Volkssternwarte Erfurt

About the museum

The Erfurt observatory dates back to 1911, when a school observatory was opened at the Oberrealschule. Its director, Alfred Priem, saved the school’s Zeiss lens (130 mm aperture) during the war in 1943/44 by moving it out of harm’s way before the air raid of 1945. After the war he campaigned for a new building in the fortress tower of the Cyriaksburg. There the observatory has been housed since 1950, with a Zeiss dome and a new mount.

The two gun towers were built in 1528, later converted and partly buried in earth. One of them now serves as the observatory, the other as a lookout tower. After 1978 the refractor was restored and a permanent exhibition was set up in the tower. During the garden show on the grounds, very many visitors came at times. After reunification, visitor numbers fell sharply.

Since 1996 the association Erfurter Sternfreunde, founded in 1992, has run the observatory on a volunteer basis. For the refractor’s hundredth anniversary in 2011, it was restored and modernized. In addition there is a 12-inch mirror telescope and, with a solar filter and H-alpha eyepiece filter, the option to observe the Sun.

Highlights

• Zeiss refractor more than 100 years old
• Zeiss dome in the Cyriaksburg fortress tower
• 12-inch Meade mirror telescope
• Sun observation with Herschel wedge and H-alpha filter
• Public observing evenings in the winter half-year

Permanent exhibition

• Zeiss-Refraktor und Beobachtungskuppel – Historic Zeiss refractor from 1911 under the Zeiss dome, supplemented by a 12-inch mirror telescope and facilities for observing the Sun.

Founded

1950

Operated by

Erfurter Sternfreunde e. V.

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The observatory is located in a historic fortress tower; access is via a staircase.

Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The observatory is on the grounds of the ega (Cyriaksburg); the meeting point is the service entrance.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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