Steinmühle took second place in the competition held by the German Aerospace Center

, , ,

This is amazing: Jan Konwerski and Lisa Schreier, 11th-grade students in the plus-MINT program at Steinmühle Boarding School, won second place in the School Lab competition hosted by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with their heat pump model.

“We are very pleased with this tremendous success,” said project supervisor Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf—who also serves as the STEM coordinator at Steinmühle School and Boarding School—along with Managing Director Dirk Konnertz and Principal Björn Gemmer.

Everyone is talking about heat pumps, and the technology itself is already in use in many buildings. In terms of market share, heat pumps account for about 6 percent of all homes in Germany. Although many sophisticated devices are available on the market, innovative approaches from young researchers remain crucial in light of these figures. This is the only way to further develop this field, underscore the importance of the technology, and carry the topic forward into the future.

 

The Task: Building Mechanical or Virtual Models

The 2026 DLR School Lab Award was a student competition on the topic of climate-neutral heat pumps.

The topic was “Reducing CO2 Emissions with Heat Pumps.”
The students’ assignment was to explain how a heat pump based on the Brayton cycle works and to build a model of it.
Teams from grades 6 through 12 accomplished this by designing mechanical or virtual models.

On behalf of the DLR, Dr. Thomas Fester from the project management team invited the two young researchers from Steinmühle to the DLR in Zittau for the award ceremony. From there, they returned home with many new experiences, a wealth of information, and prize money totaling 700 euros.

 

With its performance in this prestigious competition, Steinmühle—which offers a range of athletic programs, including rowing and equestrian sports—has further solidified its reputation as a plus-MINT boarding school.

(Angela Heinemann)

 

Steinmühle had two winning teams in the MarBiNa competition

, ,

As we look back on the second semester, we’d like to share a few more highlights from the school year.

As always, our students represented us with great enthusiasm at various STEM competitions.

For example, Steinmühle achieved success in the competition for the MarBiNa Young Talent Award. This acronym stands for “Marburg Bio- and Nanotechnology Award.”

The overarching theme of the contest was “Nutrition.” Both participating groups from Steinmühle—one from 11th grade and one from 5th grade—each claimed victory and will soon take part in a guided tour at MULTIVAC in Dautphetal and at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, respectively.

 

Cafeteria Review, Jell-O, Pineapple, and Kiwi

The group “Mahlzeit-Matritzen,” consisting of Jan Konwerski, Lisa Marie Schreier, and Emanuel Mindrescu (all plusMINT students in class 11d), had been working on the topic “Cafeteria Check.”

The second group, StoneMINTis Marietheres Schwabe & Aurelia Wild (from class 5i), focused on the topic “Jell-O with pineapple and kiwi—is that possible?”

At the end of the article, two posters provide insight into the specific questions the students worked on.

 

The goal is to inspire enthusiasm for STEM subjects

The goal of the competition is to inspire children and teenagers of all ages and from all types of schools in the city and county to take an interest in the STEM subjects—mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology.

The event’s partners are the Marburg-Biedenkopf District, Chemikum Marburg, the University City of Marburg, and the Central Hesse Student Research Center.

Our photos show the winning workgroups from Steinmühle, along with District Administrator Jens Womelsdorf and Marburg Mayor Dr. Thomas Spies, as well as all participants from our school together with project coordinator Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf.

(Heinm)

 

The Joy of Math: Bilingual Elementary School Made Great Kangaroo Leaps

, , ,

Shortly before the start of summer vacation, the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School honored the winners of the Kangaroo Competition. In this math competition, elementary school students—mostly in grades 3 and 4—take part at their own schools and tackle exciting, logical, and often humorous math problems. It is a multiple-choice competition that emphasizes logical thinking and creative problem-solving with numbers.

This requires brain teasers, spatial reasoning, and clever estimates.

The goal is to make math fun. The competition aims to show that math is more than just arithmetic and can be enjoyable even outside of traditional classroom settings.

Yimo (right) won first place in Class 3.

From left to right: Florian took first place in Class 4. Third-place prizes in Class 4 went to Emanuel, Letitia, Yucheng, and Marta.

(Heinm)

Understanding Life on Earth: A Journey with Dr. Judith Klatt to the Earth’s Beginnings

, ,

High UV radiation, heavy metals, extreme temperature fluctuations, low oxygen levels: some microbes thrive in places it’s hard to even imagine. Geomicrobiologist Dr. Judith Klatt, who has been working at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg since 2022 and serves as a research group leader at the Mikrokosmos Erde Future Center, took her audience at the Steinmühle on research journeys to explore these microbial survival experts.

