement formed in the GDR in the 1980s, which campaigned for peace, democracy and human rights - and challenged the official narrative of equality.

The traveling exhibition “Together we are unbearable” sheds light on the long-forgotten commitment of these protagonists in the prevailing narrative about the GDR citizens' movement and the Peaceful Revolution. Their stories are made visible with documents, photos and interviews and show why their commitment still has an impact today.

The exhibition can be seen in the Central Library in the Kulturpalast Dresden from July 21 to August 20. The opening event on July 24 with a discussion and live podcast invites you to think ahead. Two bus tours will also make stops at central locations of the women's movement in Dresden in the late GDR and the reunification period. Contemporary witnesses and experts will talk about the struggles of the time and current perspectives along the way.

Further information & dates

University & Society

The photo shows a lecture at the children's university: a lecturer with a beard and blue jacket can be seen in a row of children, with rows of seats with children in front of him.

TUD committed: Teams wanted for volunteer assignments during campaign week

Leave the office behind and team up with your colleagues to lend a hand to charitable initiatives. This is the motto of the annual campaign week of the volunteer agency ehrensache.jetzt (Bürgerstiftung Dresden). This year's campaign will take place from September 15 to 19. TUD teams who would like to take part with a volunteer activity on their project day can contact “TUD engagiert”. Commitment beyond the campaign week is also highly welcome.

Further information (Internal Area)

Email

6 people with white painted faces. Each is holding a small Sri Lankan flag. They are walking on a street during a demonstration. Next to them a policeman. Skyscrapers in the background.

Photo by courtesy of Kithsiri Sampath Bandara, Ogha Collective © Thilina Kaluthotage

"Meet the luminaries under the conifer" – the outdoor dialogue about science in the Botanical Garden

This summer, you will once again have the opportunity to talk to TUD researchers about unsolved scientific problems and the long road to new findings under the conifers in the Botanical Garden on three Sundays. The series will be opened on June 15 by Prof. Stefan Horlacher (Chair of English Literatures) under the title “The power of art: Sri Lanka's new beginning after 26 years of civil war”. All events in the series are free of charge and accessible to everybody. This series is funded by the Excellence measure TUD in Dialogue.

More about the events

The graphic shows a blue cloud with different shades of blue. To the right of the cloud it says “TU Dresden in Dialogue.”

Dialogue with society – Apply for funding until June 30

The excellence measure “TUD in Dialogue” promotes projects that strengthen the communication between the university and society. There can be both analog or digital approaches. The prerequisite for funding is that a dialogue can develop on an equal footing. For projects that you wish to carry out in 2026, you can submit your application until June 30. A total of EUR 100,000 in material resources is available.

Further information

The photo shows people of different ages at a table in conversation. There are pens and paper materials on the table.

City Country Future - Discussing resources and projects in a playful way

As part of the Erzgebirge Atlas project funded by TUD in Dialogue, the Chair of Urbanism and Design (Faculty of Architecture and Landscape) is supporting Johanngeorgenstadt in the development of a land use plan, involving broad public participation. On May 17, a citizens' workshop was held, at which around 20 game tables were fully occupied. Prime Minister Kretschmer and representatives from the Saxon State parliament and the Saxon Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development (SMIL) were also present. Creative methods were used to discuss the future of the city. Project ideas that students had developed along with residents during the 24/25 winter semester formed the basis. The Erzgebirge team of the Chair of Urbanism and Design has been researching regional transformation processes since 2022.

To the project

picture of a concert, showing the auditorium

Sound & Science: Oxytocin & Orchestra – Science meets Music and Audience

A full house, thought-provoking questions, palpable excitement: As part of “Sound & Science”, around 200 guests experienced an extraordinary event centered around the so-called “cuddle hormone” oxytocin—presented by TUD in cooperation with the Dresden Music Festival. TUD researchers Prof. Clemens Kirschbaum and Prof. Jürgen Hoyer presented their latest research live on stage, including real oxytocin measurements between touching concert moments. The results are now online. The podcast on the event will be available in July on all podcast platforms.

To the evaluation

Healthy University

The photo shows a woman looking out over a calm body of water with lots of ducks.

