Halle celebrates astronomy: GDR planetarium with a star view opens!

Halle celebrates astronomy: GDR planetarium with a star view opens!

Halle, Deutschland - On May 7, 2025, the world of astronomy in Germany celebrates a special milestone: a hundred years of planetaries. While there is no special event to celebrate the anniversary in Merseburg, a special demonstration in the oldest school planetarium of the GDR takes place in the Kanena district in Halle. The current starry sky is presented here, which is still a central topic in the formation of the region. The GDR always had a special relationship with astronomy. As early as 1959, astronomy was introduced in schools, which is in contrast to the rest of Germany, where it is rarely anchored in the curriculum. This long traditional line is also shown in the person of Sigmund Jähn, who was the first German on August 26, 1978 to flew into space with the Soviet Capsule Soyz 31 and spent 7 days, 20 hours and 49 minutes in space.

his flight was not only a personal success, but also a prestige project for the GDR. The first West German, Ulf Merbold, followed five years later and flew into space with the USA. In a further significant commitment, Matthias Maurer, a German astronaut of the European Space Agency ESA, takes a copy of the Nebra sky disk with the International Space Station (ISS). This artifact is considered the oldest known and concrete depiction of heaven.

The role of the GDR in space travel

The GDR was an active player in space races, especially by participating in the intercosmos program, which intercoos monauts from ten partner countries bred between 1978 and 1988. The aim of this program was to distribute the high costs of room flights over several nations and to consolidate the bond with the Soviet Union. NASA also reacted to developments and began the development of the Space Shuttle in 1972, which finally led to the first Western Europeans who flew into space in the 1980s.

The training for future cosmonauts began in the GDR in the "Juri Gagarin" cosmonaut training center in Moscow in December 1976 when Czechoslovakia, GDR and Poland started their training concept. Sigmund Jähn was selected as cosmonaut in 1976. His flight with Soyuz 31 had the goal of reaching the Salut 6 orbital station. During his stay in space, he carried out 24 experiments in various scientific areas and served a multi -spectral camera.

a legacy in space travel

After Jähn's return, he was celebrated as a state hero in the GDR and received numerous awards, including the title "Held of the GDR". Schools and leisure centers were named after him. With the political turn and reunification, space research in East Germany was challenged, and existing structures had to be re -adjusted in many places. Nevertheless, a large part of the East German space research potential and industrial competence, especially from Carl Zeiss, were preserved.

In 1988, the GDR was selected as the host for the 41st International Astronautical Congress (IAF) in 1990, which was considered a challenge in a politically unstable situation. During the congress in Dresden, experts from space research met to discuss future collaborations and projects. In view of the global developments, space travel remains an important topic to this day, also with a view to the future exploration of Mars and other planets.

The presence of astronomy in the GDR and its long -term effects on space travel are an impressive chapter in German science history. The connection between education, research and international cooperation will continue to be important in the future, especially in the context of the international international space station ISS that has existed since 1998, in which 15 nations are involved.