Stadtwerke Gießen has supported the Mathematikum from the very beginning.The two partners are extending their successful collaboration - initially until the end of 2020.
A giant soap bubble in which a person can stand, a Penrose mosaic in which no periodically repeated basic pattern is created despite the symmetrical individual pieces or a ball track in which the balls can find different ways down - these and around 170 other experiments and games delight visitors to the Mathematikum, the world's first mathematical hands-on museum. For more than 15 years, the exciting exhibits from the otherwise rather unapproachable world of numbers and formulae have fascinated hundreds of visitors every day. "Our approach was to take a playful approach to the often anxiety-ridden subject of mathematics and make it understandable in the truest sense of the word," says Prof Dr Albrecht Beutelspacher, describing the idea behind the museum.
A real success story
It all started with a seminar in the Faculty of Mathematics at Justus Liebig University. At the time, Prof Dr Albrecht Beutelspacher set the task of building geometric models and explaining the mathematics behind them. As the students invariably produced outstanding work, it was soon clear that others should also be able to marvel at the works. After exhibitions in Giessen, Nuremberg and Berlin, the mathematics professor received the Communicator Prize for the project, an award presented by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft for particularly successful popularisations. The go-ahead had been given for the Mathematikum in Giessen.
"Then everything happened very quickly," recalls Prof Dr Albrecht Beutelspacher. In its very first year, the Mathematikum exceeded all expectations - more than 120,000 visitors found their way to Liebigstraße. This means that more than twice as many people came to the newly built museum than predicted. Consequently, the decision was made to go ahead with the extension planned from the outset in the following year. In November 2003, those responsible were able to open the extension on the first floor.
Involved right from the start
Like many other cultural institutions, a museum like the Mathematikum is dependent on the support of sponsors. "It was clear to us from the outset that we would sponsor one of the exhibits," explains Ina Weller, company spokesperson for Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG), on the occasion of the signing of the cooperation agreement. The document regulates the co-operation between the Mathematikum and SWG for a further three years.
There was never any question that the organisers of the Mathematikum would be able to count on SWG in the future. "As a company with regional roots, we are aware of our responsibility. That's why we have always supported the local cultural programme in addition to various sporting and social projects," explains Ina Weller. It is precisely in this sector that the extraordinary museum plays a central role. It attracts visitors of all ages to Giessen - even from further afield. Thousands of schoolchildren have learnt where maths can be found in everyday life with the help of the many different exhibits. "This opens up a whole new approach, reduces fear of contact, provides insights and helps with understanding," Ina Weller is certain.
However, SWG not only supports the Mathematikum as a sponsor and sponsor of the giant soap bubble. The company regularly uses the premises of the Mathematikum for various events and is present as a partner at special events.