Open House at the Hessian State Representation in Berlin: GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and FAIR draw positive conclusions
08.10.2025 |
With exciting insights into the world of research and many interactive activities, the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and the emerging international accelerator facility FAIR captivated visitors to the Open House at the Hessian State Representation in Berlin. On October 3, the Representation, together with numerous Hessian institutions, offered a varied program that attracted around 14,000 guests.
Every year on Tag der Deutschen Einheit, the state representations open their doors on In den Ministergärten in Berlin, inviting visitors to explore their regions. The Hessian State Representation participates with a varied program that highlights cutting-edge research “Made in Hesse”. Visitors gained fascinating insights into current science and technology projects and also had the chance to experience, discuss, and explore research hands-on—through experiments, interactive stations, and other activities. Hesse thus became tangible in a vivid way, inviting visitors to touch, talk, and participate while showcasing the diversity of Hessian research.
FAIR and GSI Helmholtzzentrum presented themselves with a roughly ten-square-meter information booth, bringing the world of particle accelerators to life. With interactive experiments and digital offerings, participants immersed themselves in research and took a virtual journey through the research facilities, accelerators, and experiments of the FAIR mega-science project at the GSI Helmholtz Center in Darmstadt using VR headsets. In the accelerator game, they learned how tiny particles are accelerated to enormous speeds, creating new chemical elements in the process. One of these elements is hassium, which was named after Hesse, making the federal state unique in Germany. Those who took part in the game also had the chance to win prizes from the world of chemical elements, including glowing element cubes, hassium memo holders, and a stuffed animal.
During a tour, Hesse's Minister of Science Timon Gremmels visited the FAIR and GSI booth. He highlighted the importance of the major international FAIR project being built in Darmstadt and emphasized that the facility will offer researchers from all over the world unique opportunities for groundbreaking experiments and scientific discoveries. He was impressed by how vividly the cutting-edge research was presented at the booth and how interactive offerings and VR technology made complex experiments accessible to everyone.
After the open house, GSI and FAIR gave a thoroughly positive conclusion. The booth attracted a lot of interest, with many guests taking the opportunity to try out the offerings, immerse themselves in the research and obtain information from the staff. The high level of response impressively demonstrated the broad interest in the activities and science of GSI and FAIR. (Jl/BP)
