The Federal President visits the BTU

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has moved his official residence to Lusatia for three days. From May 9 to 11, he will conduct his official business from Senftenberg in Brandenburg. In this context, he will be a guest on the Senftenberg campus of the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) on Thursday, May 11.

Senftenberg is the seventh "Local Time Germany" of the Federal President. The head of state leaves Berlin and Bellevue Palace, he travels out into the regions to talk to citizens: about current challenges, wishes, concerns and our democracy - openly and with interest, controversially and respectfully.

At the BTU's Senftenberg site, the president visits a modern laboratory facility, the Technikum, where he learns about current research projects in the fields of molecular cell biology, thermodynamics, enzyme technology, physical chemistry and inorganic chemistry, among others. Afterwards, he will get to know the mobile school laboratory Science on Tour, which brings science and research to schools and gets students excited about science and technology. Finally, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will discuss the transformation of Lusatia with BTU President Prof. Dr. Gesine Grande and other representatives of the university and student body. The focus will be on the forward-looking cooperation project "Lusatia Science Park".

In Senftenberg, the Federal President would like to get an impression of what particularly moves the people, how they have mastered the times of upheaval after the fall of the Wall and how they are preparing for new challenges such as the planned phase-out of coal mining. The city on the Black Elster River with its 23,000 inhabitants is an example of far-reaching economic and social upheaval and structural change - from industrial city to tourism center and attractive business and science location.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Copyright: Federal Government/Steffen Kugler