Out of office
A gripping book. An exhibition. Travel. Good music. New culinary discoveries. These are the kind of things that make the world feel bigger and more alive. Sometimes they're so good they stay with you long after the moment has passed, carrying you through your everyday life. Once we've made it through what feels like three-quarters of the year in winter — if you know, you know — there's no better place than Berlin in summer to discover something new, no matter whether it's a bar, a gallery, a beer garden, a theatre, a club or a street festival. If I were your personal cultural guide for a day — not hired, not bribed, but completely biased — we'd start with breakfast at one of the cafés on Bölschestraße. Then we'd head out onto the water, either with our own boat or on a sightseeing cruise. You can never go wrong with an exhibition at Gropius Bau. And when it comes to combining art and summer, it's hard to beat the Liebermann Villa at Wannsee. We'd round off the day with an evening movie at the outdoor cinema in Kreuzberg, followed by a Neapolitan pizza at Il Pizzaiolo on Schlesische Straße.
I hope you'll all be back in Adlershof by September, when our very own open-air cinema returns for its second season. In this issue, you'll find the story behind Culture Meets Science at Work and a preview of this year's programme. This summer edition explores culture from a variety of different angles. In the immediate neighbourhood, we visited Kunstgießerei Altglienicke, home not only to a fine art foundry but also to its own gallery. Owner Anke Schirlitz told us how sculptures for places like Potsdam City Palace and Humboldt Forum come to life there. The members of our campus community have many talents that obviously go way beyond what they do professionally. In “Improv, dance and the world of the future”, we introduce three people who pursue remarkable passions outside of their work. And every now and then, we welcome extraordinary historical—or even extraterrestrial—objects to Adlershof. Earlier this year, scientists from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and BAM had the opportunity to carefully examine a Bronze Age sword. To discover the techniques they used and the secrets they uncovered, read the article “BESSY and the bronze sword”.
I wish you a wonderful summer full of great memories.
Sincerely,
Peggy Mory
Editor-in-chief
Articles
In conversation with Victoria Völker, who is fostering a sense of togetherness at GFaI
Cycling challenges, community clean-ups, corporate relay races and darts tournaments. These are but some of the activities at GFaI – Society for the Promotion of Applied Computer Science e. V. aimed at actively…
The polymath
Giovanni Bruno’s research focuses on neutrons, synchrotron radiation and temperature:
Even after decades in research, Giovanni Bruno has never lost his sense of wonder. Take heat-resistant glass, for example, a material he describes as “remarkable”. According to the laws of physics, glass expands when…
Improv, dance and the world of the future
Whether after work or at the weekend, people across the Adlershof campus pursue some remarkable passions. We spoke to three of them.:
When Anna Romanotto wants to unwind after a day in the laboratory, she goes for a run. Occasionally she will sit herself behind her husband's drum kit. The 48-year-old is one of two authorised signatories at PiCA…
The perfect blend
Nosh.bio’s superfood arrives at Speisemanufaktur Adlershof:
Nosh.bio’s fungal protein is making beef more sustainable. Guests of the restaurant Speisemanufaktur Adlershof can taste the difference for themselves. Whenever the “Cheeseburger Nosh Style” appears on the weekly…
Materials research: BESSY and the bronze sword
A historic artefact was examined at the Adlershof Particle Accelerator:
A weapon is not the sort of object you would expect to find at a particle accelerator. Yet earlier this year, a Bronze Age sword found its way to Berlin: 60 centimetres long, richly decorated, more than 3,400 years…
In synch with success
Two companies who broke out in Adlershof now move into their own headquarters:
Both began life as start-ups in Adlershof and are now, as medium-sized companies, moving into their own headquarters on the site. Music is important to both founders, not only in terms of business. “Not the trombone.…
Movies under the stars
Culture meets Science at Work invites audiences to a summer of cinema in Adlershof:
When the weather warms up, film lovers head to Berlin's open-air cinemas to enjoy the city's unmistakable summer vibe. Venues in the districts Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are perennial favourites, while Freiluftkino…
Choreography in bronze
Traditional craftsmanship creates contemporary one-of-a-kind works at Kunstgießerei Altglienicke:
Bronze casting is one of the oldest techniques used in the history of art. At Kunstgießerei Altglienicke, Anke Schirlitz is carrying on this tradition and love for art. An art historian and cultural manager by trade,…
News in brief
Ulf Leser voted HU Vice-President
On 28 April 2026, the Academic Council of Humboldt-Universität elected new vice presidents: Prof. Dr. Ulf Leser (Research) and Prof. Dr. Beate Lütke (Vice President for Academic Affairs). Ulf Leser is Professor of Knowledge Management in Bioinformatics at HU and has been conducting research there since 2002 in a wide range of interdisciplinary projects. He is currently spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Centre “Foundations of Workflows for Large-Scale Scientific Data Analysis (FONDA)”, deputy spokesperson for the Research Training Group “Computation in Cancer” and also vice dean for Research at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
Adlershof Research Forum
The Adlershof Research Forum is a full-day conference co-organised by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, IGAFA e. V. and WISTA Management GmbH every two years. It offers an overview of the latest research and technology highlights from Adlershof through keynote presentations, pitch sessions and a poster exhibition. This year's conference will take place on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at the Erwin Schrödinger Centre, Rudower Chaussee 26, Berlin.
Open air cinema Culture meets Science at Work
With the event series Culture meets Science at Work, WISTA is inviting film lovers to Adlershof. On 25 August and 2 and 8 September 2026, audiences can enjoy a varied programme of films from a range of genres on the lawn behind WISTA headquarters at Volmerstraße 2.
Look forward to an exciting film programme accompanied by a small, specially curated supporting programme. Drinks and snacks will be available.
Admission is free, with donations welcome. Please bring your own seating.
Falling Walls Lab Berlin-Adlershof
Falling Walls Lab (FWL) is an international pitch competition and networking forum for students and people starting their careers, giving participants the opportunity to present groundbreaking ideas in three-minute pitches. On 7 July 2026 at 2.00 pm, the 15 finalists of Falling Walls Lab Berlin-Adlershof will present their research projects, ideas and initiatives relevant to society at Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Straße 11. Visitors are very welcome to attend. FWL Berlin-Adlershof is hosted by the Joint Initiative of Non-University Research Institutes Adlershof (IGAFA e.V.) and BAM. The winner will qualify for the Falling Walls Lab Final in Berlin on 6 November.
Best of “Adlershof Journal”
WISTA Magazine
We also report on the other WISTA Future Sites and cross-cutting topics in Potenzial:
