Reports

On 13.08.2024, the GFB went on an excursion to the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel with the theme "Of water features and technical refinements".

The excursion began with an impressive climb up to Hercules, the landmark of the city of Kassel and a masterpiece of Baroque engineering. From there, the breathtaking view over the city of Kassel could be enjoyed before the guided tour through the Bergpark began.

During the tour, the participants were given fascinating insights into the history and technical masterpieces of the park, in particular the famous trick fountains. The tour explained how the complex system of watercourses and reservoirs, which works without pumps, feeds the spectacular waterfalls, cascades and fountains. This technical sophistication impressed everyone and illustrated just how much the Baroque period was characterized by the art of engineering.

At the end of the excursion, the informative and inspiring trip came to a fitting close with summery food and drink in the adjoining restaurant on the Herkules Terraces.

On 30.07.2024, the members of the GFB met for the annual summer party in seminar room 0614 (Mönchebergstr. 7) near the Gießhaus. In the best weather, there were interesting conversations and cool drinks, as well as freshly baked pizza this year, of which even the repeat order did not live to see the end of the evening.

This was followed by the traditional table football tournament. After some exciting games and a hard-fought final, the coveted challenge cup went this year to the winners Abyan Ismail Mohamud and Lena Carolin Schwarz.

The next GFB event in August will be the tour "Of water features and technical refinements" in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe.

On 18.03.2024, the members of the GFB met on the premises of the university for this year's Annual General Meeting. As usual, the sponsorship and science prize was presented to this year's prizewinners during the general meeting. Valeria Cravciuc and Jonas Langer were awarded the sponsorship prize for their outstanding bachelor theses. Angela Jalili received the Science Award for her outstanding Master's thesis. Following the general meeting and award ceremony, the evening was spent in the Chevy burger restaurant.

The GFB's traditional annual Christmas party took place on 05.12.2023. A sporty end to the year together drew the participants to a bowling alley in Kassel. Afterwards, the evening ended with a cozy get-together and our traditional, always entertaining "Schrottwichteln" at the Italian restaurant San Marino.

On 05.09.2023 the GFB visited the Staatstheather Kassel for a technical tour. During the excursion the GFB members got a fascinating insight into the reconstruction measures in the interior and could take an exciting look behind the scenes of the Staatstheater as well as the adjacent Schauspielhaus. The tour ended with a convivial get-together at Cafe ALEX.

Also this year, the members of the GFB met for their annual summer party. However, this time it became special, because the Förderverein celebrated its 20th anniversary on 20.07.2023.

The meeting point of the summer party was for the first time the seminar room 0614 (Mönchebergstr. 7), where the honorary member Prof. Franz first opened the rich cake buffet. Afterwards, an inspiring lecture by GFB chairman Prof. Racky showed the structural development of the University of Kassel at the location Holländischer Platz during the last 20 years. The impressions from the previous presentation could then be further deepened in a campus tour. After the campus tour, which was very interesting for all participants, the GFB members came together again in the seminar room, where the smell of freshly baked pizza attracted them again to the buffet.

Of course, the speech of the honorary member Prof. Franz could not be missing on this special occasion. In his very humorous and impressive review, he let the last 20 years of the club's life pass in review. Afterwards he opened the traditional foosball tournament. The much sought-after challenge cup went to the winners Melanie Schleicher and Ralf Gnerlich after a hard-fought final victory. The party came to a fitting end with a cosy get-together and summery cocktails.

On March 28, 2023, the GFB visited the construction site of the S-Finanz-Campus of the Sparkasse in Kassel with association members and students. With the new building measure the two present main locations in Kassel at the Kölnische Straße are to be merged. The special feature here is that the Sparkasse intends to reduce its business space in Kassel's city center by 40 percent with the new building, which will cost around 51 million euros. After an impressive presentation, the construction site tour was then conducted by employees of Kasseler Sparkasse as well as Hermanns AG, giving the group an excellent and very comprehensive insight into the construction project.

On 20.03.2023 the members of the GFB met in the premises of the university for this year's ordinary general meeting. As usual, the annual sponsorship award was presented to students during the general meeting. Lena Carolin Schwarz and Victoria Zeisberg received the award for their outstanding bachelor theses. The evening was rounded off with a pleasant evening at the Chevy burger restaurant.

On December 13, 2022 the traditional Christmas party of the GFB took place. On a bowling alley in Kassel there was first a sporty end of the year, before the evening ended in the Italian restaurant San Marino with a cozy get-together and the final traditional scrap Secret Santa.

