Fritz Weithas

Fritz O. Weithas (born April 8, 1921 in Gera ; † February 8, 2007 in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz ) is the founder of the Neumarkt Fritz-Weithas-Observatory on the Mariahilfberg. He created an "educational institution for the people" and brought astronomy closer to the population in understandable language.

As a high school student at the Friedrich-Schiller-Gymnasium in Gera, Weithas was already occupied with astronomy in 1939. After graduating from high school and doing military service, he completed training as a textile merchant at the engineering school in Gera. Until 1957, Weithas was CDU district chairman and deputy district administrator in the Jena-Land district . During this time, Weithas was involved in the construction of the 1806 Cospeda Memorial Museum near Jena and Leuchtenburg . In 1957, Weithas and his family settled in Neumarkt. In 1969 he founded the association "Bayerische Volkssternwarte Neumarkt" with 14 astronomy enthusiasts.

At that time, however, there was not enough money to build an observatory in Neumarkt. Weithas managed to raise the missing financial means for the construction of the observatory on the Mariahilfberg through permanent appeals for donations to the city, the state, companies and the population and through personal initiative. Without the personal contribution of Weithas and other association members, the observatory, which was built in two construction phases in 1972 and 1974, would not have been possible.

Fritz Weithas brought astronomy closer to the population in a simple and understandable way in his lectures. Children and young people in particular have been enthusiastic about the stars since then. The educational facility on the Mariahilfberg became known nationwide. The annual visitor numbers prove this. In 1975 Fritz Weithas was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit with ribbon for his tireless efforts to the benefit of the population . In 1985 he founded a sick and elderly aid association. From 1986 to 1988, Weithas registered various inventions with the German Patent Office . B. a warning triangle with flasher, an inflatable warning triangle, a solar bench, a magnetic button and a collapsible coffin. After his death the observatory on the Mariahilfberg was renamed "Fritz-Weithas-Sternwarte" on May 1st, 2007.

Web links

• Neumarkt observatory