Georg-Forster-Haus

Welcome to the “Georg-Forster-Haus”, the International Guest House and Encounter Center of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and the Leopoldina – National Academy of Sciences!

Located in the center of the city, our guest house offers international scientists a comfortable home during their research stay as well as a place for intercultural and scientific exchange.

On the following pages we would like to introduce the Georg-Forster-Haus with all its facilities.

Current information

The Georg Forster house office is currently not staffed.
Your rental inquiries can unfortunately not be processed until further notice and it is currently not possible to stay in the Georg Forster House.

You are welcome to contact the Halle (Saale) Tourist Information, which can arrange suitable accommodation for you in Halle (Saale), for short time purpose or also for longer stays.

You can reach the team as follows:
Tourist-Information Halle with hallesaale*- & Uni-Shop 
Marktplatz 13 
06108 Halle (Saale)

Phone: +49 (0) 345 122 99 84 
E-mail: touristinfo@stadtmarketing-halle.de

Georg Forster

Naturalist, circumnavigator, essayist, travel writer and democrat: his experiences and adventures in many countries made Georg Forster (1754-1794) one of the most important German polymaths and writers of the late Enlightenment. In 1780, he became a member of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

Georg Forster (full name: Johann Georg Adam Forster) had a progressive and ideological position with his cultural theory and philosophy of humanity, with which he was far ahead of his time.

His book A Voyage Round the World, with its drawings and simple and comprehensible writing, is groundbreaking for the emergence of modern ethnology and is based on the three-year research voyage of James Cook starting in 1772, which Georg Forster, together with his father Reinhold Forster, was allowed to participate in. The original logbook of James Cook’s Voyage to the South Seas is one of the treasures of the University and State Library of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

Johann Reinhold Forster und Georg Forster in der Südsee — Johann Reinhold Forster and Georg Forster in the South Seas (Source: Wikipedia)

If you are interested in this topic, we recommend a visit to the site of the Georg Forster Society or the German book “Die Umsegelung der Welt” by the Halle author Michael Pantenius.

Wall Mosaic „Durchdringung / Transcending“

The wall mosaic “Durchdringung / Transcending” adorns the foyer of the Georg-Forster-Haus and is in a very special way an expression of global thinking and internationalization.

Around 38,000 hand-worked mosaic stones made of glass and natural stone, laid on a wall surface of 7 by 4 meters—this is the winning design of a two-stage student competition announced in 2012 at the Burg Giebichenstein Art Academy in Halle.

The winning design was submitted by students Franziska Friese and Robert Filipski. The winning duo summarized their thoughts on the mural mosaic as follows:

“The mosaic should stimulate the viewer’s imagination and offers the possibility to see great things in simple structures. The idea aims at overcoming boundaries and experiencing spaces, beyond a central perspective representation. Through the color and shape, the viewer should gain the impression of vastness, landscape, spaces that can be walked through or even spheres.”

In preparation for the mosaic creation, Ms. Friese and Mr. Filipski were able to enjoy a 12-day workshop at the Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatla Üniversitesi in Istanbul to learn the traditional mosaic technique.

A special thank-you goes out to Prof. Andrea Zaumseil and Prof. Ulrich Reimkasten as well as the Bayrische Hofglasmalerei Gustav van Treeck in Munich who contributed to the successful project with their knowledge and skills.

Location

You can conveniently reach the Georg-Forster-Haus from Universitätsplatz on foot or by bike in about 5 to 8 minutes.
From the central train station you can take a cab (about 10 minutes ride) or use the tramway. Detailed information on the tramlines can be found in our FAQs below.

Questions and answers

What do I need to consider upon arrival?

You can find all general information about your arrival and stay in Germany here: Perminilary Information for Scientists.
Otherwise, please allow about 30 minutes for your arrival at the Georg-Forster-Haus as there will be a guided tour through the house in addition to the signing of the lease contract.
Appointments for arrival can only be scheduled from Monday to Friday during office hours.

How do I get to the Georg-Forster-Haus?

From Halle/Leipzig airport you can take the S5 or the S5x train to Halle main station. From there you can walk to the guest house in about 25 minutes.

Furthermore, there is the possibility to take a tram.
– Take tramline 7 (direction “Kröllwitz”) from the main station and get off at “Moritzburgring“. Then walk for 6 minutes.

– Take tramline 12 (direction “Trotha”) from the main station and get off at “Lessingstraße“. Then walk for 7 minutes.

– Take tramline 5 (direction “Berliner Brücke”) from the main station and get off at “Am Steintor“. Then walk for 11 minutes.

– Take tramline 2 (direction “Kröllwitz”) from the main station and get off at “Joliot-Curie-Platz“. Then walk for 8 minutes.

The fastest way is to take a cab which are available at the main station.

Are there parking spaces available at the Georg-Forster-Haus?

There are 5 parking spaces available for our guests. If you arrive by car, please mention your wish in the comments on the contact form.