Public Events
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf regularly organizes popular science events that offer an ideal platform for dialog between science and society. In the various event formats, our researchers provide interesting insights into the three research areas of energy, health and matter.
On this page you will find information on current and past events of the HZDR.
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26.09.2026
HZDR at the IHK Dresden Apprenticeship Day
When: 26 September 2026, 10:00–16:00
Where: IHK Dresden, Langer Weg 4, 01239 Dresden
Admission: free of charge
Which apprenticeship is right for me? And what is it actually like to work at a research center? At the IHK Dresden Apprenticeship Day, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf presents its training and entry-level opportunities.
https://events.dresden.ihk.de/b?p=aktionstag-ausbildung
At HZDR, research, technology, IT, administration and workshops work closely together. This creates a wide range of tasks related to large-scale research facilities, modern laboratories and current future topics in energy, health and matter. Visitors can talk to trainees and experts, ask questions and find out more about apprenticeship pathways, everyday work and career prospects at the research center.
The Apprenticeship Day is aimed at school students, parents and everyone who would like to learn more about career opportunities after school.
07.09.2026
HZDR at MitMachMontag in Weißig
When: 7 September 2026, 16:00–19:00, followed by a demonstration from 19:00
Where: Platz des bunten Hochlands, Bautzner Landstraße 280b, 01328 Dresden-Weißig
How do we want to live together in our neighborhood? At MitMachMontag in Weißig, the focus is on standing together for diversity, democracy and peaceful coexistence. HZDR is taking part in the event and will be talking to interested visitors. We will be there with a stand featuring exciting experiments, information material and small giveaways.
The event offers space for encounters and exchange, creative hands-on activities for children and young people, as well as information stands on civic engagement. It invites people to start conversations and to take a shared stand for an open-minded Schönfelder Hochland.
06.09.2026
HZDR at the Open Government Quarter
When: 6 September 2026, 10:00–17:00
Where: Saxon State Ministry of Science, Wigardstraße 17, Dresden
At the Open Government Quarter, the Saxon State Government invites visitors to take a look behind the scenes around Carolaplatz in Dresden. HZDR will be on site with the ThaXonian project, presenting current research from Saxony.
ThaXonian focuses on the development of magnetic-field-based approaches for researching and potentially treating neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. Visitors can learn how researchers at HZDR work with magnetic fields, what role basic research plays on the path toward new therapeutic approaches, and how an interdisciplinary research project develops from a scientific idea.
The offer is aimed at families, young people and anyone who would like to learn more about science from Saxony and talk directly to the project team.
31.08.2026
HZDR at the “Dresden is(s)t bunt” Banquet
When: 31 August 2026, 16:00–20:00
Where: Neumarkt Dresden
At the “Dresden is(s)t bunt” banquet, people come together on Dresden’s Neumarkt to celebrate diversity, hospitality and open-minded coexistence. HZDR is also taking part in the event and invites visitors to join the conversation.
The banquet offers space for encounters, exchange and culinary diversity. Numerous institutions and initiatives help shape the afternoon and show how diverse Dresden is. HZDR uses the opportunity to engage with citizens and, as a research center, to send a signal for openness, dialogue and social cohesion.
26.06.2026
Long Night of Sciences 2026: Experience, try out and ask questions about research
When: 26 June 2026, 17:00–24:00
Where: HTW Dresden, Felsenkeller and COSMO Science Forum
On 26 June 2026, Dresden’s Long Night of Sciences once again invites visitors to discover, marvel and take part from 17:00 to midnight. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) will be represented with a varied program at several locations in Dresden.
At HTW Dresden, visitors can explore current research in the fields of energy, health and matter. Experiments with magnets and liquid metals, virtual reality, radiopharmacy, biotechnology and numerous hands-on activities make science directly tangible. The program is complemented by lectures on topics ranging from black holes and the building blocks of life to magnetohydrodynamics and matter from light.
HZDR research can also be discovered beyond HTW: at the underground laboratory in Dresden’s Felsenkeller, visitors can go deep below ground to explore nuclear fusion in the sun. At the COSMO Science Forum in Dresden’s city center, the “LICHTLINIEN” exhibition focuses on visible and invisible light.
We look forward to many curious guests and exciting conversations!
Here is the program: https://www.hzdr.de/db/Cms?pNid=3075
12.06.2026
Night of Science & Business Freiberg: From raw material to recycling
When: 12 June 2026, 18:00–22:30
Where: Business Mile, TU Bergakademie Freiberg North Campus, Winklerstraße 3–5, 09599 Freiberg
On 12 June 2026, Freiberg once again invites visitors to the Night of Science & Business. The Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) at HZDR will also be taking part, showing how modern research contributes to extracting, using and recycling raw materials more sustainably.
Under the motto “The cycle from raw material to recycling”, visitors can follow the path from deposit to the recovery of valuable materials at several stations. Topics include what plants can reveal about the subsurface, how rock is turned into metal, which raw materials are found in an electric car and how they can be recycled.
Processes for processing and metal extraction will also be explained in an accessible way. With experiments, exhibits and hands-on activities, HIF invites visitors to experience resource technology directly and talk to the researchers.
Discover, marvel and take part – we look forward to curious guests!
https://www.hzdr.de/db/Cms?pOid=77653&pNid=0&pLang=de
09.05.2026
Raw Materials Future Day: Discover research – shape the future
When: 9 May 2026, 10:00–16:00
Where: Bergbaumuseum Altenberg, Mühlenstraße 2, 01773 Altenberg
Organizers: HIF and Bergbaumuseum Altenberg
Poster and flyer
Raw Materials Future Day is aimed at families and interested citizens who would like to gain insight into current research activities related to raw materials in our region.
