51th Retreat Symposium
A very special event for us at MSE-1 this year was the 51st Retreat Symposium in October. This year’s chair seminar took place at the Hotel Wutzschleife in the Upper Palatinate. Our Retreat Symposium at MSE-1 already looks back on a 50-year tradition. In the early years, participants met at Bernhardshöhe, then at Sattelbogener Hof from 1977 onwards, and now also in the Bavarian Forest at Wutzschleife.
A total of 52 participants and three guests took part. Three guests, Prof. Uwe Glatzel from the University of Bayreuth, Dr. Verena Meier-Kiener from the Montanuniversität Leoben, and Dr. habil. Ralph Gilles from the Technical University of Munich and Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ). They complemented the specialist presentations by the doctoral students and contributed to stimulating scientific discussions. Prof. Glatzel opened the symposium with his presentation on the insights gained from 20 years of research on high entropy alloys. On the second day, Dr. Meier-Kiener gave a comprehensive overview of the possibilities of nanoindentation in her presentation “From cryogenic to high-temperature tests – dynamic nanoindentation under extreme conditions.” The evening lecture on this day was given by Dr. Ralph Gilles, who provided an in-depth insight into the research activities at the MLZ in Garching near Munich and emphasized the importance of neutron research there for current issues in material.
Of course, the traditional hike was a must again this year. As last year, it was organized by Annalena Meermeier. The destination of this year’s hike was the Schwarzwihrberhütte hut near the Schwarzenburg castle ruins. After covering about two-thirds of the 8.6 km route with an elevation gain of 270 m, we stopped there for a break before heading back to the hotel along a riverbed. A special highlight was the “Stone Wall,” a narrow path with rocks that required a bit of scrambling. It was an all-around successful event, and we are already looking forward to the next symposium in 2026!