Literally translated “WissensSpuren” are tracks, trails, or traces of knowledge (Wissen). The idea of the trails emerged in discussions with international students who were interested to learn about the history of their university in its relation to civil society. It is inspired by the “Leipziger Notenspur”, that brought attention to the remarkable density of famous composers in Leipzig. The music culture in Leipzig was part of a thriving cultural life of a civil society that was also engaging in literature, arts, and sciences. As time has progressed, Leipzig has had many new trends in education and new fields of science emerged in its thriving intellectual environment. Presently, this is reflected by the remarkable density of universities, research institutes, libraries and archives, as well as museums and scientific collections.
The Leipziger WissensSpuren aspire to bring life to the traces of the past that illuminate our quest for knowledge:
- How we gain knowledge, and how do we pass it on in schools and universities?
- How do we preserve knowledge, and how do we (re-)discover it in libraries, museums, and archives?
- How do we question knowledge, and how is it developed in universities and research institutes?
In this context we consider knowledge as a heritage asset
that develops upon the advancement of society.
Initiative and Support
The initial idea for the WissensSpuren was conceived by Prof Dr Jürgen Vollmer (Institute for Theoretical Physics) in discussions with fellow board members of the INSPIRATA, and with Dr Veit Heller (Musikinstrumentenmuseum der Universität Leipzig im Grassi) and Prof Dr Andreas Huth (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research).
First financial support was provided by Leipzig University in its program Science meets Society.
