Am Dienstag, 29. April 2025, würdigen die Bauhaus-Universität Weimar und die Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar ab 17 Uhr ihre ehrenamtlich engagierten Studierenden und bieten die Möglichkeit, in lockerer Atmosphäre ins Gespräch zu kommen. Gemeinsam wollen wir das – oft nicht genug sichtbare – studentische Engagement, aber auch die enge Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Studierendenschaften beider Hochschulen feiern.

Im Rahmen der Schnellbauinitiative des Bundes können fünf geplante oder bereits begonnene Baumaßnahmen auf dem Campus in Weimar umgesetzt werden. Neben Sanierungs- und Brandschutzmaßnahmen betrifft dies die Herrichtung der Ackerbürgerscheunen in der Coudraystraße, welche als Labor- und Lehrgebäude der Fakultät Bau- und Umweltingenieurwissenschaften fungieren soll. Insgesamt profitieren fünf Thüringer Hochschulen bis 2029 von zusätzlichen Mitteln in Höhe von 53,42 Mio. Euro aus dem Sondervermögen Infrastruktur und Klimaneutralität (SVIK).

Together with our European partner universities, the Student Council of the BAUHAUS4EU project is organising an international student exhibition for digital art under the title »BAUHAUHS NOVA 2026«. We are looking for your digital works. Registrations are open until Sunday, 24 May 2026.

The modernisation of key infrastructure – from electricity and heating to public transportation – requires investments that amount to billions of euros in the coming years. Municipal utility companies are particularly affected by these challenges. Within this context, the Professorship of Infrastructure Economics and Management at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, together with the »Thüringer Aufbaubank« and the »Landesgruppe Thüringen des Verbandes kommunaler Unternehmen«, is organising the »Infrastruktur- und Daseinsvorsorge-Politik in Thüringen« Conference in Erfurt on 28 April 2026 from 10 am to 5 pm. Academics and professionals will be participating in the conference in talks and panel discussions. Finance Minister Katja Wolf will be joining the event as keynote speaker.

What happens when art moves into empty prefabricated flats and uncovers traces of the past? Freie Kunst students at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar are participating in the »Spuk im Hochhaus« exhibition for the Landesgartenschau in Leinefelde-Worbis. On the third floor of the »Blumenblock«, the students are investigating traces left behind by former residents and exploring questions of how people lived, remembrance, and coexistence. The exhibition will be on display for the duration of the Landesgartenschau, from Thursday 23 April to Sunday 11 October 2026.

Since last year, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar has been home to a new space that actively encourages experimentation and trial and error: the Bauhaus Gamesfabrik at Marienstraße 1. Set up like a cosy living room, complete with a sofa and big screen, it’s easy to spend hours here without even noticing how much you’re learning. The Bauhaus Gamesfabrik is an interdisciplinary project where students from the Faculties of Art and Design and Media explore the world of gaming together. Gaming is explored here in a practical way by having students develop their own games. The focus is not just on programming digital games, but also on experimenting with analogue game formats, from paper prototypes to playable concepts that can be developed into digital versions.

On 14 April 2026, the Media Council (established in December 2025 under the »Medienstaatsvertrag«) was officially inaugurated. The independent body is responsible for monitoring the quality and development of public service broadcasting in Germany. Nathalie Wappler, outgoing director of the Swiss broadcaster SRF, was unanimously elected Chair of the Media Council. Jeanette Hofmann, political scientist and Professor of Internet Policy at the FU Berlin, was elected Deputy Chair.

On 20 April, a new chapter at Weimar's Construction Research Centre will begin: A modern technical centre for sustainable construction will be built on a 4,300 square metre site in the Tröbsdorf area. The »Innovationszentrum-Bau« is being developed by the »IAB – Institut für Angewandte Bauforschung Weimar gGmbH«. The centre will intensify collaboration between the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the Materials Research and Testing Laboratory (MFPA) Weimar. The goal is to pool existing expertise and increase the transfer of research findings into industrial practice. High profile guests, including Elisabeth Kaiser, Ostbeauftragte for the Federal Government, Thuringian Minister President Mario Voigt, and Minister of Economic Affairs Colette Boos-John, are expected to attend the ground-breaking ceremony.

