Astronomical Collection

FAU’s Astronomical Collection is housed in the Dr. Karl Remeis Observatory in Bamberg, which is named after its donor.

Dr. Karl Remeis, a lawyer from Bamberg, left his large estate to the city on the condition that it be used to set up an observatory. Opened in 1889, the observatory was originally run by its own foundation before it was incorporated into what is now the Department of Physics at FAU. Almost all of the original instruments that were purchased when the observatory was established, such as telescopes and measuring equipment, have been preserved, along with the observatory’s books. They reflect developments in astronomical observation techniques since the 19th century and are a valuable record of the history of astronomy.

In addition to the astronomical devices, the Institute of Astronomy also owns an extensive collection of over 40,000 astronomical slides, some of which are over 100 years old. Half of the images were taken in Bamberg between 1911 and 1962, while the other half were taken at the observatory’s branch in South Africa. This slide collection is the only one in the world that documents changes in the southern sky in the 1960s, making it an important resource for research.

Go to collection website (in German)

Address

Astronomisches Institut
Dr. Karl-Remeis-Sternwarte
Sternwartstr. 7
96049 Bamberg

Contact

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Heber
ulrich.heber@sternwarte.uni-erlangen.de
+49 951 9522214

Tours available upon request