TH OWL opens “Anno 1578” as a third location in downtown Lemgo

In a festive setting, TH-OWL President Professor Dr. Jürgen Krahl and Frank Limpke, treasurer of the Old Hanseatic City of Lemgo, welcomed numerous invited guests to the stylish ambience of the newly renovated premises of the Institute for Science Dialogue (IWD). The event offered insights into the future use and significance of the new “third place” for the university, the city, and the region.

Several keynote speeches highlighted the diverse perspectives and potential of the new premises: Professor Dr. Josef Löffl, Director of the IWD, opened the event with a keynote speech entitled “What on earth was going on in 1578?”, in which he provided an entertaining historical overview of the events of that year.

Professor Dr. Stefan Witte, TH-OWL Vice President for Research and Transfer, presented the planned Transfer Year 2025—a university-wide initiative aimed at strengthening knowledge exchange between the university, industry, regional stakeholders, and civil society. The common goal is to develop groundbreaking solutions to current challenges facing business and society, while specifically involving students in projects.

The event was rounded off by Professor Dr. Jürgen Jasperneite, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute in Lemgo, with his presentation “Old walls, new horizons.” In it, he showed how “Anno 1578” is creating a new axis between Lemgo's city center and the already established Innovation Campus—a connection that can make an important contribution to urban and university development. The aim is to make the old Hanseatic city of Lemgo and the Lippe region even more attractive to young talent from all over the world, especially in the STEM subjects.

Following the official program, guests were invited to tour the new premises on Mittelstraße and chat with each other at a get-together. In the future, “Anno 1578” will regularly host exhibitions, workshops, and ideation and discussion formats. The aim is to make science visible and tangible for the urban community. The chosen location is also part of TH OWL's strategy to integrate itself even more closely with its region and act as a driver of innovation. TRiNNOVATION OWL plays a key role in this as a central transfer project of the university.

Focus on citizen proximity

“Lemgo is a university town. The presence of TH OWL in the heart of our historic old town will clearly demonstrate this to the local population. I am particularly pleased that we are also gaining a place for cooperation and collaboration with research and teaching here, together with municipal and social institutions,” emphasized Mayor Markus Baier in the run-up to the event.

The first highlight is already in the starting blocks: starting in June, an exhibition will showcase the early stages of video game development – visitors will also be able to get hands-on and try out classics on old consoles. This means that “Anno 1578” is also aimed specifically at younger target groups and interested parties with no direct connection to higher education.

Darüber hinaus bietet das Gebäude Raum zum gemeinsamen Lernen und Arbeiten. Die TH OWL schafft damit ein zusätzliches Angebot jenseits des Campus, das Austausch, Kreativität und Begegnung fördert – ein lebendiger Ort, der die Hochschule noch näher in die Stadt und zu den Bürger:innen bringt. 

TRiNNOVATION OWL is a project of the federal-state initiative “Innovative University” and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.