Research on Climate Neutrality: Clara Steiner from Steinmühle Boarding School Succeeds at the 35th MINT Inventors’ Lab

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On a regular basis, exceptionally talented students from schools in Hesse present their research findings on specific topics at the Center for Chemistry’s (ZFC) MINT Inventor Lab. This year, our plusMINT student Clara Steiner was among the group of 16 students who were selected from a total of 237 applicants. Clara, a student at the plus-MINT Steinmühle Boarding School and already a college student majoring in mathematics, spent a week working on the production and analysis of photocatalytically active titanium dioxide layers. According to her, the experience gave her “insights into real research.”

For Clara, the journey to this year’s venue for the 35th Inventors’ Lab wasn’t very far: It took place in cooperation between ZFC and Philipps University in the departments of chemistry and physics on the Lahnberge in Marburg. Four groups of four each focused on different research topics, and Clara was especially looking forward to getting to know her three teammates so she could work with them as a team.

 

Titanium Dioxide: The All-Purpose Solution of the Future?

The quartet began their presentation of the research project to a predominantly virtual audience with a question: What do sunscreen, wall paint, and solar panels have in common? The answer led to the substance that was the subject of their joint study: titanium dioxide, TiO₂.

The goal was to determine whether this substance might be the “jack-of-all-trades” of the future: a versatile material that is thermally stable, has high coloring and opacity, is lightfast, and is practically insoluble in water. Of these, photocatalysis is arguably the most important property—that is, the ability to trigger chemical reactions through light. All of this explains the use of titanium dioxide in the aforementioned areas. Titanium dioxide is produced by electrolysis, is inexpensive, and is the most important white pigment. The young researchers examined the substance under a scanning electron microscope and focused on the production and analysis of photocatalytically active titanium dioxide layers. Thanks to its properties, the material could potentially contribute to the development of more efficient methods of energy conversion. However, according to Clara and her colleagues, a great deal of research is still needed before that can happen.

 

“Directly relevant to science”

The event was broadcast on multiple screens. Not only did the team from Steinmühle, led by supervisor Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, follow the presentations, but Minister of Culture Armin Schwarz also joined virtually. He praised the participants’ outstanding achievements and described the topics covered in the Inventors’ Lab as “directly relevant to the state’s scientific and economic development.” The minister provided feedback to one of the four groups. The feedback for Clara and her team came from Michael Schmidt (Elkamet Kunststofftechnik). He emphasized that the presentation had excellently illustrated the wide range of applications for titanium dioxide and had also shown just how much fun and enjoyment the group had while conducting their research.

In addition to the technical presentations, the scientific event also offered plenty of entertainment. It wasn’t just the pedal boat ride on the Lahn River—which participants enjoyed during their free time at the research retreat—that was well received. In keeping with the overall theme, during the live broadcast, hosts Joelina Gärtner and Pablo del Rio—both MINTIES themselves—welcomed chemist and science slammer Arne Nisters from TU Darmstadt.

Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Dr. Sabine Pankuweit, Vice President for Equal Opportunity and Career Development at Philipps University of Marburg; Dr. Thomas Schneidermeier from the event organizer, the Center for Chemistry (ZFC); and Julia Woth from the State Energy Agency (LEA) of Hesse. Videos and Reels were also used to explain how MINTIES work at the ZFC and what they hope to achieve.

 

Goal: STEM Assessment Competence

ZFC Board Member Dr. Thomas Schneidermeier emphasized how important it is to equip young people with STEM critical thinking skills so they can contextualize media headlines in the context of new technologies. For him and ZFC Project Manager Magdalena Schmitt, it is important to collaborate with schools, universities, companies, associations, foundations, and ministries on STEM projects for students, linking traditional classroom content with career fields in the STEM sector in everyday life. In this way, the ZFC association aims to help ensure a sufficient supply of STEM professionals.

“Youth Training for the Olympics”: Steinmühlen Girls from WKIII Qualify for the Hesse Finals!

