"Saturdays at 12" Kicks Off the Winter Semester
Readings, lectures, concerts—the University of Siegen’s “Saturdays at 12” educational series kicks off the winter semester on October 31. The House of Science is offering five events as part of this series, all taking place in downtown Siegen on the Unteres Schloss campus at prime market time.
Prof. Christina Strunck will kick off the series. With the support of her cousin Peter Strunck, she has meticulously researched the history of her Sprendlingen family, piecing it together step by step. The result is the book *Die Aufsteiger. German Middle Class under Hitler: A Family History,” published by Rowohlt. The central question running through the book concerns political attitudes and the resulting—above all—economic benefits. The research focuses on patriarch Johann Strunck II and, subsequently, his children Hans, Käthi, Arthur, Erika, and Herbert. The author offers a very personal perspective on entanglement and crime, on atonement and exoneration. Location: US Seminar Center – S 002, Obergraben 25, Siegen
On Saturday, November 14, there will be “Music at 12” (this time at 8:00 p.m.). As part of the Night of Music, the university will open the doors to the US – C foyer on the Unteres Schloss campus. The guest performer is violinist and pianist Prof. Dr. Kolja Lessing. He will play music ranging from Czerny to Herchenröder (until 9 p.m.).
On November 28, the series continues with “Science at 12.” The guest will be author Tobias Hürter, who will discuss his book *The Age of Uncertainty: The Glorious and Dark Years of Physics, 1895–1945*. About the book: “During the golden age of physics, our thinking and the world were revolutionized. Tobias Hürter offers a captivating account of this era and the spectacular life stories of the great geniuses of natural science. And he shows how inextricably linked science and world events are. For we cannot observe the world without changing it. Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Planck, Bohr, Heisenberg, Schrödinger, and Einstein not only revolutionized physics but also reinvented our world—indeed, our very reality. They were intellectual adventurers, dandies, or nerds, bound together by deep friendships and bitter rivalries. The often-intersecting life paths of these heroes of thought offer a rich treasure trove of magnificent stories. And at the same time, their research triggered an unprecedented scientific breakthrough that led to a new worldview in physics—one that is still not fully understood today. Yet the age of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics was also an age of wars and revolutions. The discovery of radioactivity revolutionized science and ultimately led to the catastrophes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” (Klett-Cotta Publishing).
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Alexander Lenz. Location: US Seminar Center – S 002, Obergraben 25, Siegen
The year will conclude with a lecture by Johannes Weppler (German Aerospace Center) on December 12. He will address the topic “Back to the Moon – The Artemis Mission.” NASA’s Artemis II mission was successfully carried out in April 2026. It marked the first crewed lunar orbit in over 50 years.
Location: Seminar Center US – S 002, Obergraben 25, Siegen
To conclude the series in the 2026–27 winter semester, a “Literature at 12” event is planned for Saturday, January 30, 2027, “Literature at 12” is planned for Saturday, January 30, 2027, featuring a book presentation (Prof. Dr. Ralf Schnell) accompanied by music (Prof. Martin Herchenröder) at St. Martin’s Church in Siegen. More information to follow.