 

Interdisciplinary Work

The scientific lecture “Bacteria at the Limit” was also a journey back to the very first microbes and the origins of life: “It’s about understanding microbial life and, at the same time, the limits of life,” said Dr. Judith Klatt. This understanding emerges at the intersection of several disciplines: physics, biology, and chemistry.

 

A broad temporal scope

One of Dr. Klatt’s research sites, for example, is Hawaii: “Our work opens a window into Earth’s history spanning a timeline of 4.5 billion years,” the researcher reported, thereby giving her audience an idea of the temporal scale under consideration. Environmental science topics are also frequently incorporated into her research stays, helping to better understand the fluctuations in maximum temperature and in the oxygen and CO2 levels of the atmosphere throughout Earth’s history. According to Dr. Klatt, both are very closely linked to the “global microbiome.”

 

Fundamentals of Molecular Biology

Extreme habitats continually open up new horizons for research and research teams. For example, the fundamentals of molecular biology were isolated from microbes in extremely hot or cold habitats: these include the enzymes used in polymerase chain reactions (PCR), which form the basis for paternity tests and DNA fingerprinting in forensic science. Microorganisms such as cyanobacteria—commonly known as blue-green algae—have also been responsible for oxygen production and played a key role in the oxygenation of our atmosphere during the Precambrian era. Cyanobacteria are single-celled organisms that live in both fresh and saltwater and obtain their energy through photosynthesis, much like our green plants. This process produces oxygen, which escapes from the “microbial mats” and can be measured by Dr. Klatt’s team, for example, using microsensors.

 

Research Under the Most Challenging Conditions

“It can be difficult to work in the field,” the speaker recalled, citing, for example, a research trip to the high Andes at an altitude of 3,000 meters. A 24-hour trek to the nearest supermarket presented the research team not only with the challenge of answering their research question using complex methods but also with the difficult task of self-sufficiency. No stable life for microorganisms has been detected there so far. Oxygen alone, therefore, is not a reliable indicator of life.

 

Impressive photos

At the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, the extreme conditions that the research team encounters in the field are also simulated in the laboratory. “While we can never quite replicate the conditions from field research exactly as they occur in nature, this approach still allows us to study the enormous dynamics within an extreme habitat very realistically, even over longer periods of time,” explains Dr. Judith Klatt, who illustrated her presentation with impressive photos and sparked great enthusiasm among the students with her talk.

 

Outstanding Researcher

Through her work, Dr. Judith Klatt helps make Marburg a center of excellence in cutting-edge research. In 2024, for example, she was awarded an ERC Starting Grant by the European Research Council.

The presentation was part of the “Microbes for Future” lecture series organized by the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg in cooperation with the Central Hesse Student Research Center (SFZ).

The scientific presentations will continue.

(Angela Heinemann / Dr. Sven-A. Freibert)

Microbes and the Climate Crisis: A Top-Notch Lecture Sparked Interest in Research

, ,

Conveying complex topics in a way that is tailored to the audience—this is, at best, a skill possessed by professors, lecturers in general, and also by teachers. With this in mind, Björn Gemmer, principal of Steinmühle School, expressly praised the Marburg-based biologist and chemist Prof. Dr. Tobias Erb of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology for his public lecture at Steinmühle.

About 100 interested attendees came to hear the presentation on the topic “Microbial Power—New Paths Out of the Climate Crisis.” In the auditorium were students from the advanced biology classes in grades Q2 and Q4, students from the introductory biology class in our Q4, as well as external attendees and all members of the plus-MINT group from Steinmühle.

 

How can microbiology help reduce the CO2 content of the atmosphere?

That was the topic of the lecture, which biology and math teacher Dr. Sven Freibert—a member of Steinmühle’s Plus-MINT support team—summarized as follows:

 

The “terrestrial microbiome” plays an enormously important role in the carbon cycle. The sequestration of CO2—including anthropogenic CO2—is carried out almost entirely by terrestrial plants and aquatic microorganisms. The latter are primarily found in the world’s oceans. However, the efficiency of CO₂ fixation by microorganisms is not very high. Due to the comparatively high availability of CO₂ throughout both the older and more recent geological history, there has been—and continues to be—no evolutionary pressure to significantly improve this efficiency.

Microbiology—or, more specifically in this case, synthetic microbiology—and, above all, the team led by Prof. Dr. Tobias Erb has now made this “problem” of efficiency the focus of its research. The goal is to use microbiological, genetic, and biochemical methods to identify and isolate metabolic pathways in microorganisms and increase their efficiency, with the ultimate aim of using these molecular machines for artificial CO₂ fixation. It should be noted, however, that the goal is not to release artificially produced microorganisms!

