At the Health and Environment Days, numerous students, employees and guests took the opportunity to find out about health issues.
The Health and Environment Days 2025 met with a great response this year with a colorful mix of activities and offers. Numerous students, employees and visitors took the opportunity to find out about health issues, get active and gain new impetus for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
The preventive healthcare services, which were offered free of charge in close cooperation with the health insurance companies, were particularly popular. Ulrike Bobek-Audehm, University Health Management employee, is particularly pleased about this cooperation: "In a region where there are no longer any dermatologists, a free skin check is an important offer for our employees. I would also like to make this service available to our students. My colleagues at BARMER and I are working hard on the service and hope that we can maintain it and perhaps even expand it."
The heart and stress measurement, which was offered in collaboration with AOK-PLUS and the Vitality Test Center, was also booked out very quickly. "Unfortunately, not quite as many people came to the online lecture focusing on stress and nutrition," regrets Ulrike. "Nutrition is such a big lever, both in terms of health and the environment."
The popular pedometer challenge took place again this year. It used to be a competition between the university and the city council, but now everyone runs together for a good cause. This year, with the kind support of the Görlitz basketball club GBC Squirrels e.V., the donation went to the Lichtblick - Menschen helfen Menschen in Not foundation.
Philipp Knebel, Head of the University Sports Center, expresses his thanks: "Together we have taken many steps - for our health and for a good cause. Every step is a sign of solidarity for people in need. A big thank you to the GBC Squirrels e.V. - your generous support made this pedometer challenge for the Lichtblick Foundation possible in the first place. Thank you for giving hope and doing good with us."
Mathias covered the most of the 4,183,158 steps collected in one week. With 246,960 steps, he brought the challenge cup to the town hall, which he was presented with personally by Rector Professor Alexander Kratzsch at the award ceremony. This environment is not unfamiliar to the trophy, which has been there for several years in a row. Will the university be able to recapture "the foot"? We will find out next year.
June 4 was the highlight of the week and brought a wealth of great events. The university sports festival provided the perfect setting for the 4th university-city-company run, which was a complete success with great support from Baer-Service and the Oberlausitzer Kreissportbund. It was not about top performance, but about taking part and enjoying running. You could take part in teams of 2 or 4. The participants came from all kinds of backgrounds. Employees of the HSZG and the Zittau city administration, the city development company and the Weinau school, the St. Jakob retirement and nursing home and the municipality of Kurort Jonsdorf and, of course, students from the university all crossed the finish line exhausted but happy.
The two fastest were really fast. Georg Rabe and André Cerwinka (HSG Turbine & Osee Sports Cooperation) took first place. They ran a total of 10 laps of 600 meters in just 19:30 minutes. However, the students Niklas Nägele and Erik Jajschik (2nd place) were right on their heels, as were Bara Sulowa and Fabian Sula from Oberschule an der Weinau (3rd place). Here is an overview of the results for the participants.
The traditional volleyball tournament and the table tennis tournament were very well received, especially by the students, and the hands-on activities were also very popular with everyone. There was something for everyone: from a nutrition quiz to table football, a reaction wall, crate climbing, soccer darts, fitness and rowing challenges, there was something for everyone to try out. And anyone looking for ergonomics advice for their bike was sure to find what they were looking for.
There was not only fun and exercise, but also food and drink. Zittau Vegan provided delicious plant-based dishes, while the Dezi Bar offered drinks and barbecued food. Another highlight was the tapping of the keg at the opening of the festival for the employees of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, supported by the Landskron Brewery. Rector Professor Alexander Kratzsch professionally tapped the keg and invited colleagues to linger on the campus axis.
The International Day, which took place at the same time, sent out a strong signal for openness and intercultural cooperation. The eye-catcher of the event was the photo exhibition "Faces of Hope" by Jeremy Cope. The workshop "Diverse together" and the hands-on stations rounded off the day.
A big thank you goes to everyone who made this great week possible. Without the commitment of the many helpers and partners, the event would not have been so successful. We are already looking forward to the next edition and hope to be able to welcome so many interested people again next year.
Our sports festival came to an end far too quickly, but the joy of the well-attended and lively festival will not be forgotten. Together, we bundled events, brought different people together and used our capacities with heart and passion. This turned a traditional festival into a great success! Our heartfelt thanks go to all the helpers, the clubs and the Landskron Brewery for their wonderful support.
”"Mark your calendars for June 3, 2026," smiles Ulrike. "That's the date of the next university sports festival, including the university-city-company run, and who knows what else we'll be cooking up for that day. We are optimistic and full of anticipation for the upcoming Health and Environment Days. Until then, we wish everyone a healthy and active time."
