News of July 25, 2025

Open Labs Day at HZDR – Journey into the realm of knowledge

A varied and family-friendly program

Event booklet

With a total of 114 program items, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) invites you to experience science up close and engage with researchers on Saturday, August 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Numerous guided tours of large-scale equipment and laboratories will give visitors a glimpse behind the scenes of current research and allow them to discover its full scope. There will also be a variety of interactive activities for young guests, inviting them to experiment. The event is co-organized by VKTA – Strahlenschutz, Analytik & Entsorgung Rossendorf e. V. and HZDR Innovation GmbH.

The Open Lab Day immerses visitors in the fascinating world of research – where curiosity leads to discovery. Together with its partners, the HZDR works in the fields of energy, health, and matter. There are lab tours, experiments, hands-on stations, and lectures on all areas to give visitors a comprehensive picture of the latest research results and possible practical applications.

The HZDR’s internationally sought-after infrastructures, such as the Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory (HLD), the Ion Beam Center (IBC), and Saxony's largest research facility, the ELBE electron accelerator, are open to visitors. On this day, guests can take a look at the laboratories of the high-power lasers DRACO and PENELOPE, used to generate plasmas for particle acceleration.

The world's fastest X-ray tomograph (ROFEX) can also be visited. During live demonstrations, visitors can see inside surprise eggs or watch a smoothie being mixed live using X-ray tomography.

High-performance computers, storage systems, and fast network technology can be experienced during tours of the new data center.

Those who are particularly interested in radiopharmacy can learn how ionizing radiation helps in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Laboratory tours in the pharmacy and biology control area will also be possible on this day as a special exception. 

Ion beams can also be used to unlock the secrets of art treasures. At the ion beam analysis measuring station, visitors will be shown how valuable art objects can be examined without causing damage.

On Open Lab Day, visitors can also hand in their old cell phones at the booth of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) and thus contribute to recycling research. The batteries of the collected cell phones are processed so that valuable materials, the black mass, can be recovered and used for new batteries.

Starting at 1:30 p.m., experts will discuss the topic “Everything will change?! A discussion about structural change, science, and our common future”.

At 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., the big “Hollywood Science Show” will take place with entertainer Jack Pop.

In between, the Dresden-based duo “Retroskop” will swing with oldies, pop, German-language ballads, and a pinch of rock.

Program for children and young people

For little research fans, there is an exciting entertainment program with numerous experiment stations. Even your own stuffed animal (please bring it with you!) can be examined.

The DeltaX Student Laboratory offers exciting and interesting stations where questions about light, radioactivity, plants, and magnetic materials are answered with experiments. A special highlight for anyone who wants to test their scientific knowledge is the big DeltaX Science quiz.

One highlight that is sure to appeal to even the youngest guests is a visit to the HZDR plant fire department, which invites visitors to take a look inside its fire trucks and provides information about its work at the Rossendorf research campus.

Due to limited parking, visitors are encouraged to use the free shuttle buses, which run every 15 minutes between Ullersdorfer Platz (terminus of tram line 11) and the research campus via the Weißig shopping center.

More information is available at www.hzdr.de/tol 

Admission to the “Open Lab Day” is free. Registration is not required.

Further information:
Camille Toggenburger I Communication & Media Relations at HZDR
Phone: +49 351 260 3498 I email: c.toggenburger@hzdr.de