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Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience The city of Zittau has now granted the building permit for the test facility which is to be constructed by the beginning of next year The aim is to develop cost-effective electrolyzers for the production of green hydrogen in which the by-products oxygen and heat can be optimally used The team from Fraunhofer IEG is developing their innovative LA-SeVe electrolysis plant from sketch to reality From pv magazine Germany The Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems (IEG) is building its new Laboratory Facility for Sector-Coupled Utilization of PEM Electrolysis Products (LA-SeVe) in Zittau The city has now granted the building permit the research institute announced Wednesday The test facility is to be built on the site of the Zittau public utilities by early next year for around €2.7 million which will be located in a container room around 12 meters long and 2.5 meters wide and supplied with electricity via a new transformer station a heat pump with a maximum output of 105 kW (thermal) will be installed in an existing hall together with buffer storage pumps and control technology and connected to the electrolyzer via a water circuit The waste heat from the electrolyzer's research operation will be directed via the heat pump into the city's district heating network The test facility is part of the IntegrH2ate project in which the coupling between PEM electrolysis heat pump and heating network is being examined The waste heat from the electrolysis is to be upgraded by the heat pump so that it can be used as district heating in the city's supply network The oxygen from the electrolysis is also a sought-after commodity if it is sufficiently pure The test facility is primarily used to test the operational optimization of the system concept and the efficient coupling of electrolyzers and heat pumps in electricity The operating mode and parameters are changed depending on whether the focus is on using surplus electricity from renewable energy plants saving fossil fuels or optimal hydrogen production The researchers at Fraunhofer IEG have already developed concepts for these scenarios and now they can be tested in practice we are creating a test infrastructure to test and qualify industrial processes,” said Clemens Schneider “We want to test on a pilot plant scale how heat and oxygen by-products from electrolysis can be optimally processed in dynamic operation.” The test facility is also intended as a platform to test industrial processes for manufacturers and companies This includes the methanation of carbon dioxide tests of compressors for oxygen and hydrogen as well as hydrogen burners and other components to use the main and by-products from PEM electrolysis PEM stands for proton exchange membranes or polymer electrolyte membranes PEM electrolyzers have good partial load capacity and high efficiencies They are also considered insensitive to load changes They are therefore well suited for the production of green hydrogen from volatile renewable sources such as photovoltaics and wind power More articles from Sandra Enkhardt Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close this weekly gathering in the small eastern German city of Zittau could be easily mistaken for a pantomime performance But the messages and ideas spread at the cobbled square in front of city hall are deadly serious: flags of far-right groups dot the scene as speakers rile up a crowd of 600 “How did an ideology-driven elite manage to completely destroy the livelihoods of such a well-educated people as the Germans?” shouts Karin Viehweg, a far-right activist in her late 50s, over the loudspeaker in late November, nodding to the cost-of-living crisis and Germany’s left-leaning government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz “The citizens of the GDR didn’t go into the streets in 1989 to land in a new Red-Green socialism referring to the Communist and Soviet-backed German Democratic Republic that ruled East Germany from 1949 to 1990 the crowd holds up posters demanding an end to arming Ukraine and restarting gas imports from Russia calling sanctions “economic suicide.” Read More: Volodymyr Zelensky Is TIME’s 2022 Person of the Year or “Ossis,” think differently about Russia “I remember how hated the Russians were in the GDR The reptilians are practically the only thing that haven’t come up yet,” he says referring to two conspiracy theories espoused on the far-right Zenker blames much of the dissatisfaction driving the protests on unrealistic expectations set under East German socialism which he says provided excellent public services but was financially unsustainable deputy director of the Federal Foundation for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Eastern Germany eastern Germans do not want to have anything to do with the state and really distrust ‘those up there’,” he says “The GDR saw itself as