The year 2012 is for Hamburg Observatory the 100th jubilee. It was built at its present location in Hamburg-Bergedorf between 1906 and 1912. The buildings mirror the architecture of that time, and the impressive collection of instruments form an important historical record of astronomical research. The whole ensemble was put under monument protection in 1996 due to its significance in cultural history. A highlight in Hamburg's history was the invention of the Schmidt Telescope around 1930.
But Astronomy started in Hamburg already with Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) in 1600, who stayed in Wandsbek Castle, at that time under Danish governement. In Baroque time, in the 18th Century, private astronomical observatories were erected. The School of Navigation in Hamburg was founded in 1749.
Hamburg Observatory has also a longer tradition. It was founded by the fire fighter Johann Georg Repsold (1770-1830) in 1802, got a new building in 1825 and became a State Institute in 1833. In the 19th century positional astronomy, combined with a time service for navigation, played an important role, and the institute was well known in the astronomical world for its achievements. In the 20th century astrophysics started to play the dominant role.
The "Förderverein Hamburger Sternwarte" (Friends of Hamburg Observatory), founded in 1998, helps to open the observatory to the public by organising various events like lectures, guided tours, Long Nights of Museums, Day of the Open House, exhibitions, star gazing activities and cultural events (lyric moonlit nights, musical presentations).
Hamburger Observatory in Bergedorf - where in Hamburg the Sun rises.
Several sessions of papers are scheduled and we invite you to submit an abstract of a proposed paper. We welcome papers on subjects including historic telescopes and accessories, early observatories and astronomers, astronomical instrument makers, the history of optics, and especially the history, construction, and preservation of telescopes. Submit (email) your abstracts to the Papers Coordinator: Peter Abrahams
Deadline for Submission of Abstracts: September 4, 2012. Early applications would be helpful. Your abstract should be brief, preferably no more than 200 words. In general, our presentations are limited to 20 minutes.
We would like to encourage speakers to prepare their presentations for publication in the Journal of the ATS.
12.30 h - Lunch in the Seminar room (Sonnenbau)
Visitor Center (Besucherzentrum) Sternwarte HH for catering
13.30 h - Bart Fried: China's Astronomical Treasures
14.20 h - Coffee
14.30 h - Irena Kampa: The telescopes of Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687) - about polemoscopes, lens grinding machines and giant tubes
15.00 h - Gudrun Wolfschmidt: Guided Tour of Hamburg Observatory
Evening: 20 h: Dinner in Café-Restaurant La Note in Bergedorf Castle
Bergedorfer Schloßstraße 4 21029 Hamburg, Tel. 040 / 721 040 30
Keynote by Jim Caplan (Marseille): Measuring angles in the sky, with and without telescopes,
and other historical curiosities
Saturday, 29. September 2012
9.00 h - Walter Stephani & Roger Ceragioli: Walter & Roger's Telescope Adventures with Bernhard Schmidt
10.00 h - Hans Seeger: Historic handheld Zeiss Binoculars -
what is documented, what has to be done?
10.30 h - Coffee
10.45 h - Susanne M. Hoffmann: Edwin Rolf's Giant Schupmann-telescope in Rathenow
11.20 h - Detlef Groote: Digitization of Hamburg Observatory Plate Archives (Web page)
11.40 h - Wayne Orchiston & Carl Romick: J.H. Marriott: New Zealand's First Professional Telescope-maker
12.00 h - Lunch in the Seminar room (Sonnenbau)
Visitor Center (Besucherzentrum) Sternwarte HH for catering
13.00 h - Wolfgang Busch: From the extreme Zeiss B lens to my simple Oil Contact HAB system
13.20 h - Coffee
13.40 h - Jim Caplan (Marseille): The Marseille Observatory and its telescopes
14.10 h - Depart by S-Bahn from Bergedorf station to Hamburg center (main railway station): Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Arts and Crafts Museum)
with a collection of scientific instruments, astrolabes, sun dials, torquetum, ...
15.30 h: Contact: Dr. des. Christine Kitzlinger
17 h Guided tour through Hamburg
to places of interest in respect to history of astronomy
by Gudrun Wolfschmidt
Evening: 20 h - Dinner - Restaurant in the cellar of the City Hall
ParlAment,
Rathausmarkt 1, 20095 Hamburg
Alscher, Beatrix: The 1m-Reflector of the Hamburg Observatory: an Object of Technical Heritage - a Preservation Concept.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Astronomical Observatories 2010, S. 292/293-303.