Another approach being pursued by Prof. Erb’s team is to genetically modify crops that are grown in large quantities so that these plants can fix CO2 more efficiently. This would have the dual advantage of removing large amounts of anthropogenic CO₂ from the atmosphere and enabling the plants to grow significantly faster, which in turn would make food much more readily available and thus contribute to global food security. “Killing two birds with one stone”!

 

The audience’s full attention

It’s not usually the case that an audience listens spellbound to a speaker from start to finish. Tobias Erb managed to hold the audience’s full attention throughout his nearly 45-minute presentation. He struck the right balance between technical expertise and clarity, and during the subsequent Q&A session—which lasted about 30 minutes—it became clear that he had truly engaged the audience with his content.

In closing, Erb expressly praised the keen interest shown by the Steinmühlen students as well as the quality of their questions.

 

Speaker Sparked Interest in Research

Professor Erb began by introducing the Max Planck Institute in Marburg as one of a total of 86 Max Planck Institutes. He highlighted the quality of the research, which is evident not least in the numerous awards, including several Nobel Prizes. The scientist highlighted the work of the international research teams and sparked an interest in scientific research.

 

Central Hesse Student Research Center as the organizer

In closing, Steinmühlen School Principal Björn Gemmer thanked not only the speaker, Prof. Dr. Tobias Erb, and Dr. Virginia Geisel, the press officer, but also the Central Hesse Student Research Center, which initiated and organized the event. As part of this group, Steinmühle is hosting four lectures in the “Microbes@School” lecture series.

(Gem / Dr. S. Freib / Heinm)

 

Plus-MINT Boarding School Steinmühle Won the State Championship at “Jugend forscht”

, , ,

Anyone who claims that young people today lack an interest in the natural sciences and fail to achieve success in those fields clearly hasn’t yet taken a look around the plus-MINT boarding school Steinmühle. There, in fact, the students have racked up one victory after another in the “Jugend forscht” competitions. Akaash Bhagwat (14) and Emil Zuckermann (12) recently took first place in physics at the state level in this competition.

 

A Dedicated Team of Teachers

There’s a whole team of students at Steinmühle High School who are investing a lot of enthusiasm and time in the subjects of math, computer science, natural sciences, and technology. An amazing fact: Not a single one of them went home empty-handed from this year’s “Jugend forscht” competition! The fact that Steinmühle in Marburg stands out from surrounding high schools with these results also makes the teachers proud. STEM coordinator Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf says, “Our students are eager to do research, and we as a team of teachers support them in that.”

It goes without saying that this team itself consists of die-hard scientists. However Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, Dr. Sven Freibert, Malte Klimczak, Dr. Eva Neumann, Antje Seel, and Dr. Patrick Szabo manage to do it—they manage to inspire the young people.

 

“An outstanding piece of work”

The laudatory speech for the winners of the Hessian state competition “Jugend forscht” in physics, Akaash Bhagwat and Emil Zuckermann, certainly offers deep insight: “…They presented an outstanding project on the topic “Smart Fluids—Smart Cars?”, which impressed us with its exceptionally high level of motivation and genuine interest in the subject.
We particularly appreciated your highly structured scientific approach, in which you systematically varied influencing factors independently of one another, conducted measurement series meticulously, and evaluated your results in a clear, meaningful, and reproducible manner,” the laudatory speech states.

 

What had Akaash and Emil done?

Since both students are huge car fans, it was obvious: their joint research project would be about cars. The two teenagers investigated the viscosity of MR fluids. Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are smart functional fluids that change their viscosity—that is, their viscous properties—from liquid to semisolid within milliseconds when exposed to a magnetic field. Using various measurement methods, Akaash and Emil developed a working prototype for adaptive shock absorbers. — A success that earned them press coverage, including an article and a video, about their research.

