From June 10th to June 14th, 2024, GlacierXperience brought the wonders of the glacier world to Siegen. With no glaciers in the Artis or the Alps nearby, the challenge was to immerse local pupils and primary education students at the University of Siegen in glacier phenomena and processes, sparking their interest in ice and snow. The team included Siegen-based members Martin Gröger and Volker Heck, joined by Philipp Spitzer from Graz, who introduced an experiment for a potential future project.
This visit highlighted the critical importance of addressing the issue of our planet’s rapidly diminishing glaciers. Philipp’s journey from Graz underscored these challenges, as severe storms in the Alpine region and southern Germany posed significant travel difficulties.
The testing phase took place in the university’s student laboratories, including the zdi student laboratory of chemistry and the student laboratory of physics didactics and geography. Over five days, four groups participated, finding the sessions enriching and timely, just before their school vacations and upcoming final module examinations.
By combining virtual reality (VR) technology with immersive experiences, participants gained an authentic glimpse into the glacier world, exploring the crevasses of Hallstatt Glacier and Steindalsbreen. On Tuesday, a video link to Norway allowed Jan Höper to join remotely, providing an introduction to the next day’s visit to Steindalsbreen with a student group as part of activity five.