an anti-fascist state the Communist leadership didn’t see a need for dealing with the [Nazi] past… while keeping silent about right-wing extremism and racism.” Today, eastern Germans are more likely to be critical of the West’s foreign policy. A recent poll shows that almost 60% agreed or partially agreed that the “Russian invasion of Ukraine is justified by NATO provocation.” Only half as many western Germans said the same Read More: Exclusive: Chancellor Olaf Scholz on a New Era for Germany many who gather outside Zenker’s office after marching the old boundaries of Zittau’s city wall see the mayor and even Germany’s entire political system One young man with a shaved head and face tattoos waves a placard urging to “overthrow tyrants” like Zenker and Scholz describes the political situation today in Germany as “totally unequivocally scheisse I’m a pensioner and in the east pensions are lower and the prices of everything are going up.” The number of attendees has surged since the war in Ukraine began Eksner was one of the first of just eight people to take part in the march in Zittau over two years ago; he has attended almost 200 by now Eksner says “many here vote AfD” but that this is “an independent citizen’s initiative.” Freie Sachsen a far-right group who support Saxon independence (“Säxit”) One voter who represents this crossover between far-left and far-right is Christel who TIME speaks to a week later in Magdeburg the capital of the neighboring state of Saxony-Anhalt A 70-year-old former cultural attache for the GDR in Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya she says “the West started this war” and that “if I hear the word ‘Ukraine’ one more time I will puke.” Christel insists that she doesn’t like the AfD’s nationalism but agrees with their opposition to arming Ukraine “You don’t create peace with weapons!” she says quoting a slogan common in the German peace movement (The GDR defined itself as a “peace state” built from the rubble of World War II.) they have demonstrated against energy price rises on the same day just behind the ruling Social Democratic Party Read More: Inside the Historic Mission to Provide Ukraine Aid and Arms The protesters covered their mouths with black tape and held up posters describing the suffering brought on by the war in Ukraine Yaremchyshyna says people screamed at them and said they were “paid crisis actors.” One drunk older man came and ripped a poster from one of them “It was very traumatic for us,” Yaremchyshyna recalls “I couldn’t get out of bed the whole next day It’s just unbelievably cynical and of course it’s very painful to hear this victim blaming I lost my friend [in the war] but you know they won’t believe you they will always find a reason to justify Russia and Russians.” Yaremchyshyna is hardly alone in her experiences Contact us at letters@time.com ZITTAU – Nearly every day for the last 13 years Jon Metzig has usually been at one of his family’s cheese factories by 5:30 a.m He often starts work by coagulating milk — an important step to eventually turning it to cheese many of those days included a conversation or a joke with his dad On Saturday, March 18, that changed. Jon, 38, discovered his parents — Dave, 72, and Jan, 71 — murdered in their home Erik lived with his parents and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide Those who knew the Metzigs and their business reacted with grief and surprise The Union Star factory stands at a rural crossroads in an unassuming where the cheese is made in the back and customers sample and buy from stainless-steel counters and coolers up front Like a smattering of cheese factories across Wisconsin family-run business with deep roots in its community residents wondered what would happen if the factory's work which Jon estimates supports about eight families and draws traffic to the area and two days after the murders reopened Union Star for business returning to work was the only thing that made sense given the perishable nature of his livelihood it’s not like you can just pause,” he said and they both have multiple families on the farms Jon's role at Union Star is about more than the factory and the business; it’s about the tightly woven fabric of his community The unincorporated Zittau — pronounced locally to rhyme with "ditto" — is in the town of Wolf River about 20 miles west of Appleton and about two miles south of U.S Zittau lies mostly along one intersection at Winnebago County II and a road labeled simply "North" and "South" on either side a gift shop called The Corner Store and Drews Tavern — started by the Drews family just seven years after Union Star opened and visitors park on a gravel shoulder or an asphalt strip every day — except early Sunday morning — the red-lettered sign by the blue double doors reads "OPEN." Any other time You have to know Union Star is there to find it but the business has made a name for itself emigrated in 1854 to the United States with his family at the age