Dufner, Barbara: ,,Den Himmel fest im Blick." Eine wissenschaftliche Biografie über den Astro-Optiker Bernhard Schmidt. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner (Studien zur modernen Geschichte, Band 56) 2002.
Hünsch, Matthias: The Telescopes of Hamburg Observatory - History and Present Situation.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Astronomical Observatories 2010, S. 274/275-283.
Keller, Ruth und Beatrix Alscher: Farben an Technischem Kulturgut - Bedeutung und Restaurierung. In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Colours in Culture and Science.
200 Years Goethe's Colour Theory. Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Symposium in Hamburg, Oct. 12-15, 2010. Hamburg: tredition (Nuncius Hamburgensis - Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften; Band 22) 2011, S. 94/95-107.
Koch, Jürgen W.: Der Briefwechsel zwischen Johann Caspar Horner und Johann Georg Repsold. Norderstedt: BoD 1999.
Koch, Jürgen W.: Der Briefwechsel zwischen Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel und Johann Georg Repsold. Norderstedt: BoD 2000.
Koch, Jürgen W.: Der Briefwechsel von Johann Georg Repsold mit Carl Friedrich Gauß und Heinrich Christian Schumacher. Norderstedt: BoD 2000.
Koch, Jürgen W.: Der Hamburger Spritzenmeister und Mechaniker Johann Georg Repsold (1770-1830), ein Beispiel für die Feinmechanik im norddeutschen Raum zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts. Norderstedt: Books on Demand 2001.
Koch, Jürgen W.: Die restlichen, noch nicht publizierten Briefe von und an Johann Georg Repsold (1770-1830) - Kommentierte Übertragung der Brieftexte. Norderstedt: BoD 2010.
Kost, Jürgen: Die Äquatoreale der Firma Repsold in Hamburg.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (Hg.): Hamburgs Geschichte einmal anders - Entwicklung der Naturwissenschaften, Medizin und Technik, Teil 3. Hamburg: tredition science (Nuncius Hamburgensis - Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften; Band 20) 2011, S. 62/63-77.
Kunzmann, Börn: Real and Virtual Heritage - Historical Astronomical Plate Archives in Sonneberg, Bamberg and Hamburg. Observatories, the Evolution of Astrophysics and their Influence on Human Knowledge and Culture.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Astronomical Observatories 2010, S. 304/305-309.
Lange, Wolfgang: Johann Elert Bode und Johann Franz Encke - zwei Hamburger Astronomen in Berlin.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (Hg.): Hamburgs Geschichte einmal anders - Entwicklung der Naturwissenschaften, Medizin und Technik, Teil 2. Norderstedt: Books on Demand (Nuncius Hamburgensis - Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften; Band 7) 2009, S. 70-103.
Lühning, Felix: ,,... eine ausnehmende Zierde und Vortheil'' - Geschichte der Kieler Universitätssternwarte und ihrer Vorgängerinnen 1770-1950. Neumünster: Wachholtz Verlag (Sonderveröffentlichungen der Gesellschaft für Kieler Stadtgeschichte, Band 56) 2007.
Machoczek, Detlev: Der Hamburger Zeitball - Ein Zeitsignal für die Schifffahrt. In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (Hg.): Hamburgs Geschichte einmal anders - Entwicklung der Naturwissenschaften, Medizin und Technik, Teil 3. Hamburg: tredition science (Nuncius Hamburgensis - Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften; Band 20) 2011, S. 78/79-89.
Reimers, Dieter: Geschichte und Zukunft der Hamburger Sternwarte.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Astronomical Observatories 2010, S. 318/319-325.
Schramm, Jochen mit Beiträgen von Gudrun Wolfschmidt, Matthias Hünsch und Dieter Engels: Sterne über Hamburg. Die Geschichte der Astronomie in Hamburg. Hamburg: Kultur- und Geschichtskontor 1996, neue Auflage 2010.
