University sports messages
Health on the rise
At the Health and Environment Days, numerous students, employees and guests took the opportunity to find out about health issues.
The 2025 Health and Environment Days were a huge success this year, featuring a diverse mix of activities and offerings. Numerous students, staff members, and visitors took the opportunity to learn about health topics, get active, and gain new inspiration for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Skin Checks and Cardio Scans—Focus on Preventive Health Care
The preventive health services—offered free of charge in close collaboration with health insurance providers—were particularly well-received. Ulrike Bobek-Audehm, a staff member in the university’s health management department, is particularly pleased with these partnerships: “In a region where there are no longer any dermatologists, a free skin check is an important service for our staff. I would love to make this service available to our students as well. My colleagues at BARMER and I are working hard on this initiative and hope that we can maintain it and perhaps even expand it.”
The heart and stress screening, offered in collaboration with AOK-PLUS and the Vitaltest Center, was also booked up very quickly. “Unfortunately, not quite as many people showed up for the online presentation focusing on stress and nutrition,” Ulrike laments. “Yet nutrition is such a powerful tool, both in terms of health and the environment.”
Step Counter Challenge – Mathias Brings the Challenge Cup Back to City Hall.
The popular pedometer challenge took place again this year. It used to be a competition between the university and city administration, but today everyone walks together for a good cause. This year, with the kind support of the Görlitz basketball club GBC Squirrels e.V., the donation will go to the Lichtblick Foundation—People Helping People in Need.
Philipp Knebel, director of the University Sports Office, expresses his gratitude: “Together, we’ve taken many steps—for our health and for a good cause. With every step, we’ve shown solidarity with people in need.” A heartfelt thank you to the GBC Squirrels e.V.—your generous support made this step-counting challenge for the Lichtblick Foundation possible in the first place. Thank you for giving hope and making good things happen with us.”
Mathias accounted for the majority of the total 4,183,158 steps collected over the course of a week. With 246,960 steps, he brings the challenge cup to City Hall, where he receives it personally from Rector Professor Alexander Kratzsch at the awards ceremony. This trophy is no stranger to this setting—it has stood there for several years in a row. Will the university be able to “reclaim the lead”? We’ll find out next year.
Highlight of the Week: The University Sports Festival
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 thanks to the generous support of Baer-Service and the Upper Lusatia District Sports Association. The focus here wasn’t on peak performance, but on participation and the joy of running. Participants could enter as teams of two or four. Participants came from all walks of life: employees of the HSZG and the Zittau city administration, the urban development corporation and the Weinau School, the St. Jakob Retirement and Nursing Home, and the municipality of Kurort Jonsdorf—and, of course, students from the university. Everyone crossed the finish line exhausted but happy.
The two fastest runners were really quick. Georg Rabe and André Cerwinka (HSG Turbine & Osee Sports Cooperation) took first place. They ran the total of 10 laps, each 600 meters long, in just 19:30 minutes. However, students Niklas Nägele and Erik Jajschik (2nd place) were right on their heels, as were Bara Sulowa and Fabian Sula from the Oberschule an der Weinau (3rd place). Participants can find an overview of the results here.
The traditional volleyball tournament and table tennis tournament were particularly good among the students, and the hands-on activities were also a big hit with everyone. There was something for everyone: from a nutrition quiz to foosball, a reaction wall, box climbing, soccer darts, fitness and rowing challenges—there were opportunities to try everything out. And anyone looking for ergonomic advice on bike setup found what they were looking for as well.
Keg Tapping at the Employee Party
It wasn’t just about fun and exercise—refreshments were also provided. Zittau Vegan served up delicious plant-based dishes, while the Dezi Bar invited guests to feast on drinks and grilled foods. Another highlight was the keg tapping ceremony to kick off the festival for the employees of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, supported by the Landskron Brewery. Rector Professor Alexander Kratzsch expertly tapped the keg and invited everyone to linger and socialize with colleagues along the campus promenade.
International Day - a look beyond the horizon
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."