of 31 according to an account written by his descendant Harvey Metzig The name Union Star came with the building according to an account by Henry Metzig's daughter Edna Lehman She and her husband Eugene inherited the factory According to their obituary The two met at Valparaiso University in Indiana and married in 1973 Dave and Jan moved into the factory's second floor with their son Charlie Matt was born less than two years later and Jon in 1984 Jon recalled working at Union Star when he was six years old "On Saturday mornings we had to help bag cheese curds," he said He also remembered employees wandering in and out of the home especially around Christmastime when they'd package gift boxes While the inside of the factory and the offices have been renovated over the years the outside of Union Star still looks similar to its visage in a 1911 photo The Metzigs grew the business to a second location in Berlin in 2003, naming it Willow Creek Cheese Factory. Jon said Dave and Jan were concerned for the Zittau factory's future after the four-lane U.S. 10 was completed The Zittau factory remained a destination for anyone willing to drive a little out of their way to score a bag of fresh curds It still accounts for two-thirds of the company's total sales Both locations still operate under the Union Star company name but Jon said his parents "weren't the best at branding," and for a long time no one called it by that name "Everybody that came in would just call this 'Zittau cheese,'" Jon said "Zittau cheese" isn't just a hidden gem. It's also an award-winner. For example, Red Willow, a washed-rind cheese, took third place out of 44 in its category in February at the United States Championship Cheese Contest Dave and Jan intentionally focused on higher-quality cheese production deciding years ago to keep the cheese factory small rather than become a bulk commodity producer "One of the reasons (Union Star has been successful) is there really isn't anyone else doing this anymore," Dave told the Post-Crescent in 1999 little cheese factories have to decide how to specialize We can't expect to compete with Kraft and be successful." To that end, Dave and Jon also became Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers receiving certification through the Center for Dairy Research and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Jon said he and his dad were only the second father-son master cheesemakers in Wisconsin also became a certified cheesemaker in the early 2000s more than 40 family-run cheese factories operated in Winnebago County economic driver for other family-run businessesThe town of Wolf River may only have a population of 1,208 but town chairman Randy Rutten reckoned every one of them knows Union Star you probably just moved to the area," he said Rutten has Union Star’s cheesemaking schedule memorized: Fresh cheese curds on Mondays He visits several times a week to buy cheese for himself a family member or as a favor to a friend or coworker said he grew up going to Union Star every summer while his family visited a nearby cottage when Rutten joined a nearby volunteer fire department Rutten also used to tend bar across from the cheese factory at Drews Tavern where owners Ed and Donnie Drews are running a business their grandma established in 1918 — though it has gone by other names over the years Ed Drews said the tavern and cheese factory have a symbiotic relationship: "We feed off each other a lot The tavern's foot traffic includes traveling regulars from across the state you get to know a lot of people," Ed Drews said Summer is the busiest time of year, when seasonal visitors return to cottages near Lake Poygan. The Experimental Aircraft Association's annual AirVenture fly-in convention in Oshkosh even brings a few international regulars to Zittau "We got one bunch from Germany that goes to the factory and they stop every year," Donnie Drews said "Then they come in (to the tavern) after they get their cheese." business still comes to the tavern mostly through word of mouth a gift and home décor store called The Corner Store opened just east of Union Star "It's a nice little triangle," Rutten said Ed Drews said he will occasionally purchase fresh cheese curds from Union Star and leave them on the bar counter for customers to enjoy the same way other bars serve peanuts or popcorn More than 'just a transaction': Union Star and dairy farms revolve around familyNot only does Union Star bring business to Zittau whether it's a teenager's first job or a retiree's part-time gig "There's a number of folks (whose families) have worked for the Metzigs all through the generations," Rutten said Kelsey: her grandfather picked up milk for Union Star from her grandmother's family farm And Jon said the cheese factory played a role in bringing him and Kelsey together That close connection between cheesemakers and dairy farmers persists in Union Star's relationship with Silver-Shea Holsteins of Omro which supplies the