Scaredy-cats, talking beetles and nomads on horseback: Don’t miss the winter semester at the Children’s University Dresden!

On August 28, 2023 at 8:00 am, registration for much sought-after spaces at the Children’s University Dresden will open. Children between the ages of eight and twelve can once again enjoy an age-appropriate, jam-packed program during the winter semester.

And the hybrid event format used in previous semesters proved to be a success – young scientists can either attend the four lectures on-site in the lecture hall, or they can join us via live stream. To register, use the online form at www.ku-dresden.de.

2023 winter semester program

Lots of people were unable to read or write in medieval times. And they didn’t have any TV. So, people used murals to find out what was going on. In the first lecture of the semester, Prof. Markus Santner explains how these works of art were created and how we can best preserve them today. 

The dark, homework or spiders...everyone has something they are afraid of! Prof. Susanne Knappe tells us where the feeling of fear comes from and why it can be a good thing. The psychologist also explains in her lecture how we can overcome excessive fear and learn to be brave.

Does talking to nature sound impossible? Well, it’s not! All we need to do is decode the language of insects and plants. And someone who knows exactly how to do this is forestry scientist Prof. Michael Müller. In his lecture, he will explain how we can eavesdrop on these conversations and why this can be useful to us humans.

In the last lecture of the semester, archaeologist Dr. Karina Iwe teleports us back more than 2,200 years in history to the time of the horse-riding nomads of the Iron Age. Find out what tools the archaeologist uses to uncover the secrets of the past and what stories discoveries like mummies have to tell.

Program schedule

Tuesday October 17, 2023, 5:30 pm
Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden, Großer Saal
Why did medieval artists paint cats and mice on the walls?
Prof. Markus Santner, Professor of Art Technology, Preservation and Restoration of Mural Painting and Architectural Surface (Dresden University of Fine Arts)

Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 5:30 pm
TUD Dresden University of Technology, Lecture Theater 03
Not a scaredy-cat – how to learn to be brave
Prof. Susanne Knappe, Psychologist and psychotherapist for children, young people and adults, Professor of Health Sciences (Evangelische Hochschule Dresden)

Tuesday, November 7, 2023, 5:30 pm
TUD Dresden University of Technology, Lecture Theater 03
Chat with beetles?
Prof. Michael Müller, Chair of Forest Protection (TU Dresden)

Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 5:30 pm
Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Großer Saal
Can we discover the past using a shovel and wheelbarrow? Journeying with horse-riding nomads to the Iron Age!
Dr. Karina Iwe, Archaeologist and exhibition manager at the Book Museum of the Saxon State and University Library (SLUB)

The Children’s University Dresden is a joint project of the Deutsches Hygiene Museum and TUD Dresden University of Technology. Please visit the website for more information: www.ku-dresden.de.

The 2023/2024 winter semester is supported by DRESDEN-concept and CUP Laboratories Dr. Freitag GmbH.

The newspaper Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten is media partner.

Media inquiries:

TUD - Dresden University of Technology
Elisabeth Krollpfeiffer
Tel.: +49 351 463-32485

Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden
Martin Frank
Tel.: +49 351 4846-142