Almost 110 years ago, Albert Einstein gave the first public insight into his general theory of relativity in the large hall of the Archenhold Observatory in Berlin-Treptow, thereby creating a milestone for human knowledge. His groundbreaking ideas, which he presented on 2 June 1915 in Germany’s largest and oldest public observatory, not only continue to shape science today, but also inspire lifelong learning and research.

In this new practical collaboration, 13 students from TU Berlin (Master’s degree programmes in Stage Design_Scenic Space and Architecture) are designing artistic interventions in and around the building of the historic Archenhold Observatory under the direction of lecturer Franziska Ritter. The five teams have explored the life and work of Albert Einstein and in particular his theory of relativity in a variety of ways and have adopted very personal perspectives. In this way, the Einstein anniversary can be experienced in a special way on site in the form of immersive light and sound productions, interactive audio walks and participatory room installations.

‘Everything is relative’ – with a Cosmic Summer Festival on Saturday, 14 June from 2 pm to 1 am, the Archenhold Observatory will be transformed into a galactic festival site and celebrate Albert Einstein’s revolutionary ideas. An overview of the programme can be found on the Archenhold Observatory website. Admission free. Look forward to 360° insights into the programme of the Zeiss Small Planetarium, fascinating sky observations with the Cassegrain telescope and in the Solar Physics Cabinet as well as exciting lectures in the legendary Einstein Hall. Visit the world’s longest movable refracting telescope on the roof of the observatory.

And the productions of our students:

Space Threads – In the Wake of Time
Nele Bertzbach & Felix Eisenblätter

Solar eclipse
Michael Schulte-Austum, Julia Mock, Franziska Goetschi

Time Shift
Ekaterina Tiniakova, Lena Drazinou, Max Komorek

Ehrenbergstrasse 33
Daria Hannig, Ilana Quatreville, Lea Beck

Theory of Nothing
Inés Peláez & Calvin Schwabe