The summer brings the flowers into bloom and the popular event “Meet the luminary under the conifer” to TUD’s Botanical Garden. The shade of the trees provides the perfect setting to talk to our researchers about their approaches to unsolved problems and possible solutions for the future. All three afternoon events in June, July and August are free of charge and accessible (barrier-free).

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The power of art - Sri Lanka's new beginning after 26 years of civil war;
Prof. Stefan Horlacher
June 15, 2026, 3:30 - 4:30 pm:
How does art shape our society? This is the question that Prof. Stefan Horlacher (Chair of English Literatures, TUD) will delve into during the event on June 15. Sri Lanka is still struggling to find its identity, even some 16 years after the traumatic end of the civil war (1983-2009). "The way I see it," says Horlacher, "is that Sri Lanka would probably not have overcome its political problems after the long and bloody civil war without the enormous social impact of its literature, painting and theater groups." As a "luminary under the conifer," Horlacher discusses how art can guide us out of a supposedly deadlocked reality and contribute to change in his book "Contemporary Sri Lankan Literature and Art The Creation of a New Community in the Aftermath of War," which will be published in September.

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Summer in the city - heat adaptation through green infrastructure;
Prof. Matthias Mauder
July 20, 2025, 3:30 - 4:30 pm:
Summer in the city increasingly harbors the problem of excessive heat, which can affect health, quality of life and infrastructure. Prof. Matthias Mauder (Chair of Meteorology, TUD) is a proponent of green infrastructure — parks, green roofs or urban trees — as an effective way of adapting to the heat: they improve the microclimate, provide shade and cool their surroundings through evaporation. "We are researching the Earth system at the interface between the biosphere, atmosphere and anthroposphere. In light of climate change, these processes are highly relevant, but also very complex." How can green elements be integrated into Dresden's cityscape and are there already successful examples of climate change-friendly urban development? Mauder will explore these and other questions with visitors to the Botanical Garden on July 20.

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Researching and preventing forest fires with satellites;
Prof. Matthias Forkel
August 17, 2025, 3:30 - 4:30 pm:
Our forests are increasingly struggling to withstand the stress of hot and dry summers. Forest fires, like the one in Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland in 2022, are the result. On August 17, Professor Matthias Forkel (Junior Professorship in Environmental Remote Sensing, TUD) will describe how satellites can provide information on the causes of forest fires and assist in preventing them through targeted investigation of the affected areas. "Droughts, fires, and changes in vegetation all influence the climate and the carbon cycle," explains Forkel and adds: "It is fascinating how we can use satellites to visualize and measure global changes in ecosystems."

Meet the luminary under the conifer - key details:

• Dates for your diary: June 15, July 20; August 17,
• Time: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Location: behind Rainforest House I in the Botanical Garden, Stübelallee 2, 01307 Dresden (https://tu-dresden.de/bg/kontakt/informationen-fuer-besucher#section-3)
• All three events are free of charge and accessible (barrier-free).
• You do not need to register in advance.
• Events are canceled in the event of heavy rain.
• The events are recorded as an audio track.
• Website: https://tu-dresden.de/bg/veranst/termine/triff-die-koryphaee-unter-der-konifere

“Meet the luminary under the conifer” is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony as part of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments, and is also part of the “TUD in Dialogue” project.

Media inquiries:
Reinhild Müller
Public Relations
Botanical Garden of Dresden University of Technology
Tel. +49 351-459 3185