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Just recently, the Landesvermessung und Geobasisinformation Brandenburg (LGB) published the Brandenburg parts of the historic survey by Schmettau. The maps were produced between 1767 and 1787 at a scale of 1:50000. As an example, this is Cottbus and surroundings (link takes you to the Brandenburg-Viewer):
Today, as every year, the NPD and other Nazis will come to Cottbus to use the 1945 bombings to spread their vile propaganda.
The association "Cottbus bekennt Farbe” organised a counter-demonstration and various other activities. The information on their website is only in German, however. The demonstrations start at 15:30 at the railway station and the university, resp., and meet at 17:30 on the Schillerplatz north of the theater. (South of it, the Nazis will meet.)
Today, Brandenburg's state parliament has passed a law to close the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus and the University for Applied Sciences Lausitz and to found a new Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg on 1 July.
This happens after almost one year of so-called “discussions” which never addressed reasons, costs and benefits of the whole procedure.
A sad day for democracy and science in Brandenburg.
Great time-lapse film by Jonathan Besler, from quite close to where I grew up in the Allgäu (southwest Bavaria, Germany):
The IKMZ entrance got a temporary roof already some time ago due to dropping glass panes, but now our Herzog & De Meuron jewel is completed by a real masterpiece of Lusatian scaffolding art:
Just a few days ago, weather was nice; and even yesterday it was only slightly cool (I was still wearing short trousers). And then, this morning, there's snow. This time of year, in Cottbus. Rather surprising. It snowed at least till noon, and slowly changed to rain. This is our garden in the morning:
First Snow in Cottbus, 27.10.2012.
The contrast between autumn and winter was quite nice in Puschkin Park:
In the light of the plans of the ministry of science, research and culture to close the universities in the Lausitz and found a new one, and to counter the negative picture painted by the media, statements of BTU alumni have been collected on the Mittelbau wiki. However, these statements are all in German, as far is I can see.
Also, Mittelbau employees explain why the joined BTU.
You'll find a bit more information in my German post, or ask me for a translation if you're interested.
The magazine Forschung&Lehre (Research&Teaching) of the Deutscher Hochschulverband (German Association of University Professors and Lecturers) published a short interview with Prof. Kunst, who wasn't minister of research and science back then, in its colum „Zu Ende gedacht“ (Thought through to the end) on 8 August 2010.
It contains these two gems:
If I were minister of research and science…
I wouldn't cut down the budget!
Prolonged exposition to Mrs Kunst's (and others') drivel causes massive de-braining. Humour seems the only way to counteract the MWFK's phrase-making facility. Thus, and in preparation for next week's public debate, I have prepared a Buzzword Bingo card:
Update 23.03.12: Now, I've set up a generator that produces always fresh bingo cards. For printing, there's a 2-on-1 version, and for paper-free players a interactive page.
Since a few days, there's another personal blog by a BTU researcher about the current university politics and Mrs Kunst's (and the ministry's) structure plans: btuinsider.wordpress.com. However, is in German only.
Until now, it contains two critical articles (about too-fast implementation and about Mrs Kunst's math skills), but I hope he/she will write more!
Update: Newarticle on the Mittelverteilungsmodell (budget distribution scheme).
I was surprised and delighted by how many people met for today's demonstration. At about 4pm, we gathered at BTU's Forum and then walked through town.
Hochschuldemo 19.03.12 – Audimax BTU
The destination was the Stadthaus on Altmarkt, where the City Parliament (Stadtverordnetenversammlung, SVV) met for a special session on the future of the universities in the Lusatia region. There, the minister for science, research and cultur, Mrs Kunst, die chairman of the Lusatia Evaluation Commission (Lausitzkommission), Prof. Emmerich, the presidents of both universities and representatives of the students were to present their opinions and arguments on the closing of the existing and founding of a new “energy university”, which was proposed by the minister.
Again, if you're interested in a translation, tell me.
I was able to find the last WoGE by Felix Bossert rather quickly. (I explained why in the comments there.) For a description what WoGE is, see below the fold. Previous WoGEs are collected by Felix on his blog and a KML file.
Now I may come up with a new puzzle. Again I try to offer something easier, to give newcomers a chance.
Where on Google Earth #336. Click to embiggen.
Now, Mr Wulff, the just-in-time retired Federal President, has been granted the honorary salary (“Ehrensold”, currently 199000€ ≈ $265000 plus office and a car with driver). How very fitting that this is decided by the Office of the Federal President, the head of which has been appointed by Wulff himself. (Sorry, the newspaper articles are in German only; perhaps Google Translate can make something of them.) In my opinion, the concept of “Ehre” (honour) is a bit peculiar, with some old-fashioned Germanic tinge to it, but comprises a necessary ingredient, which Wulff is lacking completely: common decency. Listening to any sense of decency, he would have waived the honorary salary, or at least postponed it to after the legal proceedings. After I had cooled down, I made a mistake:
I tried to imagine these 199000€ in proportion.
The EnergyMap project of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie e.V. (German Society for Solar Energy) presents the data that is collected as a requirement of the Renewable Energy Act. Sadly, the site is in German only. I'll give some pointers and translations to the interesting areas.
The energy map (Energiekarte) shows the distribution of various kinds of renewable energy (erneuerbare Energien, abbrev.
Florian Jenn – Research assisstant at the Department of Environmental Geology of the BTU Cottbus.
Interest besides geology and science in general: various nonsense one encounters in life, and cooking, especially Thai.
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Theme based on blog.txt by Scott Allan Wallick , modified and translated by Florian Jenn .
