Future Days Hirschfelde - Experience science!

The Hirschfelde Future Days are a new science weekend in the Germany–Poland–Czech Republic tri-border region. For three days, the market square and the houses with porches in Hirschfelde will be transformed into an open laboratory: Research institutions, universities, companies, and dedicated citizens come together to make science understandable, tangible, and visible through dialogue with the region. The event is organized by Zukunft Hirschfelde e. V. and the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz.

Whether through hands-on experiments, exciting lectures, discussions about the region’s future, or insights into current research, the “Future Days” showcase how science shapes our everyday lives and the development of Lausitz. The focus is on topics such as energy, technology, education, sustainability, and structural change. Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the Saxony⁵ project are participating as co-organizers, contributing scientific perspectives, opportunities for dialogue, and program items to the event.

Program

Click here for the full program

Friday, May 29, 2026 – FutureLab Hirschfelde

Friday is especially geared toward school students. School classes are invited to discover science and technology through hands-on, practical activities. Planned activities include sessions on 3D printing and 3D scanning, energy and heat pumps, chemistry, virtual welding, robotics, wind power, a climate escape game, hydrogen, and sustainable materials. The day offers young people the opportunity to try out technologies, talk with researchers, and gain insights into current fields of research. School classes are asked to register.

Register your class now to secure a spot at the Future Lab.

4:00 p.m.“
”Talk: “A World in Transition —What Our Education System Must Achieve Now!”
Featuring State Minister Conrad Clemens, Franziska Schubert (Member of the State Parliament, B90/The Greens), Vice President for Research, Transfer, and International Affairs Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil (HSZG), Vice President for Education and Sustainability Prof. Dr. phil. Małgorzata Maćkowiak (HSZG), Prof. Anke Langner (TU Dresden), Sabrina Hälschke (Principal of Schliebenschule), Bert Handschick (RTT), Ronald Lindecke (State Parents’ Council)

5:30 p.m.
Official opening of the Future Days; followed by a get-together under the awnings with Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch; Minister of State Conrad Clemens; Franziska Schubert (Member of the State Parliament, B90/Greens), District Administrator Stephan Meyer; Mayor Thomas Zenker

6:00 p.m.
Concert: Mehr als Wir

7:00 p.m.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jens Weber
Lecture: “CO₂ – Small Molecule, Big Impact”

Saturday, May 30, 2026 – Experience Science and Join the Conversation

On Saturday, the program is geared toward families, young people, and all interested citizens. Planned activities include hands-on experiments, interactive science, brief presentations of regional research projects, and presentations by institutes, initiatives, and demonstrators. The program is complemented by lectures and discussion sessions. A special focus will be on discussing the importance of science, research, and innovation for regional development.

Activities at the Marketplace

• Hands-on experiments for children and teens
• Hands-on science
• Brief presentations of regional research projects
• Institute booths and demonstrations
• Live earthen construction at the historic site
• “Grown Knowledge” Living Library

Lectures and Program Items

10:00 a.m.
Children’s Lecture

Radon—Invisible but Measurable
Presentation by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection

Living Library: From Astrophysics to Energy of the Future—Institutes in the Region Introduce Themselves

11:00 a.m. – Panel Discussion

"Semiconductors as Game-Changers: Hype or Sustainable Opportunity"

• Prof. Germar Schneider (Infineon)
• Vice President for Research, Technology Transfer, and International Affairs, Prof. Sophia Keil (HSZG)
• Prof. Gerd Fischer (HSZG)
• Franziska Schubert (Member of the State Parliament, B90/Greens)

11:00 a.m.
Presentation “No Cell Phone? No Solution Either” by Matthias Hundt

2:00 p.m.

• Prof. Thomas Worbs (HSZG/IZU)
  Lecture: Half-timbered Houses—Architecture and Cultural Landscape
• Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Elisa Wirthgen (HSZG)
  Lecture: Regulatory T Cells and Nobel Prize-Winning Research
  

3:00 p.m. – Panel Discussion

“Millions for Research—How Does the Region Benefit?”

With representatives from the scientific community:

• Dr. Andreas Otto – German Center for Astrophysics (DZA)
• Prof. Uwe Riedel – German Aerospace Center (DLR)
• Vice President Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil (HSZG)
• Matthias Kinne (Board Member of neo.net, see below)
• Franziska Schubert (Member of the State Parliament, B90/Greens)
• Florian Oest (Member of the Bundestag, CDU)
• Prof. Dr. Sebastian Scholz (Fraunhofer IWU)

Topics of Discussion

• Research and Structural Change in Lausitz
• Innovation Potential for Businesses
• Prospects for training and young talent
  

Evening Program

Saturday wraps up with a concert by the band “Pondělí 18:00.”
Music and conversation create opportunities for interaction between the academic community, local residents, and visitors to the region.

Sunday, May 31, 2026 – A Dialogue on the Region, Building Culture, and the Future

Sunday brings together academic topics with regional building culture and questions about the future of rural areas. Discussion hubs, thought-provoking presentations, and hands-on activities invite participants to reflect together on topics such as energy, climate, regional value creation, and structural change. The day creates space for exchange, networking, and new perspectives on the region’s development.

Program

• Scientific Brunch with the Dixieland Oldboys Děčín
• Discussion stations on topics such as
  • energy and climate
  • regional value creation
  • Structural Change
• Discussion on the future of rural areas among researchers, volunteers, and local governments
• Sustainability and hands-on activities

Specialized Presentation

Fire Safety in Half-Timbered Houses of the 18th and 19th Centuries
Presentation by Dr. Cornelia Müller

Information on the program
The program is being updated on an ongoing basis. Some program items are currently subject to change.