The turnout was huge. Last Saturday, October 28, a total of 17 cultural and educational institutions as well as churches in the city of Zittau welcomed hundreds of visitors to the 7th Zittau Culture Night. The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences was once again on hand with a special program.
Under the title “SOUND, VOLTAGE, LIGHT,” the high voltage facility in Zittau (Building Z V) was bathed in a very special glow at 7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. each night, accompanied by experimental live music and high-voltage electrical experiments.
“Arrive early to secure the best seats.” True to this motto, the first guests took their seats in the gallery of the high voltage facility a three-quarter-hour before the start of the first performance. It was a good decision, as the stands filled up very quickly, allowing the first performance to begin right on time.
The event was hosted by the head of the High-Voltage Engineering Department, Prof. Stefan Kornhuber. He was supported by numerous staff members. Over the course of two sessions, interested visitors were able to experience technology, music, and experiments in a variety of colorful ways.
Playpad Circus, represented by Christian Fischer, created an extraordinary, electrifying atmosphere with his electronic beats, rousing rhythms, and unconventional sound fusions—an atmosphere that was perfectly showcased by Philipp Kappl’s projections. The experiments conducted by the High-Voltage Engineering team complemented the artistic performance perfectly, allowing the “art of electrons” to be experienced with nearly all the senses.
Good job to the building owner for installing a lightning rod. The team led by Technical Director Prof. Stefan Kornhuber passionately demonstrated the necessity of Benjamin Franklin’s invention during their presentations, while captivating the audience with so-called Lichtenberg figures. These are aesthetically pleasing tree- or star-shaped patterns that form as a result of high-voltage electrical discharges on insulating materials and illuminated the darkened high voltage facility.
Many visitors came from far and wide to witness the university’s electrifying cultural contribution. Those who, unfortunately, were unable to secure a seat even for the second demonstration took the opportunity to take a guided tour of the large laboratory hall of the department of electrical engineering in Building Z I, which was opened especially for the public that evening. The experimental demonstrations held there also drew great interest.
Text: Cornelia Rothe
Contact
Prof. Dr. techn. Stefan Kornhuber
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science'
High-Voltage Engineering / Theoretical Electrical Engineering
Phone: 03583 612-4365
Email: s.kornhuber@hszg.de