Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.

Verein zur Erhaltung des viertgrößten Linsenteleskops der Welt

Please use a browser that supports Javascript and/or enable Javascript in your browser to get full functionality.

Image gallery

Drawing of a domes building — Draft for the design for the refractor building, circa 1896

Credit: AIP Archive

Cross-section drawing of a domed building with a telescope — Initial impressions of the interior of the building and the instrument

Credit: AIP Archive

Cross-section drawing of a domes building with stair case — Cross-section of the interior of the refractor building

Credit: AIP Archive

Domed building with construction scaffolding — Construction of the refractor building

Credit: AIP Archive

A carriage with horse in front of the entrance to a building — Emperor William II. after the inauguration of the Great Refractor 1899

Credit: AIP Archive

Domes building — The Refractor building around 1900

Credit: AIP Archive

Black-white photograph of a refracting telescope — The Great Refractor 1905

Credit: AIP Archive

End of a telescope with attached device — Eyepiece end of the telescope with a spectrograph

Credit: AIP Archive

Photograph with view on several buildings with domes — Refractor building in the AOP environment

Credit: AIP Archive

Man leaning on a metal railing, standing on a balcony or platform — Precision mechanic standing on the dome ring

Credit: H. Schirmbeck

Aerial view with buildings on a hill, forest and a lake in the background — Aerial view of Telegrafenberg and the Potsdam Institutes around 1930

Credit: AIP Archive

Refractor building in April 1945

Credit: AIP Archive

Interior of a large room showing debris of wood — Interior of the dome with the debris of the damaged wooden paneling

Credit: Dr. Johann Wempe

Partially destroyed domed building — Bomb crater with the destroyed domed building

Credit: Dr. Johann Wempe

Interior of a large room with wood pieces — Interior of the dome with the damaged observation platform

Credit: Dr. Johann Wempe

Damaged building — Damaged dome structure with a dented metal dome shell

Credit: Dr. Johann Wempe

Interior of a room damaged by a bombing attack — A devastated measuring room with the destroyed photometer

Credit: Dr. Johann Wempe

Large telescope in a dome with some persons and control panels — Film recording around 1970

Credit: AIP Archive

Rusty telescope — The refractor, shortly before its 100th anniversary, after being out of service for about 30 years

Credit: AIP Archive

Observer's platform, renovated on the outside, 1999

Credit: AIP Archive

Device with metal structure — Restored spectrograph

Credit: AIP Archive

Building with a tower at the front, building with a big dome in the background, winter photograph with snow — Einstein Tower and refractor building, southern view

Credit: H. Einsporn

Wall with yellow, blue, and white tiles in star and diamond patterns — Decorative frieze on the dome ring

Credit: H. Strohbusch

Round building with large dome and surrounding railing, surrounded by leafless trees and snow-covered ground — Refractor building in Winter, southern view

Credit: H. Einsporn

Rusty telescope — In 1997, the association "Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V." was founded. It was able to win a lot of sponsors to restore the Great Refractor to its old beauty.

Credit: R. Arlt

Large telescope in dome building — The restoration work started in April 2003

Credit: Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.

Panorama with two domed buildings — Panorama view of the Michelson-Haus with its 3 domes and the Great Refractor building

Credit: S. Röser

Open dome gap with a telescopic tube attached to a crane hook — Removal of the Great Refractor, 8th Mai 2003

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Crane lifting a telescope tube from its dome — Removal of the Great Refractor, 8th Mai 2003

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Telescope tube attached to a crane — Removal of the Great Refractor, 8th Mai 2003

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Telescope tube at the crane — Return of the Great Refractor on 17th June 2005

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Construction workers with helmet standing at the mounting of a telescope — Return of the Great Refractor on 17th June 2005

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Part of a telescope floats through the gap in the dome, hold by crane — The eyepiece end of the refractor is lifted into the dome, 17 June 2005

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Rohr wird in die Kuppel herabgelassen — Return of the Great Refractor on 17th June 2005

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Construction worker place a big lens at the end of a tube — Fitting the 80 cm lens

Credit: M. Gußmann

Telescope in dome — The mounted Great Refractor, 23rd May 2005

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

A group of persons talking to each other — Minister Wanka in conversation with AIP Director Prof. Dr. Matthias Steinmetz and the chairman of the association, Dr. Gußmann (from left to right)

Credit: AIP/S. Bonatz

Two persons with a device, looking up — The director of 4H-Jena-Engineering, Mr. Koch, operates the new electronic control system alongside the main sponsor, Mrs. Neese.

Credit: AIP/S. Bonatz

Large telescope in domes building — Re-inauguration of the Great Refractor Potsdam, 31st May 2006

Credit: AIP/S. Bonatz

A dark green telescope beneath a dome with reddish-brown wooden panelling — After the restoration 2006

Credit: Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.

Large telescope with opened gap in the dome — The Great Refractor with a view of the night sky

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Large telescope in dome building with a lot of people — Day of Open Monuments 2010

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Dome building at night — The refractor building at the Long Night of Sciences 2017

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Eyepiece end of the telescope — The eyepiece end of the telescope with its eyepieces and gears

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Building with a dome — Outside view of the refractor building, 2016

Credit: Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.

Telescope in its dome with opened dome gap during the day — The Great Refractor at the Kulturerben festival 2018

Credit: © sevens[+]maltry / Kulturerben Potsdam

A metal structure painted green and a wooden railing with green-and-gold vertical bars — Detail view of the railing on the rotation ring, freshly painted in green and gold

Credit: AIP/Rainer Arlt

Interior of a dome with a large telescope in the center and multiple windows with red curtains in the background — The interior of the dome received red curtains for the windows

Credit: Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.

Picture frame with spectral charts — Spectral chart in the Great Refractor, based on the observations and drawings of H.C. Vogel

Credit: Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.

Window with red curtain — Window with curtain in the Great Refractor, 2019

Credit: Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.

Picture frame with spectral charts — Spectral chart in the Great Refractor, based on the observations and drawings of H.C. Vogel

Credit: Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.