Considering that in the previous regional qualifying round, all 6 of the 6 teams from Schule & Internat Steinmühle that competed had emerged victorious, that fact alone must be described as absolutely extraordinary. The fact that several Steinmühle teams subsequently competed at the very top at the state level is evident from the following list:

 

The “Jugend forscht” winning teams in the regional competition (RW) and the state competition (LW):

Felix Sacher (10th grade) and Sophie Sacher (6th grade) / Topic: AIceBear cares everywhere—AI assistance system for chronically ill children: RW 1st place in the “Working World” category, LW 2nd place in the “Working World” category & Special Prize from the German Hearing Aid Industry Association

Aurelia Wild, Marietheres Schwabe, Fatma Sepetcigil (5th grade) / Topic: Making Baby Diapers More Eco-Friendly—Plant Power Instead of Superabsorbents: RW 1st Place in Chemistry, LW Geolino Special Prize (Participation in the “Jugend Forscht Junior” competition)

Marlene Jerrentrup, Ida Watzlawek (6th grade) / Topic: Living Foam Experiment: Elephant Toothpaste: RW 1st Place in Chemistry, LW 2nd Place in Chemistry & Special Prize from the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) (Participation in the “Jugend Forscht Junior” competition)

Lotte Wagner, Isabella Kuhl (7th grade) / Topic: The Formula for Flight: RW 1st place in physics, LW 2nd place in physics & special award for attention to detail (participation in the “Jugend Forscht Junior” competition)

Lara Khatib, Giorgia Kuhn (8th grade) / Topic: The Gen2 Horse Paper: RW 1st Place in the “Working World” category, LW Special Prize for Materials and Substances (Institute of Materials Science and Engineering). Participation in the “Jugend Forscht Junior” competition.

Akaash Bhagwat (8th grade), Emil Zuckermann (6th grade) / Topic: Smart Fluids—Smart Cars? MR fluids as metamorphic shock absorbers; RW: 1st place in Physics & Special Prize in Physics (game prize); LW: 1st place in Physics and the plusMINT Special Prize for Creativity in Physics. “Fascination with Electric Cars” experiment kit.

 

Unfortunately, there is no national competition in this category.

Akaash and Emil also participated in the “Jugend Forscht Junior” competition, which is for their age group. There is no national finals round in this competition category. However, both have been invited to the plusMINT Research Camp in Louisenlund in early August. — Have fun there, you two!

(Angela Heinemann)

 

 

Oberhessische Presse, April 7, 2026

Doing math, tinkering, having fun: A visit to the Steinmühle for the +MINT Camp

, , ,

A Flurry of Activities at the +MINT Boarding Schools: Together with a total of eight students from Schloss Louisenlund and Schloss Neubeuern, a team from Schule & Internat Steinmühle kicked off this year’s +MINT Camp. In addition to plenty of information and activities related to math, computer science, natural sciences, and technology, there was lots of fun and plenty to marvel at.

 

With kangaroo jumps

Some aspects were familiar from previous years’ camps, while others were new: For the first time, the event took place in March and was combined with the Kangaroo Competition. Under the proven leadership of Maximilian Moll, a math teacher at Steinmühle, the group headed to the Lahnberge, among other places, where Dr. Patrick Mehlitz, a professor of mathematical optimization, was waiting with his workshop on Eulerian graphs.

Another workshop on knot theory was held the following day, led by Prof. Dr. Oliver Goertsches.

The program also included the traditional visit to Pfeiffer-Vacuum in Aßlar to learn about state-of-the-art vacuum technology.

To find out just what a beautiful city the Steinmühle is actually located in, we naturally set out to explore Marburg, packed with a lunch to go.

 

Mathematikum: Educational and entertaining

“The world is—according to Pythagoras—numbers. And no one does the math.” That was the title of Dr. Muth’s workshop. It took place at the Steinmühle.

The grand finale of the four-day event was a visit to the Mathematikum in Giessen (cover photo). This is a well-established and engaging part of the program that demonstrates in many ways that math doesn’t have to be so “dry,” but instead holds plenty of surprises.

 

The dinner event was a culinary highlight

Events at the Steinmühle are renowned for their attractive supporting program and excellent catering. And this year’s +MINT Camp once again lived up to that reputation. Refreshments in the bistro with snacks and drinks, delicious meals in the Steinmühle cafeteria prepared by Chef Sebastian Riehl and his team, and topped off by a festive dinner.

 

Which rocket flies the highest?

For some entertainment in between activities, participants took part in a rocket competition, the goal of which was to build a water-pressure-powered rocket and make it fly as high as possible. And for those who wanted to get some exercise themselves in addition to launching their rockets, there were various sports activities to choose from.

Our takeaway: It was great hanging out with you guys, and we had a lot of fun! — We’ll say: Ciao — see you next time!

(Angela Heinemann)

 

Outperforming the “Informatik-Biber”: Joel and Emil Beat the Highest Score

, , ,

With a performance that far exceeded the standard required for first place, Steinmühlen students Joel (left) and Emil (both in 6a) impressed the judges at the Germany-wide Informatik-Biber competition.

