From 15th May 2009 to 19th May 2009 teachers and students from seven European countries participated in the second trip of the Comenius project "Following the famous scientists". This time we followed Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in Germany.
On the first day of our trip we arrived in Vechelde, the hometown of our partner school - Julius-Spiegelberg-Gymnasium. After a warm welcome we had a tour round the school. We were really impressed by the modern look and school facilities. Then we met our host families: teachers, parents and students that invited us to their homes.
The next morning, German students and teachers introduced the life and work of
W.C. Roentgen through different multimedia presentations. We also participated in physics workshops and lectures, during which we could experience radiation in many aspects. In the afternoon we were invited to dinner by the mayor of Vechelde, who greeted each group individually. In our leisure we visited Braunschweig - one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Niedersachsen.
On Saturday we travelled to Wolfsburg, where we visited an interactive scientific exhibition - Phaeno and an exhibition of cars - Autostadt. Both places were breathtaking! In Phaeno we could experience "real physics", which seemed to be really easy for the first time. In Autostadt we saw seven pavilions of unique architecture, housing various Volkswagen Group brands, set in a picturesque landscape and full of brand new technology.
On Sunday morning we started a two-day trip to Remscheid-Lennep, the birthplace of W.C. Roentgen and Wuerzburg, where the great scientist worked and made his discoveries. Lennep is a charming little town with a very original architecture . In Roentgen's Museum we saw the devices that the scientist used during his experiments and old X-ray machines.
The next day we visited a beautiful, baroque palace in Wuerzburg and the University of Wuerzburg - Roentgen's place of employment. We saw the laboratory, where the scientist made his discovery and the lecture hall, where he presented his X-rays to the public. We learnt a lot about W.C. Roentgen's life and scientific achievements.
We spent the last day of our trip at school, watching lessons and talking to the teachers and students. In the evening there was a farewell ceremony with an amazing show of singers, dancers and gymnasts followed by a disco.
The whole journey was an exciting, fruitful and memorable experience for all participants. We had a chance to meet our partners from different European countries and work together on a common project. We extremely appreciate the organization and warm hospitality of our German partner.