The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) was founded and developed in the context of German reunification as a “broadly based center for researching the ecology of industrialized urban regions.” Today, it stands as one of the world’s leading research centers in environmental science. More than 1,000 employees at the UFZ share the goal of identifying ways to reconcile a healthy environment with societal development through excellent research. Their work has played a key role in transforming the Leipzig area into a rich ecosystem with significant recreational value.