Chemistry show lecture inspires with humor, experiments and a spectacular comeback.
"I have a plan that can't go wrong!" - Egon Olsen began his attempt to crack the Chancellor's safe with this legendary sentence almost exactly ten years ago. The result has long been cult: fire, smoke, lightning and colorful explosions - and a failed coup that ended for Egon in the "dungeon" of the HSZG.
On December 8, 2025, the time had come: Egon Olsen was released - and returned with his gang to the stage of the chemistry show lecture in the packed Audimax Zittau. Under the motto "Die Olsenbande 2.0.2.5. raubt im Rektorat", several hundred guests experienced a mixture of university theater, slapstick and breathtaking chemistry.
A very special guest was also present: former Chancellor Karin Hollstein took the opportunity to personally track down the Olsen Gang and sit down with the Rector on the leather couch at "Kratzsch und Tratzsch".
The central question of the evening was: What is Egon planning next - and how will the Rectorate react to his renewed ambitions?
The answer was provided by the students and lecturers of the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences in a brilliant stage program that took up classic elements of the popular show lectures and staged them in a new way. These included:
In between the experiments, the team performed humorous scenes about how the rectorate deals with the sudden return of the "notoriously unpredictable" Egon - including a few self-deprecating sideways glances at everyday life at the university. Glow sticks, ice cream, beer and Menschellimo provided the perfect ambience. "Ein edles Kratzsch" was served from the largest university brewery in Zittau. The barrel signed by Karin Hollstein and Alexander Kratzsch was auctioned off at the end of the event after two bids for 25 euros.
Matthias Jeschke, Head of the General and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory and main organizer of the event, emphasized how important the format is for communicating science:
Every year, the Chemistry Show Lecture shows that chemistry doesn't have to be dry - it can surprise, inspire and be really fun. When fire, colors and foam sweep across the stage, one thing remains particularly visible: science thrives on curiosity. And that is exactly what we want to convey.
”As in previous years, the interplay of humorous action and spectacular experiments is the key to success, Jeschke continues. "The show lecture thrives on the interaction between students, staff and alumni," the graduate chemist is convinced.
Even before the event began, it was clear that the seats in the Audimax were in high demand. The run for the best seats started half an hour before admission. The FSR-N took over the supply of warm drinks and snacks as usual - an offer that was particularly welcome thanks to the wintry temperatures.
The team led by chemist Matthias Jeschke already made children's eyes light up in the run-up to the chemistry show lecture. As part of the Kinder Academy the chemistry show lecture for children took place on November 7, 2025 under the title "Halloween with a difference - the scary chemistry lecture". The event was aimed exclusively at children between the ages of 8 and 12. Exciting and child-friendly experiments combined science with a scary and fun topic.
Using his ghost activity counter, a ghost hunter went in search of spooky traces and erased all the questionable extraterrestrial activity left behind by the alien Nano from Planet X during his visit. Ghostly hands magically dissolved and a neon-colored light spectacle made for astonished children's faces. With 150 children, the children's chemistry show lecture was better attended than ever before.
For years, the chemistry show lecture for young and old has been one of the university's most popular public events. The mixture of science, theater and humor attracts a wide audience. The Olsen Gang is back in 2025 - and chemistry is alive and well.
Anyone who knows Egon, Benny and Kjeld knows that after the show is before the next plan. And the evening clearly proved one thing: Even the most perfect plan can go wrong - but that's exactly what creates the most beautiful chemical effects.