Among the 204,150 participants in grades 5 and 6, they were ultimately among the nearly 2 percent who took home a first prize. That required 117 points—but Joel and Emil scored 144!

The two classmates had worked together as a team on the same screen—and that clearly worked out wonderfully, said computer science teacher Steffen Ullwer. Like his two students, he, too, was awarded a certificate for this remarkable achievement.

All we can say is: Hats off to such talent in computer science! We’re sure we’ll be hearing even more from you in the future.

(Angela Heinemann)

 

Seeking Participants: Who would like to take part in our concentration study?

, ,

Are you between 14 and 19 years old? Are you interested in learning more about when and why it’s easier or harder to concentrate? Would you like to support our study by participating? If so, we look forward to hearing from you! Information sessions will be held on March 4 or 9. You can find more details on our poster:

 

More Eco-Friendly Baby Diapers: All Six “Jugend forscht” Projects Took First Place

, , ,

The Steinmühle sent six projects to the regional “Jugend Forscht” competition over the weekend—and returned with six first-place finishes! All of the Steinmühle’s participating projects won the regional title in their respective fields! As a result, the Marburg high school will travel to Kassel from March 20 to 21 with a total of 11 students and five projects to compete in the state competition of “Jugend Forscht Junior.” One group will compete in the state competition for older students in Darmstadt.

Ideas… they don’t really exist. Marietheres Schwabe, Aurelia Wild, and Fatma Sepetcigil from 5th grade had one. In their research, they focused on making baby diapers more eco-friendly—using plant power instead of superabsorbents.

Under the guidance of teachers Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf and Dr. Patrick Szabo, the group’s project in the “Working World” course sought an ecological alternative to the non-biodegradable superabsorbent used in baby diapers. In extensive tests of absorption capacity, absorption speed, and pressure stability, the students found that a mixture of apple pectin and konjac powder works very well. This combination of materials even passed the practical test in a “modified diaper” with Aurelia’s little brother.

 

A Closer Look at Elephant Toothpaste

Marlene Jerrentrup and Ida Watzlawek from 6th grade, under the guidance of Dr. Patrick Szabo and Antje Seel, conducted a “Living Foam” experiment in their chemistry class: Elephant Toothpaste

The group investigated how temperature, the amount of yeast, the amount of dish soap, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide affect the amount of foam produced. Among other things, the young researchers found that you should use a lot of yeast, but not too much dish soap.

 

Unraveling the Formula for Flight

Isabella Kuhl and Lotte Wagner, seventh-graders, tested the formula for flight under the supervision of Malte Klimczak and Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf in the physics department.

The two researchers re-examined a recently discovered formula that can be used to calculate the wingbeat frequency of insects and birds based on the animals’ masses and wing areas. To do this, they measured and analyzed free-flying insects and butterflies they had raised themselves using video analysis. They also investigated how changes in the mass of an ornithopter (a wind-up model bird) affect its flight behavior.

 

A special project by young car enthusiasts

Akaash Bhagwat (8th grade) and Emil Zuckermann (6th grade) focused their project on the potential interaction between smart fluids and smart cars. Under the guidance of Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf and Dr. Sven-A. Freibert in their physics class, they investigated the fascinating properties of magnetorheological fluids and subsequently conducted experiments they designed themselves, which demonstrated how viscosity and damping behavior can be specifically controlled by magnetic fields. Finally, the students filled the shock absorbers of a model car with the magnetorheological fluid and demonstrated adaptive damping using a ramp test.

 

Paper made from horse manure has been further developed

Lara Khatib and Giorgia Kuhn from 8th grade worked on further developing their project, which involves producing eco-friendly paper from horse manure. Under the guidance of Dr. Sven Freibert and Dr. Eva Neumann, the two students were able to significantly improve the production of their eco-friendly paper from horse manure in this follow-up project as part of the “Working World” course. Among other things, adding starch reduced the paper’s brittleness. The result is a second-generation (Gen2) paper that is sturdy, thin, uniform, and easy to write on.

 

The AIceBear is a seasoned competitor

The AIceBear has already traveled with siblings Sophie and Felix Sacher to many competitions, including one in Singapore (as we reported). Now, the project—an AI-driven assistance system for chronically ill children—has been presented at Jugend Forscht in the “Working World” category and has qualified directly for the state competition. To present it to the jury, they’ll be heading to Darmstadt at the end of March, while the younger students will have to explain their experiments to the experts in Kassel.

The students are feeling confident about the next round.

(Angela Heinemann)