Researchers from the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg, TU Bergakademie Freiberg and other partners will present their current projects. Topics include:
new methods for exploring raw material deposits,
the recovery of valuable raw materials from contaminated sites, and
questions of public participation in raw material projects.
In addition to short specialist talks, visitors will have the opportunity to speak directly with scientists and learn more about their work in the region.
Young guests will also find plenty to enjoy: the Future Day is designed as a family day with numerous hands-on stations. Children and adults can explore research, geology and raw materials in a playful way.
TU Bergakademie Freiberg will also provide information about its study programs, while Julius-Weisbach-Schule Freiberg will offer insights into training pathways in raw materials and technology.
A special highlight is the Geomobile of the Geopark Sachsens Mitte, which will be on site with interactive activities and exciting content on raw materials, geology and recycling.
Admission to the event and to Bergbaumuseum Altenberg is free on this day. Guided tours of the visitor mine will be offered for a fee as required. Food and drinks will be available on site.
All interested visitors are warmly invited to experience an exciting day dedicated to the future of raw materials!
05.05.2026
Panel discussion for the opening of the exhibition “Rare Earths – 17 Fragments” with Dr. Franziska Lederer
When: 5 May 2026, 18:30
Where: Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin
Registration: free of charge
Mineralogical Collection
On the occasion of the artistic intervention “Rare Earths – 17 Fragments” by Philine Rinnert, the Naturwissen network invites guests to the panel discussion “Layer by Layer: Rare Earths at the Interface of Energy Transition, Trade, Visibility and Accessibility” on 5 May at 18:00.
The evening will focus on rare earths as key resources of our time: from their historical significance to their central role in current technological developments and future transformation processes. The discussion will address their relevance for the energy transition and digitalization, as well as the associated challenges: sustainable mining, recycling strategies, resource justice, global supply chains and geopolitical dependencies. The ecological and social consequences of raw material extraction will also be considered.
In addition, the discussion will focus on questions of visibility and invisibility: What material foundations support our digital and energy infrastructures – and why do they often remain invisible in everyday life? How are these resources negotiated socially, politically and economically? And what role can museums and cultural institutions play in making such hidden connections visible and opening them up for discussion?
The panel discussion is conceived as an open, multi-perspective forum that brings together different experiences and perspectives from science, business, politics, journalism, art and museum practice.
The evening will be moderated by Stephanie Rohde (Deutschlandfunk). Participants in the discussion include:
Simone Ehrenberg-Silies (Institute for Innovation and Technology)
Ursula Klein (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science)
Franziska Lederer (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, BioKollekt research group)
Andreas Pietsch (Noble Elements)
Sebastian Tappe (TU Freiberg, Chair of Economic Geology and Petrology)
The artistic intervention will be opened following the panel discussion.
11.03.2026
Career Dinner Talk
Join us for a panel discussion on “Rethinking Leadership: Collaboration at the Top” and reflect on new leadership concepts in an interconnected world. Female representatives from Technische Universität Dresden (TUD), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), EKFZ for Digital Health, and ROTOP Pharmaka GmbH will discuss collaborative leadership beyond traditional hierarchies, followed by informal networking with snacks and drinks.
- Location: HZDR (Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden / Building 114, Room 202)
- Date: March 11, 2026
- Time: 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM
The Career Dinner Talk will be held in English. It is organized by the HZDR Equal Opportunity Officer, the HZDR Career Center, and the HZDR Alumni Network. Participation is free of charge. Please register at https://events.hifis.net/e/careerdinnertalk/2026
15.01.2026
Career fair ORTE in Freiberg
Interested visitors were given the opportunity to find out about career opportunities at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology.
26.11.2025
Research meets music
The Dresden-based “Mitsingzentrale” was a guest at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and turned the large lecture hall into a stage for collective singing. Before the performance, visitors also had the opportunity to visit one of the HZDR’s large-scale research facilities.
01.09.2025
"Dresden is(s)t bunt" (Dresden diversity banquet)
At the annual "Dresden is(s)t bunt" banquet, thousands of guests come together to share their favorite food from all over the world and to meet in a cheerful atmosphere. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) was once again part of this vibrant event - together with more than 200 organisations from the region. The event was launched in 2015 as a civil society initiative to promote international openness and peaceful coexistence.
27. - 29.08.2025
ReMining 2025 Conference
For the first time recomine organized a three-day conference with exciting keynotes, project results from the alliance and interesting excursions in Freiberg and the Ore Mountains.
The recomine-alliance brings together companies, scientific and educational institutions, public authorities and non-governmental organizations from the extended region of the Ore Mountains. All have the goal of finding new solutions for contaminated sites from mining and metallurgy.
23.08.2025
Open Labs Day
On Saturday, August 23, 2025, around 5,000 visitors came to the open house at the Rossendorf research site. We would like to thank everyone for their great interest and enthusiasm for our research. Despite changeable weather, even more guests than expected flocked to our campus. There was a lively crowd at the more than 100 stations – more than 300 employees ensured that everything ran smoothly. The guided tours and laboratory tours were particularly popular. The stage program also attracted many spectators: the science show with Jack Pop, the demonstration by the Johanniter Dresden rescue dog team, and the panel discussion with Helmholtz President Otmar D. Wiestler and other participants were particular highlights.
Take a look at our picture gallery with the best moments here.
14.06.2024
Dresden Science Night
The 21st Dresden Science Night took place on June 14, 2024. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) presented itself with a broad program of lectures, exhibits and guided tours at the Dresden University of Applied Sciences and in the underground laboratory in Dresden's Felsenkeller. Around 150 HZDR scientists provided insights into their research projects. To coincide with the start of the European Football Championship a "soccer special" also awaited the visitors.
We have summarized the best moments of the Long Night in a picture gallery.