Am 28. April 2026 lädt die Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen in Kooperation mit dem DFG-Graduiertenkolleg Gewohnter Wandel der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar und der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt zum Baukulturgespräch »Wohnungsfrage StadtLand« in den Eiermannbau Apolda ein. Im Mittelpunkt der Veranstaltung steht eine der drängendsten Herausforderungen im Freistaat: der gleichzeitige Bedarf an neuem Wohnraum in den Städten und zunehmender Leerstand im ländlichen Raum.

The dress on the screen has several sizes to choose from and can be added to the basket with a click – but there is a moment of hesitation: Will it actually fit? Will I feel good in it? Will it look the same as it does in the picture? Online fashion platforms affect women’s self-image more strongly than previously thought. A recent study at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar has shown that digital shopping experiences have a profound impact on body perception with consequences that affect users, the economy, and the environment. The research will be presented and awarded at the prestigious CHI Conference in Barcelona from 13 to 17 April 2026.

The kiosk is open again! And it’s open to whatever you bring along. For the next issue of PORT Magazine, we’re looking for anything that crackles, sticks, hits the spot, and keeps you hanging around a little longer. Send us your gossip! Submission deadline: April 22

The ivory tower, once a symbol of academic thought and research, is a thing of the past. For years, progressive universities have opened their doors to a broader public through events such as open houses and science nights. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar also sees itself as more than just an educational and research institution and is an active participant in society. The University influences public discourse and takes responsibility that extends beyond campus. Visibility and connections to other spheres are essential to this: Research and teaching should not occur in isolation but instead should engage in productive dialogue with society.

On 25 and 26 September 2026, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar will be hosting the TURN Conference 2026. The nationwide university conference is dedicated to the topic of »Experiential Learning«, meaning learning through experience and experimentation. A student exhibition will be held alongside the conference. The student work will present insights into the diverse creative, artistic, and academic endeavours at the University.

The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the Weimarer Republik e.V. are opening the invitation to the »Medien und Demokratie im Umbruch« six-part event series starting on 29 April 2026. Experts from the fields of science, media industry, and society will be discussing the relationship between media transformation and democratic society at the Haus der Weimarer Republik’s Forum for Democracy. The events are open to the public and free of charge.

On 31 March, the six-year project period of the DFG-funded Media Anthropology research training group (GRAMA) at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s Faculty of Media came to an end. Last Friday, members of the research training group gathered to celebrate an emotional farewell together with representatives from the University at the site of the former tram depot (Lichthaus Kino).

Die Transformation von Mobilität und Energieversorgung gehört zu den zentralen Herausforderungen der Gegenwart. Kommunale Unternehmen wie die Stadtwirtschaft Weimar GmbH übernehmen hierbei eine Vorreiterrolle, indem sie innovative Technologien mit wissenschaftlicher Begleitung, unter anderem durch die Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, unter realen Bedingungeneinsetzen. Erlebbar wird die enge Verbindung von Wissenschaft, Lehre und kommunaler Praxis am Beispiel des Wasserstoffbusses »Walter Gropius«, welcher ab 8. April 2026 mit neuer Gestaltung durch Weimar fährt.

The »Tilia Awards« were presented for the first time on 20 March 2026 for scientific and practice-based projects that take new approaches to urban spaces. Out of over 150 entries, 24 winners were selected, including the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the IAB-Institut für angewandte Bauforschung Weimar for their work in the »Akademische Arbeiten und Forschung« (academic work and research) category. The interdisciplinary »GrayToGreen« research project was honoured for its integration of vertical greening and grey water treatment.

Democratic societies depend on reliable information. But the rapid spread of misinformation through digital platforms is overwhelming for both users and current verification systems. Individuals who want to combat disinformation effectively need tools that can detect increasingly sophisticated technical forgeries and allow users to critically evaluate content. The ClaimGuard and PADSE research projects at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s Faculty of Media are involved in the in the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space’s current funding programme and developing new solutions for dealing with digital misinformation.