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A spectacular performance: Our girls in Competition Class III won the regional round of the “Youth Trains for the Olympics” competition, thereby qualifying for the state finals.

At the regional tournament, the team recorded three wins against Taunusschule, Gesamtschule Schlitzerland, and FvSS Wetzlar, along with two ties against IGS Busecker Tal and Gymnasium Oberursel, which won the state championship two years ago.

As always, Coach Lothar Potthoff’s team played with great dedication and shone thanks to a cohesive team effort.

The Hesse regional competition will take place on June 19 in Frankfurt. We’re keeping our fingers crossed!

Awards Ceremony at the “Jugend forscht” National Competition

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Congratulations to our trio of researchers—Luis Gerloni, Fabian Sotonica, and Clara Steiner from the plus-MINT boarding school Steinmühle—on winning the special prize for “Original Work in the Field of Geosciences” at the national “Jugend forscht” competition in Heilbronn! We’ll be posting a report about your unforgettable four days and all the experiences you had on our website soon!

The bands on stage impressed the audience with their instrumental diversity, song selection, and performance

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Looking back on the past six months, certain events stand out in particular.

“Bringing joy to the stage—that’s the goal of this event,” announced organizer Frank Wemme before the start of “Bands On Stage.” The performers more than lived up to this self-imposed standard that evening. The Steinmühle hosted what was arguably one of the highest-quality music events in recent memory. The photos speak for themselves.

It was a mix of participants of various ages, including performers who presented different musical genres, as well as bands whose performances had more differences than similarities. And yet, acoustically, the evening felt like a cohesive whole. Everything fell into place; nothing was left to chance. Perhaps this is exactly what joy looks like when rehearsal isn’t perceived as a burden or a source of stress. When students have been musically active for quite some time—in some cases, in the same band lineup—it suggests that personal passion is at play here. Performing were Anna Steinfeldt & Svea Turba, Larry & the Loud Tree Frogs, the 5th and 6th-grade club band, the Jazz Ensemble, and the StoneMill House Band. Students from grades 5 through 13 brought a diverse program of pop, rock, and jazz to the stage.

They could have made it easier on themselves, since the participants didn’t exactly choose easy songs. For example, they performed “Shine Bright Like a Diamond,” followed by “Smoke on the Water” for a change of pace, as well as Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” which gave the audience goosebumps, much like “Stay,” also by Rihanna. It was the instrumental and vocal skills, but it was also the selection of songs that made this evening such a success. “Besame mucho,” “Feeling Good,” “Killing Me Softly,” “Rocket Man”—all these pieces simply sound top-notch when the music and vocals are truly on point. It was a major challenge that the performers took on—and they rose to it! The audience rewarded every performance with well-deserved applause throughout, and Tobias Karlein from the school administration team was also thrilled. Guys and girls, you could even perform this program for an outside audience!

The musical performances that evening were visually enhanced by our reliable “Sound & Light” team, consisting of Christian and Jonathan.

 

Spring Run: Classes 5c and 6a were the fastest

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The spring run around the boathouse is a tradition at Steinmühle. Every year, students in grades 5 and 6 run their laps here. The fastest relay teams are also determined during the event. According to Nicole Scholtes, speaking on behalf of the organizing team, this year’s winners were the relay teams from classes 5c and 6a. The runners for each team were:

Class 5c: (from left) Back row: Marlene Würfel, Clara Koch, Emilia Buchta, Leo Niederhöfer, Liam Bacht, Theodor Weber, Hannes Kindergeld; front row: Greta Edelmann, Imani Krüger, Ole Brutzer.


Season 6a: (from left) Back row: Ein Kaya, Franka von zur Mühlen, Lotti Jarosch, Lenni Weber, Konrad Wagner, Jaden Vogel; Front row: Johanna Fuchs, Carla Isenberg, Konrad Wagner, Lars Dittrich.

