Mann mit Brille und grauen Haaren steht vor unscharfer Menschengruppe im Hintergrund

People

Faces of the DZA and their stories

The German Center for Astrophysics (DZA) currently employs approximately 60 people under the management of Prof. Günther Hasinger. Here, you can learn more about some of the staff in very personal short portraits which will be elaborated and updated.

Anne-Baldovski-DZA-Campusentwicklung
Head of Campus Development

Anne Baldovski

  • native Görlitz resident with a fondness for historic buildings
  • turned her profession into a hobby
becker-david-dza
Electrical Engineer

David Becker

  • from the Sorbian Upper Lusatia
  • from the star singers to the DZA
  • loves Norway and its fish
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Head of the Center for Innovation and Transfer

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Besold

  • solid-state physicist with reverence for astrophysics
  • Upper Lusatian with heart and soul
  • Passion for the Musik of J. S. Bach and Jazz
Jana Bingemer
Science Communication

Jana Bingemer

  • biologist with a fondness for tardigrades
  • structural change through education
  • occasionally perfoming on stage with her own texts
caspari-jana-hr-dza
Human Resources

Jana Caspari

  • HR specialist with experience in science institutes
  • with heart, humour, and a lot of patience
  • loves books, music, and Christmastime ❄️
Monika Darr
IT administrator

Monika Darr

  • a Heidelberg resident who lived for years in the observatory residential house 
  • loves southern Africa and the starry sky
  • enjoys reading and practices Aikido
Data Science

Marc Drobek

  • software architect and computer scientist
  • passionate in sqeezing data
  • gravity enthusiast and guitar learner
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Head of IT Administration

Hardy Drube

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Office Management & Assistant to Prof. Hasinger

Daniela Eckstein

  • open-minded Görlitz native with a love for Spain
  • enjoys a broad perspective, reaching to the stars
  • yoga, traveling & 💃
ensslin-torsten-professor-leitung-datenwissenschaften-dza
Head of Data Science

PD Dr. Torsten Enßlin

  • cosmologist & astrophysicist
  • information field theorist
  • curious person
Mael Gonin
Postgraduate of Prof. Hasinger

Maël Gonin

Marina Grodd
Project Support

Marina Grodd

  • wanted to move to the big city but ended up in the countryside
  • still mesmerized by the starry nights on Tenerife
  • Harry Potter fan (team Hufflepuff 💛), loves to cook
Prof. Dr. Günther Hasinger
Designated Founding Director of the DZA

Prof. Dr. Günther Hasinger

  • astrophysicist with a passion
  • has traveled the world extensively
  • also enjoys making music from time to time
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Data Science

Dr.-Ing. Lars Haupt

  • Lusatia returnee & extreme optimist
  • telescope owner
  • volunteer | Lego enthusiast | ❤️ 90°C and beyond
Dr. Maria Haupt
Head of the DZA Project Office

Dr. Maria Haupt

  • figure skater and figure skating coach
Dr. Sebastian Heer
Transformation Research

Dr. Sebastian Heer

  • transformation researcher with a background in political science
  • practice-oriented social sciences with societal relevance
  • policy consulting for the sustainable transformation of structural change in the Lusatia region
Katharina Henjes-Kunst
Overall Management of the DZA Project

Katharina Henjes-Kunst

  • a passion for interdisciplinary research and innovation
  • experienced networker in European astroparticle physics and beyond
  • bringing her experience from international research projects to the heart of Europe
Prof. Dr. Hermann Helling
Data Science

Prof. Dr. Hermann Heßling

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Astrophysics/Gravitational Wave Astronomy

Prof. Dr. Michèle Heurs

  • experimental physicist specializing in gravitational wave astronomy
  • loves cross-connections and vibrant diversity
  • nature and music enthusiast
Vinzenz Kumpf
Institute for Technology Development

Vinzenz Kumpf

Dr. Mike Lindner
Low Seismic Lab

Dr. Mike Lindner

  • seismologist from the 'Ländle' (Swabian region)
  • taller in real life than on ZOOM
  • culinary explorer | history enthusiast
Jacqueline Mosebach
Center for Innovation and Transfer

Jacqueline Mosebach

  • altruist
  • networker
  • loves hiking and traveling
Kerstin Nitsche
Head of Procurement

Kerstin Nitsche

  • team-oriented woman from Dresden
  • former civil engineer 
  • fitness studio, mountain hiking, and via ferrata enthusiast
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Head of Regional Networking & Science Communication

Dr. Stefan Ohm

  • astrophysicist with roots in Thuringia
  • out of the ivory tower and into the exchange
  • lover of diverse music genres 🔊
Dr. Andreas Otto
Head of Transformation Research

Dr. Andreas Otto

  • geographer with a heart for Upper Lusatia
  • astrophysics creates opportunities for the region!
  • explorer through travels and on maps 
Maria Reich
Center for Innovation and Transfer

Maria Reich

  • creative returnee to East Germany
  • on paper: print and media technician
  • road bike enthusiast and graphic designer with a love for good music
Paško Roje
Institute for Technology Development