On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, GFB association members together with students visited the Federal Training Center of the Carpentry and Finishing Trades, also known as BUBIZA. During the excursion, which was led by GFB member Dipl.-Ing. Petra Marpe, the participants got an excellent insight into the training rooms and workshops of BUBIZA after an introductory presentation afterwards.

After the guided tour, the participants were introduced to the DaviD project in a final presentation. This is a virtual digital building with a wiki system in which extensive information, pictures, videos and drawings for the areas of timber construction and building services engineering as well as for interfaces between the trades were entered. For the project, the real existing planning of a building in timber frame construction with two usage units served as the basis for the development of a virtually accessible 3D building model. The project was completed in 2017 and was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund as part of the "Digital Media in Vocational Education and Training (DIMEBB)" program.

At the end of the excursion, those interested were given a glimpse into the virtual world of the project using VR glasses.

At this year's summer party of the GFB there were a few innovations. For the first time the meeting place was the seminar room 0608 (Mönchebergstr. 7) near the Gießhaus. For a change, instead of the usual delicacies from the grill, this year there was pizza, of which even the repeat order did not live to see the end of the evening.

Of course, the traditional foosball tournament was not to be missed. After a hard-fought title defense, the winners of the foosball tournament this year are again Florian Pipper and Wolfgang Thome.

With beautiful weather, cool drinks and nice conversations, the evening ended in the adjacent courtyard.

The documenta fifteen was held under the motto "lumbung", which is Indonesian and stands for communal rice barn. A visit to documenta 15 with a guided tour of the documenta hall and parts of the floodplain was organized by the GFB at July 20, 2022.

Meeting point for the 15 participating GFB members was next to the entrance to the documenta Halle, where the tour started with an introduction. During the approximately two-hour tour, there was constant input and stimulation for discussions about the artworks and the people behind them, but also plenty of time to look at them in peace. After a short detour into the Aue, the tour ended at the Rondell.

As a conclusion, the impressions were further exchanged in the beer garden of the same name, with cool drinks.

On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, the GFB visited the HOCHTIEF construction site on the premises of the Hessian Riot Police at Frankfurter Straße 365 in Kassel-Niederzwehren with a total of 21 people, including both association members and students. In addition to extensive measures for energy refurbishment, a new building complex was also constructed there. The excursion was accompanied by the responsible HOCHTIEF project manager and GFB member Dr. Philipp Stichnoth as well as representatives of the police, so that the group gained an excellent insight into the construction project.

On 22.03.2022, the members of the GFB met on the premises of the university for the ordinary general meeting. As usual, the Chairman Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Racky presented the sponsorship and science award to this year's prizewinners during the general meeting. This year, the sponsorship prize was awarded for two bachelor theses, one to Andrea Bartoschek and the other to Sascha Hofeditz, who was unfortunately unable to attend the award ceremony. Eva Schneider received the science prize for her Master's thesis.
Following the general meeting and award ceremony, the evening was spent in the Chevy burger restaurant.

On 07.12.2021, taking into account the pandemic-related hygiene measures, the traditional Christmas party of the GFB finally took place again. A common sporty end of the year attracted the participants first to a Kassel bowling alley. Afterwards, the evening ended at the Italian restaurant San Marino with a cozy get-together and our traditional, always entertaining scrap metal Secret Santa.

On August 23, 2021, after a one-time suspension due to the pandemic, the annual general meeting of the GFB took place, which this year again provided the ceremonial setting for the awarding of the GFB Science and Promotion Prize. The work of Mr. Apel and Mr. Kaeber from the year 2020 was honored with prize money and certificates.

In addition, the new election of the boardwas on the agenda, with the following changes:

• Mr. Schadow did not stand for re-election as assessor. In addition, Ms. Spiers was proposed as a new member and confirmed in the election together with the other assessors who already held the office.

The other board members were confirmed in their activities and re-elected as before. The "remaining" board members thanked Mr. Schadow for his participation as an assessor and warmly welcomed Ms. Spiers as a new board member.

After the general meeting the summer party started, which had its premiere this year in the Science Park of the University of Kassel. Traditionally, we had a barbecue and an exciting foosball tournament. After a fierce battle against the second-placed team, Florian Pipper and Wolfgang Thome won the challenge cup. The party came to a fitting end with a cosy get-together outdoors.