 

Sustainability Forum, 11th Edition: A Polarizing Debate with Local Politicians on MOVE 35

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It wasn’t the most relaxed event the Steinmühle had ever seen, clearly due to the topic:

Mayor Dr. Thomas Spies and Sara Müller of the citizens’ initiative “Verkehrswende” discussed the MOVE 35 transportation plan with Oskar Edelmann, deputy executive director of the Kassel-Marburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Lisa Deißler of the CDU/FDP/BfM parliamentary group.

Everyone was suddenly faced with questions from the 11th-grade class at Steinmühle.

Ecology vs. Economy. — Or Can They Go Hand in Hand After All?

Against the backdrop of climate change and the international and national agreements ratified in this context, transportation and mobility are central issues that are the subject of heated debate. Are ecology and the economy an irreconcilable contradiction?

A variety of topics will be incorporated into the 250-page MOVE 35 concept if it is implemented. This quickly became apparent from the statements made by the panelists.

“They want to rush this through here, and accessibility to Marburg’s outlying neighborhoods is being neglected,” stated Lisa Deißler, reaffirming her faction’s “no” vote due to various shortcomings: “There are no concrete plans.” Sara Müller’s approach was quite different. “We have declared a climate emergency for Marburg,” she reminded the audience, “Voting ‘yes’ on MOVE 35 is a climate necessity.” Mayor Dr. Thomas Spies began his statement by noting, “Mobility isn’t just about moving machines.” Unfortunately, he said, every transportation debate is framed as a debate about car traffic—when it’s really just about how people get from one place to another.

 

“Many business owners are concerned”

This argument didn’t really take hold—at least not with Chamber of Industry and Commerce representative Oskar Edelmann. For him, it was clear: “First, we need to expand public transportation; only then can we consider mandatory measures against car use.” The representative of the local business community spoke of the deep concerns local business owners have about the reduction of parking spaces and one-way street regulations: “More business owners than ever before are worried.”

The mayor acknowledged that mobility is essential and dismissed the claim that the city wants to ban cars as “nonsense.” Of course, a certain level of accessibility is needed, but it must be balanced fairly. According to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce representative, removing parking spaces creates an environmental contradiction: “More traffic searching for parking generates more CO2.” Furthermore, there is no need to impose restrictions on drivers in order to expand public transportation and bike lanes. Furthermore, people often don’t come into the city for personal enjoyment: “You have to keep in mind that Marburg has 29,000 commuters every day.”

“How do the municipal utilities plan to handle putting even more buses into service? We’re already short on bus drivers,” one student asked. Sara Müller sees the solution in using smaller vehicles, at least for the outlying neighborhoods. These could be operated without a bus driver’s license—a passenger transport permit would suffice.

Lisa Deißler cast serious doubt on the intention expressed by MOVE supporters to create “neighborhood parking garages” and asked where these were supposed to be located. Incorporating some questions from students, those present also discussed the topics of impervious surfaces, possible changes to the bus route system, carsharing, and community buses.

 

“Opponents spread bad vibes”

In the end, what remained of the event were mutual accusations among the panelists that the other side had failed to take entrepreneurs and the district into account (quote from Edelmann), had distorted the facts, and had spread bad vibes (quote from Spies).

Whether department store owner Ahrens or the company Pharmaserv was for or against MOVE 35 could not be definitively determined during the event, as each panelist claimed the position that suited them best.

The majority of the 11th-graders seemed to oppose the proposal—which is hardly surprising for students at a private school whose parents tend to be more economically minded. Whether they will be in the majority or minority in Marburg will become clear after the vote on June 9.

The Sustainability Forum at the school—as the event is officially titled—has a long tradition at Steinmühle. The panel discussion was organized by the Political Science Department, primarily by Carmen Bastian. She also serves as Steinmühle’s Ecology Coordinator and Environmental Officer.

A dozen wins and the Lahn Cup: RuS Steinmühle swept the board at the 112th Giessen Pentecost Regatta

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With no fewer than 12 victories under its belt, the Rudern und Sport Steinmühle club headed home from the 112th Giessen Pentecost Regatta. The concept of this traditional event—with its mix of elite and club sports—once again perfectly aligned with the Steinmühle Rowing Club’s mission to support both competitive and recreational rowing. The fact that Steinmühle’s results in Giessen were so outstanding proved once again: the right people are in the right place here.

