German Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space and Bavarian State Minister for Science and the Arts visit ESO Headquarters

Today, Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space of the Federal Republic of Germany visited the ESO Headquarters in Garching bei München, Germany. She was joined by the Bavarian State Minister for Science and the Arts Markus Blume. Both ministers were welcomed to the site by ESO’s Director General Xavier Barcons, before meeting an ESO delegation that included the Director of Engineering Sara Krauss and the Director of La Silla Paranal Observatory Thomas Klein. This visit provided an excellent opportunity for the Ministers to learn more about ESO’s contributions to technology and research, and to strengthen the links between ESO and Germany, a founding member and host state of the ESO headquarters. It’s the first time Dorothee Bär, who took over her current role just six weeks ago, visits ESO’s premises. 

Federal Minister Bär said: “After 30 years, the two topics space and astronomy are once again part of the Research Ministry. This is a good outcome of the 2025 government coalition agreement! Now is the time to seize the political opportunity for a coherent research and technology policy along the entire innovation chain. As ground-based astronomical research and space research belong together, we should co-develop these two fields strategically. This is good for both German and European cutting-edge research and the German and European economy! Research contracts for German and European astronomy are technology drivers in many fields, e.g. adaptive optics and detectors. Moreover, European research successes in astronomy regularly offer opportunities for secondary utilization, including in private applications. This is also very often a huge benefit for Europe, for our economies and societies.”

State Minister Markus Blume said:“At the ESO Southern Observatory, you go out differently than you went in: humbled, because you realise that we are just a small light in the universe. And at the same time, you realise that humans are obviously particularly unique. That makes you curious — and curiosity is the great driver of scientific excellence, as we also experience here at ESO. Here, we are not satisfied with the limits of human knowledge — here, the boundaries are constantly being pushed, literally reaching for the stars. The range of achievements that ESO scientists accomplish on a daily basis is impressive! Their work is exemplary in demonstrating that basic research — especially in international co-operation — is the basis of all innovation. ESO is a fantastic European joint endeavour! We are proud to be able to host this international and ultra-modern science centre in Bavaria. The new Federal Minister Dorothee Bär has made an excellent choice in choosing ESO as the venue for her inaugural visit to Bavaria.”

ESO’s Director General Barcons said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Federal Minister Bär and State Minister Blume to our headquarters here in Garching. Germany is a long-standing and strongly supporting Member State of ESO, with various academic institutions and companies in the country making key contributions to our ground-based astronomy facilities in Chile. ESO is glad to see so many scientific breakthroughs by German astronomers, including Nobel Prize Winner Reinhard Genzel, making use of ESO’s telescopes. From our home in southern Germany, we look forward to many more years of successful collaboration with both Bavaria and Germany.” 

After learning about ESO’s facilities and telescopes, its activities in technology development and its role in enabling breakthrough astronomy research, the Ministers were given a tour of the Garching headquarters, which included a stop at the Large Integration Hall. This hub of engineering is where some components for the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) are developed and tested, alongside elements and instruments for other facilities. ESO’s ELT has strong contributions from German academia and industry; for example, one of the telescope’s first-generation instruments is being developed by a consortium led by a German institution while a German company received multiple contracts to produce ELT mirror blanks.  

The visit ended with a tour of the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre, an outreach centre where visitors can learn about astronomy, technology, and ESO’s work through exciting planetarium shows and exhibitions in both English and German.