The photo shows a man and a woman sitting opposite each other. The man is wearing headphones and taking a hearing test. In the foreground is a model of an ear.

Noise makes us sick!

The most common occupational disease in Germany is currently noise-induced hearing loss. For TUD employees whose work involves exposure to daily noise levels above 80 dB(A) or peak levels above 135 dB(C), wearing suitable hearing protection as well as regular occupational health screenings with hearing tests are therefore essential. Since April 2025, the TUD Occupational Health Services has had a new state-of-the-art audiometer for measuring hearing ability and offers appointments for testing.

Further information & appointments

Two students sit cross-legged back to back on the desk in front of the blackboard in the lecture hall, in a meditating arm position, and have their eyes closed.

Identifying and overcoming mental health crises together: A forum for students

On June 30, 2025 students are invited to discuss the big and small questions regarding mental health during their studies. In addition to thought-provoking facts and figures that relate to studying and mental well-being, the focus will be on recognizing warning signs of mental crises, finding the right coping strategies and support services at the university. The forum will be held in English. Registration is open now.

Further information & application

Diversity

The photo shows people with a baby carriage and a guide dog in front of the auditorium center of the TU Dresden.

Blurred image of a speaker and audience. Two people are holding up red cards.

Participants wanted – Study on discrimination at TUD

A study on experiences of discrimination at TUD is looking for interview partners for a qualitative sub-study. Specifically, the study is seeking academic staff, from student assistants to professors, whose parents or legal guardians did not attend university and/or who migrated to Germany. The aim is to give visibility to individual experiences and contribute to a university environment that is confident in combating discrimination.

Further information

Email

A group of four people are sitting over books and talking. In the corner of the picture, the words “Apply for funding now!” are written in white on a blue background.

Incentive Fund 2026: Inclusive opportunities, limitless potential!

As an inclusive university, it is only natural for TUD to recognize and promote diversity. In 2026, the Incentive Fund for Equality and Diversity will continue to support new and ongoing initiatives that promote diversity at TUD and can be put into action next year. Funding amounting to EUR 50,000 is available for this purpose as part of the Excellence Strategy. Applications can be submitted until September 5.

Further information

There are 3 flagpoles in front of the TUD Rectorate. The flag is flown from left to right with the TUD flag, the Progressive Pride Flag and the DresdenConcept flag.

Call for Participation: Diversity Days 2025

From 24 to 28 November, TUD is focusing on the importance of individual origins and personal stories under the motto “Origin shapes - diversity moves” - and how these shape interaction on campus and in society. Students, employees and university groups are cordially invited to participate in the Diversity Days with their own contributions. Whether it's a workshop, lecture or hands-on activity - every initiative counts.

Submit suggestions

Picture of two smiling female students on the TUD campus.

Register now: Fall camp for girls and young women

The annual autumn camp for schoolgirls starting from school year 9 until after graduation offers the opportunity to spend a week developing creative and sustainable ideas in workshops, conducting exciting experiments and learning about pioneering engineering courses. The fall camp takes place in the first week of the fall holidays (October 6-10) at the Zirkelsteinresort Schöna. There is a small participation fee of approx. 25 euros.

Further information & Registration

Campus

The photo shows a small group of people jumping into the air, with deciduous trees and a brick building in the background.

There is a brightly lit popcorn machine in the foreground on the right. The background is dark, a screen and chairs are blurred on the left.

Color Your Summer by going to the Kino im Kasten summer cinema

In cooperation with TUD's Diversity Management, Kino im Kasten (KiK) is once again showing six films in the open air this summer - admission is free for everyone! Every Friday at 9:30 pm, you can take a seat on the comfortable deckchairs. The program ranges from cult classics such as "Easy Rider" to German-language film gems and anime science fiction. In June, the screenings will take place on the lawn behind the Auditorium Center, in July in the inner courtyard of the Fritz Foerster Building. Definitely worth a visit!

To the program

Poster for the 75th anniversary of TU Dresden's Thea Maass Folklore Dance Ensemble on June 21, 2025, 7 pm, at Comödie Dresden. The poster shows dancers in traditional costumes.

