Science meets City Life
Marburg celebrates its Excellence Success with a Colorful Program
From research to parties and pub quizzes, Marburg has shown how exciting science can be. On 6 September 2025, the university, city and Max Planck Institute transformed the market square into an open-air laboratory for the Cluster of Excellence Festival, delighting passers-by and guests with hands-on experiments, short science talks and an evening pub quiz.
'Our research does not remain hidden; it has an impact where it is needed: at the heart of society. Together with the city, our partners and a strong network of supporters, we are celebrating the success of the Excellence Strategy,' said Gert Bange, Vice-President for Research at Philipps University.
In the morning, invited guests met in the historic town hall. Mayor Dr Thomas Spies, University President Prof Dr Thomas Nauss, MPI Director Prof Dr Helge Bode and University Association Chairman Dr Lutz Bonacker welcomed the audience. Then, researchers presented the two clusters of excellence: The Adaptive Mind (TAM) and Microbes for Climate (M4C).
From 12:15 pm, the festivities took a more hands-on turn in the market square.
Scientists presented their research topics at booths and invited visitors to experiment, with activities ranging from VR glasses to mini-experiments for children and adults. The Science Box featured entertaining short lectures that explained complex topics in an accessible way, proving that science brings people together.
Science Box and Experiments for Children
Could we make 'plastic from the air'? What do bacteria actually look like, what can they do, and why do they come in so many different forms? How could research help improve the memory of people with Parkinson's disease? Young scientists from the Max Planck Institute and the university presented objects to demonstrate their work, sparking enthusiasm among visitors. 'We would love to do this more often,' said one visitor.
The youngest scientists, however, could be found inside the pavilions of the clusters of excellence. Children mashed strawberries to extract DNA, which appeared as a transparent mass, solved puzzles and adorned themselves with colourful children's tattoos. On this busy Saturday morning, many visitors spontaneously enjoyed these colourful activities against a historic backdrop.
The Science PubQuiz finale
The highlight of the evening was the FCMH Science PubQuiz. This format, which originated in Heidelberg, celebrated its Marburg premiere at the Café am Markt, where it provided great entertainment for a packed audience. Starting at 8 p.m., teams of friends, families and quiz enthusiasts competed against each other. The questions covered topics ranging from microbes and brain research to space travel, and were supplemented by fun mini-games and creative guessing rounds. A particular eye-opener was a live experiment to test whether a mobile phone still has reception when wrapped in aluminium foil. During the interval, Vice President of Research Gert Bange took part in a bar talk with the moderation team, answering questions about his favourite bacterium. He explained why we get sore muscles and why excellence recognition is so important for the University of Marburg in one sentence.
Two excellence clusters for Marburg
The University of Marburg is celebrating the approval of two Excellence Clusters as part of the Excellence Strategy 2025.
The M4C project (Microbes for Climate) brings together cutting-edge research from the University of Marburg and the Max Planck Institute to understand the role of microbes in climate change, reconstruct their history on Earth and use them to convert greenhouse gases sustainably.
The TAM project combines the fields of psychology, neuroscience, AI research and robotics from the universities of Giessen, Marburg and Darmstadt. The goal is to understand the universal principles of human adaptability in basic research, with the long-term aim of improving mental health and technology.