Seemann, Agnes: The Hamburg Observatory - A Cultural Monument of National and International Importance.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Astronomical Observatories 2010, S. 326/327-331.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Sterne über Hamburg - Höhepunkte der Entwicklung der Astronomie im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (Hg.): Hamburgs Geschichte einmal anders - Naturwissenschaft, Medizin und Technik in Hamburg, Teil 1. Norderstedt: Books on Demand (Nuncius Hamburgensis, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften; Bd. 2) 2007, S. 101/102-137.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Stiftungen zugunsten der Hamburger Sternwarte(n).
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (Hg.): Astronomisches Mäzenatentum.
Proceedings des Symposiums in der Kuffner-Sternwarte in Wien,
7.-9. Oktober 2004: Astronomisches Mäzenatentum in Europa.
Norderstedt: Books on Demand (Nuncius Hamburgensis, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften; Band 11) 2008, S. 30/31-51.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: ,,Sterne weisen den Weg'' - Geschichte der Navigation. Katalog zur Ausstellung in Hamburg und Nürnberg.
Norderstedt: Books on Demand (Nuncius Hamburgensis, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften; Band 15) 2009 (336 Seiten, 141 Farbseiten).
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Cultural Heritage: Astronomical Observatories (around 1900) - From Classical Astronomy to Modern Astrophysics. Proceedings of International ICOMOS Symposium, organized by Gudrun Wolfschmidt, Hamburg, October 15-17, 2008. Berlin: Hendrik Bäßler (Monuments and Sites; Nr. XVIII) 2009.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun and Henry Schlepegrell: Restoration Activities of the Observatory Buildings - Past and Future.
In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Astronomical Observatories 2010, S. 323/333-337.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Bernhard Schmidt and the Development of the Schmidt Telescope. In: Astronomische Nachrichten - Astronomical Notes 330 (2009), No. 6, p. 555-561.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Die Hamburger Sternwarte - Der Weg zum Weltkulturerbe? In: Schramm 2010, S. VI-XI.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Bernhard Schmidt and the Schmidt telescope for Mapping the Sky. In: Expanding the Universe. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference celebrating 200th anniversary of opening the Old Tartu Observatory, April 27-29, 2011 Tartu, Estonia. Ed. by Chris Sterken, Laurits Leedjärv and Elmo Tempel. Baltic Astronomy, vol. 20 (2011), p. 111--119.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Die Hamburger Sternwarte in Bergedorf - zwischen Tradition und Moderne. Forschungsverbund zur Kulturgeschichte Hamburgs 1848-1933 (FKGHH) - Sammelband zur Kulturgeschichte Hamburgs 1848-1933. Vorträge der Arbeitstagung ,,Modernisierungsprozesse''. Hg. von Dirk Hempel. .... Hamburg 2012, S. ....
Astronomical Clocks - Representation of Power.
In: Astronomy and Power - How worlds are structured. European Society for Astronomy in Culture - Société Européenne pour l'astronomie dans la culture (SEAC) Proceedings of the 18th Annual Meeting 2010 in Gilching near Munich. Ed. by Michael A. Rappenglück, Barbara Rappenglück and Nick Campion. Oxford, England: Archaeopress / British Archaeological Reports (B.A.R.) 2012.
13.30 -14.00 h Exhibition - 275 Years of Göttingen University
"Objects of Knowledge",
University Library, Pauliner Church, Papendiek 14, 37073 Göttingen
Guided Tour: Kai Bröking.
Ibis am Holzmarkt, Teichgraben 1, 07743 - Jena
(59.- online booking or 69.- Euro for a room
for one or two persons without breakfast, can be booked extra)
Hotel Papiermühle Brauereigasthof, Erfurter Straße 102, 07743 Jena
(50 + 7 (breakfast) / double room 77 + 14 Euro)
may be good for dinner (typical Thüringen)
Antique Telescope Society (ATS) Convention
The year 2012 is for Hamburg Observatory the 100th jubilee. It was built at its present location in Hamburg-Bergedorf between 1906 and 1912. The buildings mirror the architecture of that time, and the impressive collection of instruments form an important historical record of astronomical research. The whole ensemble was put under monument protection in 1996 due to its significance in cultural history. A highlight in Hamburg's history was the invention of the Schmidt Telescope around 1930. 
11.00 - Coffee
May 10, 2012, last update: 26. August 2013