75 years of dance tradition - the ensemble celebrates its anniversary

TU Dresden's Thea Maass Folklore Dance Ensemble is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a rich and varied dance program at Comödie Dresden on June 21. In colorful costumes, around 40 dancers will present choreographies from various regions of Germany set to live music, including works by Thea Maass and Aenne Goldschmidt. The audience will also experience a journey through the eventful history of the ensemble featuring memories of its very beginnings and the development over seven decades.

More information & tickets

View of the event area with stage and stalls from the apartment tower

Summer party in student city Wundtstraße

On June 18, Dresden's Student Council and the student club Wu 5 will hold their summer festival at Wundtstraße student city. This year's motto is "Urban Culture". Come and join in, watch and enjoy live music, DJs, breakdancing, mobile skating ramps and live graffiti. As always, Wu 5 will provide refreshments. And if you want to continue partying after 10 pm, you are most welcome to enter the Club Wu 5.

More information

The photo shows a detail from Sophie Lindner's exhibition. A blue suitcase invites you to travel to distant worlds.

Exhibition view “Celestial Classrooms” by Sophie Lindner © Andreas Kempe

“Celestial Classrooms” exhibition by Sophie Lindner in the Office for Academic Collections gallery in the Görges Building

A new exhibition series by the Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections displays contemporary art in dialogue with academic teaching as well as research objects from the university collections. Installation and performance artist Sophie Lindner will kick off the series. Her cross-genre works and archive material from East German observatories will be presented in an installative arrangement alongside experimental photographs by photography pioneer Hermann Krone and artifacts from the Collection of Astronomic-Geodetic Instruments and the Cartographic Collection.

More about

The graphic shows an abstracted brain in pink against a moss green background. The text refers to the vernissage on July 17, 2025 and the location of the exhibition, the Gallery of the Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections in the Gö

25 art education students exhibit their work in the Office for Academic Collections gallery

From July 18 to September 12, “Island of Minds” will be displaying works by students in teacher training from TUD's Department of Art Education who are exploring their individual “mental islands”. Painting, sculpture and media works explore themes of symbolic imagery, spaces and their overlapping, collective experiences, group affiliation and biographical fragments.

More about

Events and Dates

From June 6

Exhibition

Graphics by July Teubert
Graphics by July Teubert will be on display at the STUWERTINUM gallery. Her work focuses on people and portraits, especially older people with wrinkled skin (“facial landscapes”). July Teubert studied at TUD.

STUWERTINUM

» Event details

June 13
8 am

Presentation (in German)

Diversity TU go: Balanced parental leave starts with a good master plan
How does parental leave affect income, pension benefits, and the distribution of roles within the family? What does it really cost to live the traditional model - and what alternatives are there? Marielle & Michael Schäfer from Beziehungsinvestor*innen show how parental leave planning taking into account equal opportunities can succeed. Prior registration is compulsory.

Online

» Event details

June 14
starting 6:00 pm

Exhibition, guided tour

Exhibitions and guided tours as part of Dresden Museum Night:
Guided tours through the permanent exhibition of the Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections every half hour

Gallery of the Office for Academic Heritage in the Görges Building

» Event details

June 19
6:00 pm

Lecture

Of roles and myths. Women in the bombing war
Dresden 1945 - People of the city between destruction and a new beginning. An evening with Dr. Leonie Treber and Dr. Sabine Kalff.

City Museum Dresden

» Event details

June 20
10:30 pm

Science Slam

Lights, camera, action! Accessible and entertaining research
At the Science Slam as part of the Dresden Science Night, the TUD Audimax becomes a stage for brilliant women researchers. They will present their research in ten-minute talks in a pointed, accessible and entertaining way.

Audimax in the Auditorium Center

» Event details

June 20
starting 4:30 pm

Exhibition, guided tour, reception

Exhibitions and guided tours as part of the Dresden Science Night
Introduction to the exhibition “Sophie Lindner. Celestial Classrooms” and guided tours through the exhibition “S+T+ARTS Ec(h)o Showing”

Gallery of the Office for Academic Heritage in the Görges Building

» Event details

June 20 to 22
8:15 pm

Theater

Traurige Leute im Wald (Sad People in the Forest)
Alice, age 13, falls through a hole and enters a strange world. Here, she encounters confused characters: The hatter and the hare vacillate between love and dislike, the mouse is disoriented, the queen rules over invisible subjects. Alice's arrival shatters the fragile balance. Traurige Leute im Wald is a melancholy tale of loneliness, closeness and the desire for honesty.