Although he is now accustomed to competing on the international stage, Marc Weber decided to race in his home region once again. This return to his roots was well received by the organizers, and as expected, Marc—who has his sights set on an Olympic berth—secured two victories and the Lahn Cup. The RuS Junior A and Junior B competitive rowers also won their respective competitions. Johannes Germano claimed four victories and posted the fastest times in both the Junior B and Junior A competitions. Lilu Schmidt crossed the finish line first a total of five times. The talented Steinmühlen rower also impressed alongside her rowing partner from Eltville, Sofiia Krasnova, in the double sculls. “This duo could have a successful future ahead of them,” predicts Steinmühlen coach Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger.

 

Great performance by Maurits Juhre

The coach also praised Maurits Juhre’s outstanding performances. Together with Johannes Germano, Maurits—who had already impressed in Munich—posted the fastest times in the single sculls races. Maurits also took to the water with his Frankfurt rowing partner in the “development double,” and did so with phenomenal success: Out of a total of 15 competitors, they posted the fastest time. “Both train in an exemplary manner,” Strohmenger explained, seeing great potential for this boat combination in 2025.

Paula Koch had also signed up for the Pentecost Regatta. However, a last-minute illness put a damper on her plans. Several rowers from the U-15 age group would have competed as well—if they hadn’t been away at a Scout camp.

 

A united front sends a great message

“All these results are great,” says Coach Strohmenger happily. The coach considers the team spirit and the united front shown by the young athletes to be almost even more important, especially since all of the RuS competitive rowers competed in Giessen.

The next events are already marked on the RuS athletes’ calendars. Marc Weber will next compete at World Cup III in Poznan from June 14 to 16, while Johannes Germano, Lilu Schmidt, Maurits Juhre, and his rowing partner will compete at the 2nd International DRV Junior Regatta in Hamburg from June 1 to 2. The 88th Kassel Rowing Regatta, taking place the same weekend, will serve as the state qualifier for the national competition. There, Leonhardt Germano and Nils Grunwaldt will put their skills to the test.

 

 

Perfect weather and high spirits at the 2024 tennis tournament at Steinmühle Boarding School

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Tennis matches featuring teams with varying lineups are among the most popular sports activities at Steinmühle Boarding School. The weather was kind to the many participants, and everyone gathered in high spirits on the school’s own tennis court under bright sunshine. After several thrilling matches, a student-teacher team once again claimed victory. Congratulations! Even after the official part of the event, the courts remained busy, as the enthusiasm showed no signs of waning. We’re looking forward to seeing what other matches we’ll get to watch in the coming weeks.

The Bundestag and the WELT Editorial Team: The Political Science Class Visited Berlin

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At the invitation of local Member of the Bundestag Dr. Stefan Heck (CDU), the Steinmühlen 12th-grade advanced political science class, accompanied by their teacher Dr. Claudia Röder, visited the German Bundestag in Berlin. The trip began on a Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and took them via Kassel. The group arrived in the capital around 7:30 p.m. The day ended with a group dinner, followed by a ride to a very nice hotel.

On Thursday morning, the group visited the German Bundestag, where the Political Science Advanced Course students were able to follow exciting and quite controversial discussions on the topic of the EU’s eastward expansion. Afterward, the group had a personal meeting with Member of the Bundestag Stefan Heck, who also invited the guests from Steinmühle to lunch in the Bundestag cafeteria. During the discussion with the CDU politician, topics such as social inequality, the future of the Bundeswehr, the new payment card, and issues surrounding the legalization of cannabis were addressed. The day concluded with a guided tour of the government district. The day ended with an Indian dinner with the class. Felix celebrated his 18th birthday!

The next morning, the group headed to *Die Welt*, where the students were invited to participate in an editorial board meeting on current events. To wrap up the two-day trip, the group visited the House of the Wannsee Conference in the afternoon before heading back to Marburg around 5:15 p.m.

 
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Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

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