At the invitation of Hessen Mobil, the GFB visited on 16.09.2019 with a total of 22 people, including both association members and students, the construction measure for the further construction of the BAB A49 between Neuental and Gemünden/Felda. Thanks to the excellent organization by the host, the group received very interesting insights into the approximately 12 km long first section of the overall measure from Neuental on site. In addition to the planned Neuental junction, several valley structures, a green bridge and the Frankenhain tunnel were visited.

"The university is building”, headlines the website of the University of Kassel. The construction department of the university together with a representative of the responsible architect's office gave a very interesting insight into one of the current construction measures to about 12 students and association members in the context of a building site inspection on 16.04.2019, to which the GFB had invited all interested parties in advance. In the context of the visited construction project, a former industrial building will be converted into a so-called student house, into which the AStA and other student institutions and groups are expected to move in 2019.

On March 18, 2019, the annual general meeting of the GFB took place, which this year again provided the festive setting for the awarding of the GFB Science and Promotion Prize. The work of Mr. Klöpfel and Ms. Feiertag from 2018 was honored with prize money and certificates.

In addition, the election of the new boardwas on the agenda, with the following changes:

• Prof. Franz was no longer available as chairman after many years of service on the association's board, so Prof. Racky was first proposed for the position of chairman and then elected. For his services to the association, Prof. Franz was awarded honorary membership of the GFB in the further course of the meeting.
• Also Mr. Meyer did not stand for re-election after many years as assessor, so Mr. Schadow was elected as new assessor.

The "remaining“ board members thank Prof. Franz and Mr. Meyer for their many years of service to the association and warmly welcome the new board members Prof. Racky and Mr. Schadow.

On 12.12.2018 the traditional Christmas party of the GFB took place. The decision was made to end the year on a sporty note by first visiting a bowling alley in Kassel. Subsequently, the evening found a cozy conclusion in the Italian restaurant San Marino, where also traditionally the scrap Secret Santa took place.

On the site of the former Unterstadtbahnhof between Mombach- and Wolfhager Straße in Kassel, an office building of around 7,700 square meters is currently under construction, where the Jobcenter of the city of Kassel is expected to move into in the fall of 2018.

The GFB invited all interested parties to visit the new job center building on April 18, 2018. The tour was organized by the company responsible for the shell construction and was particularly well received by students. A total of around 30 people took part in the excursion.

The regular general meeting of the GFB took place in combination with the award ceremony of the GFB Science Award 2017 on March 20, 2018 at the premises of the University of Kassel.

A total of 11 members were present at the meeting, which, in addition to the classic agenda items, mainly included the awarding of the GFB Science Prize for 2017. On this occasion, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Volkhard Franz presented the certificate and the prize money to the award winner René Weigel M.Sc. for his master thesis with the topic „Evaluation of selected verification methods for the deadline-related assessment of contractor claims from construction time supplements<x-cl>”.</x-cl>

Following the association tradition, the year 2017 was also concluded by the members of the GFB with a Christmas party.

For this purpose, in the late afternoon of 13.12.2017, first a visit to the City Museum Kassel with a guided tour through the permanent exhibition took place. Reopened in June 2016, the Stadtmuseum am Ständeplatz offers its visitors extremely interesting insights into the more than 1,100-year history of the city of Kassel.

Following the tour, the members visited the nearby Casa Colombiana restaurant, where the traditional scrap metal Secret Santa also took place in a South American atmosphere.

Every five years the documenta takes place in Kassel. This opportunity was used this year by the GFB and a joint visit to the exhibition was organized.

Members were invited to take part in one of the so-called walks around documenta 14 on June 22, 2017. During the approximately two-hour exploratory tour, we were assisted by a young woman who provided us with comprehensive information about the exhibits, but above all wanted to stimulate discussions and expressions of opinion among the group. The walk included the exhibitions at Friedrichsplatz and in the documenta hall.

After the visit to the documenta, the participants of the event could further exchange their impressions during a cozy get-together in a nearby restaurant.

Also this year the members of the GFB met for the regular general meeting at the University of Kassel. The meeting took place on 15.03.2017 and the board could welcome 17 members to this. The general meeting mainly dealt with organizational matters such as the discharge of the board, the annual report for 2016 and the cash audit.

Furthermore, the election of the new board was on the agenda this year. The occupation of the chairman, the managing director, the treasurer and the secretary was not changed and confirmed by the members in the elections. In the elections of the assessors there was a new appointment by Mrs. Schröder, who will replace the retiring Mrs. Mokros.