Paško Roje

scholze-andreas-dza
Low Seismic Lab

Andreas Scholze

  • Upper Lusatian
  • mechanical engineer
  • being human
Alexander Seedorff
Projektkoordinator

Alexander Seedorff

  • Sachse mit Herz & Verstand
  • „Machen statt meckern“
  • stets anzutreffen unter passionierten Menschen
Enrico Titze
Bachelor's student in campus planning

Enrico Titze

  • progressive Upper Lusatian granite head
  • analyst and energy technician, astronomy mostly meets him in books
  • bookworm, hiking enthusiast, drummer, trader, gardener
Jasmin Urland
Secretariat

Jasmin Urland

  • home-loving Upper Lusatian woman with a traditional half-timbered house
  • ⁠your central contact person in the DZA 😊
  • organisational talent with a heart
Stella Vješnica
Institute for Technology Development

Stella Vješnica

Prof. Dr. Stefan Wagner
Astrophysics/Radio Astronomy

Prof. Dr. Stefan Wagner

welk-alexander-dza
Head of Human Resources

Alexander Welk

  • HR professional with passion
  • dedicated networker
  • with a heart for social issues and a joy for life
Stephan Witschas
Head of Communications

Stephan Witschas

  • returnee to Lusatia & former journalist
  • studied astronomy as a school subject
  • family person | kite surfer | mountain lover
Dr. Alexander Wolf
Low Seismic Lab

Dr. Alexander Wolf

  • mechanical engineer from Lower Saxony
  • loves the sun and temperatures above 30°C
  • hobby photographer and cyclist
Catharina Zedel
Secretariat

Catharina Zedel

  • always on the move with the family in the garden and nature
  • loves the universe of life
  • motivated team player with an eye for new opportunities in the region

Initiators, Partners and Supporters

Regional backing and international network

Behind the concept of the German Center for Astrophysics stands a collective initiative of the German community of astronomy and astroparticle physics. The idea givers are renowned researchers in their area. They are being carried by many universities and partners in the region. Representatives of all major research communities (Helmholtz, Leibniz, Fraunhofer, Max-Planck) and the principal of the Technical University of Dresden as well as the principal of astroparticle physics at the German Electron Synchrotron DESY support our issue to build a world class major research center.

The DZA works close together on an international level with large astronomical organisations - among others the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the European Space Agency (ESA), the large observatory Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and the European initiative for the construction of the Einstein Telescope. By participating in major projects there already exists an extensive network with numerous partners in non-university and university astronomical research worldwide. To us, international cooperation is a crucial matter. It is the DNA of the Center.

Günther Hasinger, former Scientific Director of the European Space Agency ESA, is the designated founding director of the DZA.

Cutting edge research only works in a team. That is why the German Center for Astrophysics counts on international expertise.

Initiators

We submitted the concept

Prof. Dr. Günther Hasinger
Initiator | Designated Founding Director of the DZA

Prof. Dr. Günther Hasinger

  • former Director of Science, European Space Agency (ESA)
  • former Head of the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Madrid
michele-heurs-prof-gravitationswellen-dza
Co-Initiator

Prof. Dr. Michèle Heurs

  • Quantum Optics and Gravitational Wave Detection
  • German Representative in the Forum of National Representatives for the Einstein Telescope
Prof. Dr. Hermann Heßling
Co-Initiator

Prof. Dr. Hermann Heßling

  • big data informatics at the DZA, formerly HTW Berlin
  • former chairperson of the Association for Data-Intensive Radio Astronomy (VdR) e.V.
Prof. Dr. Michael Kramer
Co-Initiator

Prof. Dr. Michael Kramer

  • director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
  • President of the German Astronomical Society
Prof. Dr. Christian Stegmann
Co-Initiator

Prof. Dr. Christian Stegmann

  • Director for Astroparticle Physics, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
  • Head of the DESY Zeuthen site
Prof. Dr. Matthias Steinmetz
Co-Initiator

Prof. Dr. Matthias Steinmetz

  • spokesperson of the board, Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang E. Nagel
Co-Initiator

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang E. Nagel

  • Director of the Center for Information Services and High-Performance Computing, Technische Universität Dresden
Prof. Dr. Stefan Wagner
Co-Initiator

Prof. Dr. Stefan Wagner

  • State Observatory Heidelberg and Professor at the Center for Astronomy of Heidelberg University
Katharina Henjes Kunst
Co-Initiatorin

Katharina Henjes-Kunst

  • Overall Project Manager for the Establishment of the German Center for Astrophysics
  • Secretary General of the Astroparticle Physics European Consortium (APPEC) for DESY
Octavian-Ursu-Spiegel-Artikel-2019

Octavian Ursu, Mayor of Görlitz

We welcome the establishment of the German Center for Astrophysics in Görlitz as an outstanding opportunity for urban and regional development.

Marina-Heimann-futureSAX-2023-Innovationskonferenz-BLEND3-Frank-Grätz

Marina Heimann, former managing director of futureSAX

We believe that the approach of establishing a German Center for Astrophysics (DZA) in Lusatia has a promising future. The DZA will contribute to strengthening Saxony's innovation ecosystem.