Volkssternwarte Aachen
The Volkssternwarte Aachen is a listed observatory in the south of the city of Aachen .
Founding history
The idea of setting up a public observatory in Aachen goes back to the senior teacher Eduard Heis , who taught at the secondary and industrial school in Aachen from 1837 to 1852. He had a "heavenly post" built for astronomical observations on the roof of what was then the community school at Katschhof , between the Aachen Cathedral and the town hall . In 1852, on the recommendation of Alexander von Humboldt, Heis went to the University of Münster as professor of astronomy and mathematics . A crater on the moon was later named in his memory .
In the early 1920s , the Carl Zeiss company from Jena developed a new type of planetarium . Since the ancestors of the then Zeiss director came from Aachen, Aachen was one of the ten German cities to which the “technical marvel” at the time was offered for sale. Since the city fathers viewed a planetarium as a facility of particular cultural importance and also promised commercial success, the city council passed a unanimous decision in 1924 to purchase a planetarium from Carl Zeiss for 150,000 marks. As a special attraction it should be built in the middle of the city. A corresponding bank loan was taken out. In the following period, however, the project was viewed more critically, especially since the general economic situation deteriorated. It had also been shown that planetariums that had already been built could not be operated cost-effectively. In 1927 the release of the funds was refused. An attempt was made to get out of the existing contract with Zeiss and, contrary to the original plan, wanted to build a “simple functional building” for 135,000 Reichsmarks in Aachen's Westpark. However, Zeiss insisted on compliance with the contract and threatened the agreed penalty of RM 50,000.
In 1934 an agreement was finally reached with the Zeiss company to swap the planetarium for an observatory, the total cost of which was 45,870 Reichsmarks . In the same year, construction began on a hill near the hanging pond . On July 6, 1935, the observatory was opened to great public interest. The main instrument was the telescope from Zeiss , which is still in use today, with an aperture of 20 cm . The first director was senior teacher Wilhelm Schulze, who was supported by 20 volunteers. In the first two years, the observatory had 9,748 visitors who took part in the public sky demonstrations for an entry price of 25 pfennigs .
Operation after 1945
During the Second World War the observatory was stopped, the instruments were dismantled in 1941 and stored in the basement of the Aachen town hall . Because of its location, the observatory was used as an observation post for the flak . During this time, the copper covering of the dome roof was removed and replaced with roofing felt - the valuable raw material copper was probably used for war purposes. The building received a close-range bombing and was badly damaged, burning the observatory's library and tearing the dome from its anchoring.
After the war, the observatory was repaired under the direction of Vice Rector Hans Maassen and opened to the public in 1946. Organizationally, it was affiliated with the Aachen Adult Education Center. In the following years the management activities were further expanded, a working group was founded and six scientific student papers were created. A small lecture room was set up. In 1963 the main instrument was completely overhauled.
As structural defects increasingly appeared, the observatory was temporarily closed and renovated in 1981 and only reopened in April 1983. In 1984 it was placed under monument protection.
In 1996 extensive renovation work was carried out, with a modern lecture room being created on the ground floor. Since the roof covering was increasingly leaking and the wooden structure of the dome was endangered by moisture and rot, the dome was extensively restored from October 2003 to September 2004, whereby the wooden structure was renewed and the roof was clad with aluminum .
The operation of the observatory is maintained today by a working group of amateur astronomers . The Astronomy Working Group meets once a month in the observatory and provides information on current astronomical topics. The observatory also offers regular public tours as well as tours for groups, families, kindergartens, schools, clubs and companies. On the occasion of special events, such as B. solar eclipses , lunar eclipses or the day of astronomy , additional events take place on the premises of the observatory or outside. For example, the members of the Astronomy Working Group took part in a worldwide public observation event in honor of John Dobson , co-founder of the Sidewalk Astronomer (walkway astronomers). They positioned themselves with their telescopes in Aachen's city center and let passers-by take a look at the sun, moon and planets.
Around 3500 people visit the observatory every year.
Instruments
The main instrument is the historic achromat from Carl Zeiss with a 20 cm lens opening and 3 m focal length on a heavy equatorial mount . It is particularly suitable for observing the moon and planets . The tracking is done mechanically and is driven by lead weights. The tracking speed is regulated by a centrifugal regulator.
For observing the sun a stand H-alpha telescope and lens filters available for the refractor.
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 45 ′ 31.2 ″ N , 6 ° 4 ′ 13 ″ E