Guided tours & Events

1. Public Tours (no registration required)

Dates: Every first Sunday of the month
Start time: 2:00 PM at the Earthquake Observatory site
Duration: Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours
Cost: These tours are free of charge and led by long-standing members of our association on a voluntary basis.
As we rely on donations to preserve the observatory, we would greatly appreciate a small contribution.
Even a donation of €5 per visitor helps us cover our most urgent expenses.

2. Private Group Tours (registration required)

On request, groups of around 8 or more people can book private tours, usually lasting 1.5 to 2 hours.
These are also conducted by our dedicated volunteer members.

Please use the registration form to let us know your preferred date.
We kindly ask for a donation of at least €75 per group as a contribution to the upkeep of the observatory
(exceptions possible for school classes).
We will confirm as soon as possible whether your requested date can be arranged.
If your tour is scheduled far in advance, we kindly ask you to reconfirm approximately two weeks before.

3. Tour Outline

A standard tour includes four key sections:

• The New Earthquake House, with insights into earthquakes and recent seismic events
• The Historic Earthquake House, featuring Wiechert’s still-functioning seismographs
• The Gauss House, with an introduction to geomagnetism and a demonstration of a replica Gauss-Weber telegraph
• The Drop of the 4-tonne Mintrop Ball, including a brief explanation of seismics

Parts of the tour take place outdoors.
We recommend sturdy footwear suitable for forest paths and weather-appropriate clothing.
Even in summer, a jumper or light jacket is advisable, as the thick-walled, windowless earthquake houses are often quite cool.

In rare cases, the Mintrop Ball drop may be cancelled due to weather or technical issues.

If the number of visitors is high, indoor spaces may be visited in smaller rotating groups.
We do not recommend tours for children under 10 years of age (especially school classes up to Year 5),
as the content is difficult to present in an age-appropriate way.
Of course, families are welcome to bring younger children at their own discretion.

[Click here to access the registration form for private tours]

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Lookimg back: ANNIVERSARY DAY Sat. August 23, 2 p.m. to approx. 5:30 p.m. – 20 years Wiechert’sche Erdbebenwarte association – more information to follow

Living history of science

Since taking over the site as the association “Wiechert’sche Erdbebenwarte Göttingen e.V.”, we have endeavoured to open the area to interested people to make the history of science come alive.

To be honest, we did not expect such huge crowds of families, groups, interested people and scientists over the years. Their enthusiasm has constantly motivated us to stick to our commitment, which we gladly did.

Anniversary events on 18 and 23 Sep. 2022

On Friday, 23 September, the Society held a festive matinée for invited guests at Holborn’s House in Göttingen. The focus of this event within the framework of the festive week for the 100th anniversary of the “Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft” (German Geophysical Society), founded on the initiative of Prof. Emil Wiechert, were the lectures by

Dr. Andreas Förster, Berlin, on “Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Friedrich Gauss – pioneers of geomagnetism” and

Dr. Bernd Leiss, University of Göttingen, on “Seismology in Göttingen from 1908 to today, application to a geothermal project”.

The weekend before, on 18 September, the association invited all interested parties to a special “Open Day” with guided tours and activities for adults and children.

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In addition, we organise guided tours for interested people and groups. Please let us know your preferences using the form “Your visit”.