Bochum, October 2022
2023 marks the 100th anniversary of a great invention: the planetarium. In 1923, the Carl Zeiss company completed the first planetarium projector; in 1925, the first public projection planetarium opened in Munich. The International Planetarium Society (IPS), the Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Planetarien e.V. (GDP) and the Carl Zeiss Foundation are celebrating these events with the “Centennail of Planetarium”.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has now been secured as patron for the anniversary. He accompanies the jubilee from 2023 to 2025. “We are very pleased that Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier supports the ‘100 Years of Planetarium’ anniversary as a patron. By taking on the patronage, the Federal President is paying tribute to planetariums as extracurricular places of learning and ‘gateways to the universe’ through which everyone can experience the fascination of the cosmos and our place in space up close”, says Dr. Björn Voß, President of the GDP.
The approximately 4,000 planetariums worldwide impart knowledge about stars and planets, inspire enthusiasm for natural sciences, and raise awareness of sustainability and environmental issues among young and old. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier supports numerous organizations and initiatives in the field of education.
Jubilee with many activities
For the two anniversary years, IPS and GDP are preparing a colorful program with many activities, together with national and international planetariums: Among other things, a new planetarium show with the working title “KIRA” and a show about the history of the planetarium, a (traveling) exhibition, a book project, an opening event in Germany in the fall of 2023, and an international highlight event on May 7, 2025, are planned.
About the GDP
The Society of Germanophone Planetariums e.V. (GDP) is an association of planetariums, their employees, and people interested in planetariums, mainly from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but also from other countries, with the aim to promote the cooperation of planetariums in German-speaking countries. The society was founded in May 2011 and is recognized as a non-profit organization.
About the IPS
The International Planetarium Society Inc (IPS) is a worldwide association of planetarium experts with more than 600 members from 42 countries around the world. It represents schools, colleges and universities, museums, and public institutions of all sizes. The primary goal of the IPS is to promote the exchange of ideas among its members through conferences, publications, and networking.
About the Carl-Zeiss-Foundation
The Carl Zeiss Foundation has set itself the goal of creating scope for scientific breakthroughs. As a partner of excellent science, it supports both basic research and application-oriented research and teaching in the STEM disciplines (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology). Founded in 1889 by the physicist and mathematician Ernst Abbe, the Carl Zeiss Foundation is one of the oldest and largest private science-funding foundations in Germany. It is the sole owner of Carl Zeiss AG and SCHOTT AG. Its projects are financed by the dividend distributions of the two foundation companies.