Archive

Design: Cissy Hecht

»There is no memory without perception«: New Publication from Bauhaus-Universitätsverlag Honors Maurice Halbwachs’ Thinking and Work

In December 2024, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar held a ceremony to rename its auditorium maximum the »Maurice-Halbwachs-Auditorium« in honor of the French sociologist and philosopher. The ceremony on 4 December 2024 featured numerous speeches by prominent academics – these can now be read in the volume »Es gibt also keine Erinnerung ohne Wahrnehmung« / »Il n'y a donc pas de souvenir sans perception«, which has just been published by Bauhaus-Universitätsverlag.

Zwei Gold- und zwei Silbermedaillen würdigen die innovativen Bauverfahren der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Foto: Katrin Linne

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Receives Four Awards for Innovative Construction Methods

With its application-oriented, cutting-edge research into resource-saving building materials and forward-looking construction methods, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar was represented at the international »Ideen – Erfindungen – Neuheiten« (iENA) trade fair in November 2025: Four patent applications have now been awarded two gold and two silver medals. At the award ceremony on 11 December 2025 at the Technischen Universität Ilmenau, the scientists were presented with their medals and certificates in a festive ceremony.

Die öffentliche Weihnachtsvorlesung findet im Seminarraum A in der Fakultät Medien der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar statt. Foto: Thomas Müller

Between Code and Candlelight: Invitation to the Weimar Informatics Christmas Lecture

Artificial intelligence writes texts in seconds, accurately summarizes content, and provides answers to the most complex questions. Its results are usually convincing, fluid, and extremely plausible. But how reliable are they really? The Weimar Department of Informatics is using current AI systems as an opportunity to critically examine their output: its meaning, correctness, and consequences for our own thinking. On 18 December 2025, at 5 pm, the Faculty of Media at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar invites you to its traditional Christmas lecture at Bauhausstraße 11.

Between Goethe, Bauhaus, and Blind Spots: New Study Shows How Weimar is Perceived as a World Heritage Site

Weimar is a double UNESCO World Heritage Site: as a place of »Classicism« and as part of the serial World Heritage Site »Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau, and Bernau.« But how does this cultural landscape actually affect residents and visitors? This question will be explored in a public lecture in English as part of the “Debating Heritage” series organized by the International Heritage Center at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar on 18 December 2025 at 5:30 pm.

Ihab Al-Rikabi, DAAD Prize winner 2025 at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Photo: Angye Diener

Ihab Al-Rikabi Receives DAAD Prize 2025

This year's German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Prize goes to doctoral student Ihab Al-Rikabi from Iraq. He is being honored for his outstanding commitment to social, societal, and intercultural issues at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.

Two monitors standing side by side in front of a white fabric background. On the left, a dark interface from VOXAIPE; on the right, a light-coloured page with generated letter shapes.

Transforming Voice into Dynamic Fonts: Visuelle Kommunikation (Visual Communication) Students Honoured at DDC

Mai Do’s »VOXAIPE – Decoded« digital typography project was honoured at the Deutschen Design Club (DDC) competition. The innovative, AI-supported typography design tool stood out with its conceptual originality and design quality in the »Digital Talents« category. Her work explores how artificial intelligence can translate voices into visual forms.

 The F.A. Finger Institute for Building Material Engineering (FIB) conducts research and development on building materials, renovation, and recycling. The focus is on cement, mortar, concrete, gypsum, polymers, and wood. Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, photo: Guido Werner

Hidden Champion: How Weimar Has Been Shaping Building Materials Research for Decades

With over 60 employees and millions of euros in third-party funding, the F.A. Finger Institute for Building Materials Engineering (or FIB) is currently the most important research facility at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Founded in 1995, the Institute’s roots go back to the 1940s, when Friedrich August Finger, the man after whom it was named, established this innovative field of research and teaching. Together with the »Institut für angewandte Bauforschung« (IAB) and the Materials Research and Testing Laboratory (MFPA), Weimar’s innovative location is going to expand to become a Federal Construction Research Centre. These and other milestones of the FIB will be honoured at a ceremony marking its 30th anniversary.

Veranstaltungsplakat. Copyright: Jens Weber, Foto: Max Schmidt

Harald Lesch über die Energie-Revolution: Vortrag im Maurice-Halbwachs-Auditorium der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

Im Maurice-Halbwachs-Auditorium der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar findet am Montag, 8. Dezember 2025, um 19 Uhr der Vortrag »Erneuerbare Energie – die unerkannte Revolution« von Harald Lesch statt. Der renommierte Astrophysiker und Naturphilosoph gilt als einer der bekanntesten Wissenschaftskommunikatoren Deutschlands und begeistert mit verständlichen, leidenschaftlichen Einblicken in komplexe Themen.