At the end of the general meeting the prizes for the GFB Science Award 2016 and the GFB Sponsorship Award 2016 were awarded. The prize money and the certificates were presented by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Volkhard Franz to the laureate Dominique Junge and the laureate Philipp Weßling.

The members were then able to round off the evening with a meal together in a nearby restaurant.

In the immediate vicinity of Kassel University, 240 microapartments are currently being built on Ihringshäuser Straße, with just as many bicycle parking spaces and 77 underground parking spaces. The property, which had previously been unused for some time, has a size of around 3,600^m2 and is located at the corner of Ostring and Kellermannstraße.

On February 27, 2017, the GFB invited all interested parties to a tour of the construction site, which was conducted by the site manager of the company responsible for the shell construction. Thereby, the 16-person group of participants gained an insight into the construction process and was able to get a good overall impression of the building. In addition, the concept of the residential complex was explained: the fully furnished owner-occupied apartments, which have living spaces starting at 22^m2, are intended to appeal primarily to students and commuters as users. Investors are to be offered an attractive capital investment opportunity, among other things through the realization of the KfW 55 energy standard.

At the time of the inspection, the building project was nearing completion of the shell construction work and is scheduled for completion in September 2017.

On 5.10.2016, a tour of the Löwenburg Castle took place, followed by a stop at Route 66. The Löwenburg is embedded in the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel. Designed from the outside like a castle from the Middle Ages, however, it was only built between 1793 and 1801. The building was commissioned by Landgrave Wilhelm IX, who later became Elector Wilhelm I.

13 club members took part in the tour of the Löwenburg. Since the Löwenburg is currently being renovated and refurbished, only part of the premises could be visited by the group. Furthermore, the keep of the Löwenburg, which was destroyed during the Second World War, is being reconstructed and rebuilt.

After the tour, the group stopped at the Route 66 restaurant near the park. There they finished the evening with cool drinks and a delicious burger.

Also this year the members of the GFB met on 18.08.2016 for the annual summer party. Traditionally, in addition to steaks, Hessian potato sausage was grilled for the 13 participants and the table football tournament was held. The challenge cup went this year to Ralf Gnerlich and Mohamed El Khatib (see photo), who won the final in the best-of-three directly with 2:0. With a cozy get-together and the best summer weather, the festival came to a fitting end outdoors.

The next GFB event will be a tour of the Löwenburg in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe (probably in October).

On 24.05.2016, the GFB organized a tour of the construction project at Lutherplatz, Kassel. Company Emmeluth carries out the structural work at this object and offered a guided tour of the construction site for the 19 participants of the excursion. A new building of the regional council Kassel with underground parking and a sales area for Rewe is being built. The building has an area of approx. 15,000 m² GFA above ground and approx. 4,000 m² GFA below ground. The project is currently in the development phase and is scheduled for completion in the fall of this year.

On March 23, 2016, the GFB held its regular general meeting at the University of Kassel. To this the board could welcome 13 members. Besides organizational matters, such as the discharge of the board, the cash audit and the annual report 2015, the prizes for the GFB Science Award 2015 and the GFB Sponsorship Award 2015 were awarded. The certificates and the prize money were presented by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Volkhard Franz to the two prize winners M.Sc. Natalie Schröder and B.Sc. Svenja Mokros.
Following the general meeting, the members were able to round off the evening with a meal together at the Stammtisch. 

On the former site of the Henschel works in the Mittelfeld industrial park in Kassel's Nordstadt district, the Daimler company produces truck axles and occasionally passenger car axles for the Mercedes brand. The historic site has served as a production facility for axles for over 40 years. About 1500 - 2000 axles are produced daily and transported to the respective Mercedes plants for further final assembly.
The members of the GFB and interested other students of the civil engineering course of the University of Kassel were offered a plant tour at the Mercedes axle plant in Kassel as part of the visit on 10.03.2016. This was followed by a company presentation and a presentation on the construction projects on the factory premises. With a group size of 18 participants, the excursion was well attended.
During the plant tour, the individual production steps of the axles and the manufacturing processes were presented. In the subsequent presentation by the head of the construction department of the Kassel location, construction projects already carried out, current and planned were explained in more detail.  Furthermore, the visitors gained insights into the daily work routine and the special features of a civil engineer at a production site.