About the association

On 19 March 1997, the Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V. (Friends of the Great Refractor Potsdam) was founded to save the Great Refractor on Potsdam’s Telegrafenberg – which had been out of operation since 1968 – from further deterioration. Its aim was to restore the telescope – which, together with its dome building, had been listed as a historic monument since 1983 – to working order, so that it could be presented to the general public as a tangible scientific and technical monument to the precision-mechanical and optical industry of the late 19th century and the early days of astrophysical research.

As a first step towards its revival, on 26 August 1999 – to mark its 100th anniversary – the Great Refractor was stripped of rust on the outside and given a protective coat of paint matching the original colour, thanks to special funding from the Brandenburg Ministry of Science, Research and Culture and donations raised by the association. However, the available funds were insufficient to restore the mechanics and optics, meaning that the telescope remained an exhibit that could not be used for demonstrations.

The decisive phase in the restoration of the Great Refractor began in July 2001 with the establishment of the private Pietschker-Neese Foundation – placed under the trusteeship of the German Foundation for Monument Protection – for the preservation and maintenance of the former Royal Observatories on Potsdam’s Telegrafenberg; the association played a key role in bringing this about. In accordance with the founder’s wishes, the funds made available each year were first channelled into the restoration of the Great Refractor.

The restoration work was entrusted to 4H-Jena-Engineering, a company specialising in precision mechanical and optical manufacturing. The company transported the telescope to its workshops in Jena and, after dismantling it into its individual parts, carried out a complete mechanical and optical overhaul from scratch. At the same time, the dome’s rotating and opening mechanism was repaired and its wooden cladding replaced on site in Potsdam. The grand finale was the ceremonial re-inauguration of the telescope on 31 May 2006.

The association continues to take care of the interests of the Great Refractor. It contributes its specialist expertise, keeps the public’s interest alive, organises guided tours and observation evenings for visitors, and continues to seek donations, which are essential for the preservation of the Great Refractor. Its purpose and objectives are also set out in the association's statutes.

If you would like to support our aims and become a member, you are most welcome! Please email us to request a copy of our statutes and the membership application form.