Event poster. Grafic: Andrea Nicolò

International »Planet Uncanny« Conference Examines the Uncanny in Technology, Nature, and Society

The world seems increasingly uncanny: Artificial intelligence now generates images and texts on its own, plants react to their environment in surprisingly complex ways, and planet Earth itself presents itself as a wilful actor. From 3 to 5 December 2025, the DFG-funded research »Animismus/Maschinismus« project to the transdisciplinary »Planet Uncanny« conference in Weimar to explore precisely these disturbances. At the Bauhaus Museum Weimar, scientists and artists will gather to discuss how familiar roles between humans, machines, and nature are being rearranged in a changed world.

During TeleVisionale, students play freshly edited material directly from the festival onto a wall of tube television monitors. Photo: Halina Schiefer

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Cooperates with TeleVisionale Film and Series Festival

The TeleVisionale film and media festival will take place this year from 1 to 5 December in Weimar, right next door to the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. This traditional festival, which is being held in Weimar for the first time this year, provides a wonderful opportunity to initiate projects that will allow students to contribute to the programme and the festival week. The Faculty of Media and the Faculty of Art and Design will also be participating.

© IAB / Thomas Müller

Significant Momentum for Weimar as a Centre for Building Materials Research: Federal Government and Three States Decide to Establish Federal Construction Research Centre

This decision represents a major move towards a sustainable future for the construction industry. Today, Monday, 24 November 2025, representatives from the Bundesministeriums für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen (BMWSB) and the three federal states of Thuringia, Saxony, and Baden-Württemberg signed a key issues paper confirming the establishment of a »Bundesforschungszentrums für klimaneutrales und ressourceneffizientes Bauen (BFZ)« (Federal Research Centre for Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction). The federal government will invest a total of 52.5 million euros in this project over the next few years.

Graduates were honoured during the ceremony for their outstanding academic achievements and final theses. Photo: Bauhaus-Universität Weimar/ Thomas Müller

Outstanding Final Projects from the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism React to Current Social and Planning Challenges

In a celebratory ceremony, the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar bid farewell to around 170 graduates. As part of the graduation ceremony, outstanding final projects were honoured with prizes and awards. The exhibition of the award-winning and award-nominated projects will be on display in the Main Building of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar until 18 December 2025.

Photo: Thomas Müller

Bauhaus Christmas Market 2025: One-Of-A-Kind Gift Ideas Made by Students, Staff, And Alumni

On Saturday 6 December 2025, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, together with Studierendenwerk Thüringen, invites you to the annual »Buy Yourself a Piece of Bauhaus« Christmas market. Nearly 120 exhibitors, more than half of whom are students, will be selling handmade, one-of-a-kind products and Christmas inspiration spread over two floors. Visitors can expect a festive supporting programme with fairytale films, a gingerbread building competition, and wrapping paper sales. The complete Christmas Market programme can be found here: www.uni-weimar.de/weihnachtsmarkt

Photo: Raphael Obertreis

Power Transition: Nationwide Survey Shows Trent Towards Alternative Energy Solutions in Heavy-Duty Transport

Transport and logistics companies are increasingly turning to alternative energy sources such as electricity and hydrogen. Alternative power systems for heavy-duty transport will dominate in the mid- to long-term – despite high investment costs and the current lack of infrastructure. These were the findings in a recent study carried out by the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. The study was conducted as part of the h2-well Markthub«, which involved 143 companies nationwide.

»Jugend forscht« Mittelthüringen 2026: Anmeldung bis 30. November

Die Bauhaus-Universität Weimar und die Materialforschungs- und Prüfanstalt (MFPA) Weimar laden wieder junge Talente aus Mittelthüringen ein, sich beim bundesweit größten Nachwuchswettbewerb für Naturwissenschaft und Technik zu beteiligen. Die Anmeldung ist bis zum 30. November 2025 unter www.jugend-forscht.de möglich. Unter dem Motto »Maximale Perspektiven« findet der 31. Regionalwettbewerb Mittelthüringen am 25. Februar 2026 im Hauptgebäude der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar statt.

Collage: Luise Ziegler

New Leadership at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

New Deans have been elected in all four faculties at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. The Deans were appointed by University President Prof. Peter Benz and will serve a three-year term until the beginning of the 2028 winter semester.

young people are standing in the foyer of the University Library, and there is a lively atmosphere

Invitation to the Matriculation Ceremony on 15 October 2025 at 5 pm

The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Matriculation Ceremony welcomes new students in the upcoming 2025/2026 winter semester. The start of the new semester marks not only the return of already-enrolled students back to campus, but also the beginning of an exciting new phase for many first-year students.

Image: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kunz, generated with Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (Nano Banana)

New Study Examines Streaming Market Competition

Customers increasingly want affordable introductory offers, ad-supported offers, and bundles. Streaming services in Germany have to fight for customers: The market is becoming more and more saturated and customers are increasingly willing to cancel their subscriptions. TH Köln and the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar have carried out a representative study looking at when users switch services, how they rate individual services, and how providers can respond.