DIE BÜHNE (Weber Building)

» Event details

June 23
2:50 pm

Workshop

Ideas workshop on climate protection and sustainability
Together, we will reflect on the challenges and opportunities of climate protection, with a focus on practical solutions for TU Dresden. Innovative approaches will be developed and concrete measures worked out that can be implemented in both the personal and professional environment.

POT/13

» Registration

June 25,
July 2 and 9
6:30 pm

Colloquium

Public colloquium on the history of higher education and the university
The research project on "TH Dresden during National Socialism" continues its interdisciplinary colloquium with lectures and discussions on the history of colleges and universities in the field of tension between science, politics and society in the 20th century.

Auditorium Center, Room 105

» Event details

June 27 to 29
8:15 pm

Theater

Klogeflüster (Bathroom Whispers)
Splashing, whispering, giggling - public toilets set the stage for absurd scenes. From a lack of toilet paper to loud phone calls and graffiti on toilet walls - Klogeflüster sheds light on intimate topics such as gender-neutral toilets, how to deal with toilet staff, and the numerous writings, stickers and numbers on the cubicle walls.

DIE BÜHNE (Weber Building)

» Event details

July 5
7:00 pm

Symphony concert

Summer concert “Opera Gala”
An evening full of operatic splendor: The University Orchestra Dresden presents arias and ensembles from works by Verdi, Puccini and other masters. Featuring outstanding soloists and conducted by Helmuth Reichel Silva, you can look forward to a magnificent concert experience.

Lukaskirche Dresden

» event details

July 10
12:00 pm

Guided tour

Collections at lunch – Restoration at the Office for Academic Heritage Scientific and Art Collections
The preservation and care of the objects in the collections is a key task at the Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections. TUD has had its own restoration facility since 2024. Conservator Regina Klee gives a tour of the rooms and explains the tasks and challenges involved in her work.

Lab container Andreas Schubert Building

» Event details

September 11
3:00 pm

Festival

Save the date!
TUD Family Festival – A festival for everyone who lives and loves family life
TUD invites you to the Family Festival. Whether young or old, with children, friends, grandparents or your family of choice – it is a colorful afternoon for all generations and family types! Including live music, a robot dog show and much more. Delicacies will be provided.

Inner courtyard of the Fritz Foerster Building

» Event details

culTUre 3/25

Main focus: Sustainability

Interview on new sustainability positions in University Culture Focus article on ESD and emission-free professorship

Sustainabilty

4. Sustainability Week at TUD from June 16 to 23

A sustainable snack for breakfast: Bits'n Pieces – Snacks & Chat on June 18

Shaping change together – networking event for education for sustainable development at TUD

Heroes with watering cans: The rainwater tank has moved

“Together we are unbearable” Exhibition about the independent women's movement in the GDR

University & Society

TUD committed: Teams wanted for volunteer assignments during campaign week

"Meet the luminaries under the conifer" – the outdoor dialogue about science in the Botanical Garden

Dialogue with society – Apply for funding until June 30

City Country Future - Discussing resources and projects in a playful way

Sound & Science: Oxytocin & Orchestra – Science meets Music and Audience

Healthy University

Noise makes us sick!

Identifying and overcoming mental health crises together: A forum for students

Diversity

Participants wanted – Study on discrimination at TUD

Incentive Fund 2026: Inclusive opportunities, limitless potential!

Call for Participation: Diversity Days 2025

Register now: Fall camp for girls and young women

Campus

Color Your Summer by going to the Kino im Kasten summer cinema

75 years of dance tradition - the ensemble celebrates its anniversary

Summer party in student city Wundtstraße

“Celestial Classrooms” exhibition by Sophie Lindner in the Office for Academic Collections gallery in the Görges Building

25 art education students exhibit their work in the Office for Academic Collections gallery

Events and Dates

Interview on new sustainability positions in University Culture
Focus article on ESD and emission-free professorship

“Together we are unbearable”
Exhibition about the independent women's movement in the GDR