milk for the factory's cheese curds Owners Allen and Cathy Silverthorn have run Silver-Shea since 1981 the Silverthorns run their company close to home with the help of younger family members "We have a personal connection to our communities because of that," Allen Silverthorn said they’ve been selling to my dad for 40 years," Jon said Silver-Shea has now worked with three generations of Metzigs: Dave was picking up milk from the farm before Jon took over and Dave's grandfather Quintin was the farm's veterinarian "You try to work with people you trust," Allen Silverthorn said "If I'm just another guy on the (milk) route for some guy who picks up from 20 herds Sitting in the homey office above the factory in front of a cabinet of framed photos Jon recalled when he received the call from authorities early on March 18 A dropped 911 call came from his parents' house at 5:53 a.m covered in blankets and killed by apparent gunshot wounds Word got around fast as fire department volunteers I hope nothing has happened to Dave or Jan,'" Rutten said It was like someone killed my own parents." There was only one suspect, Erik The family and the store went into lockdown Erik was arrested later that morning about 30 miles away at the Kimberly YMCA. He pleaded not guilty to two charges of first-degree intentional homicide and is in Winnebago County Jail while his attorney Scott Ceman and county prosecutors gather evidence "It's one of those things where you never thought in a million years it was gonna happen," Jon said Jon is still coming to grips with a tragedy that forever changed his family He gives a lot of credit to his and his parents' faith and by Sunday we had pastors and elders come out to my parent's house I knew they were Christians," he continued Those who knew Dave and Jan Metzig say they were 'genuine people' who lived lives of serviceAs the initial shock of Dave and Jan's loss subsided This is something that happens in the big cities." Jon described his parents as "genuine people." "They lived their lives like their values," he said Dave and Jan served in several community organizations while raising their sons and running the cheese factory They would listen to what you had to say." Ed and Donnie Drews described them as dependable next-door neighbors When the Drewses lost their mom 12 years ago "She always worried about bringing him meals Allen and Cathy Silverthorn said they cut their Arizona vacation a day short to attend the Metzigs' funeral They were two of many who showed up despite a late-March snowstorm "I never saw so many people at a funeral in my entire life," Cathy Silverthorn said Jon is the only one of Dave and Jan's five sons who stayed with the family business He received his cheesemaking license at the age of 18 studied agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and traveled to Europe several times to learn more about the profession He returned to work full-time at Union Star in November 2009 His expertise and Dave's influence inspired him to create new kinds of cheese for the company including Saint Jeanne Cheese — made with his dad and named after Dave's mom — Dry Jack and Farmhouse as well as Red Willow and Bloom As part-owner of Union Star with his parents Jon said he had a buy-sell agreement with them to take over the business Once Charlie was appointed executor of Dave and Jan's will running Union Star by himself has come with a new set of challenges He's struggled the most with the finances and accounting which Dave had handled before — a book titled "How to Read a Financial Report" sat on an office table beside Jon during a May interview but he said it's been a long time since he had to analyze numbers so it makes it much easier than it could be." The widespread labor shortage doesn't help matters as he looks for another cheesemaker to work at Willow Creek there’s not too many cheesemakers looking for jobs," he said After the initial shock of Dave and Jan's deaths some wondered about the company's long-term viability "My first concern was that the (Metzig) family was going to be okay," Allen Silverthorn said "people called us concerned because (Union Star) buys the product that we put out wondering if this is going to keep going." "They were a little afraid they were going to lose that." But Jon quickly proved them wrong by leaning into others for support from working in the factory to hauling milk Jon's brothers Matt and Charlie work in accounting and are just a phone call away "I don't think (Jon) missed a beat," Cathy Silverthorn said Summer, the busy season, has come around again as folks travel across the state. Several customers have asked for tours, which Union Star and Willow Creek continue to offer free on weekdays Jon is grateful for the help from his community and staff and views working at the cheese factory as a way to deal with his parents' deaths and the ongoing court proceedings "It gives you something to focus on and be positive about,” he said Editor's note: This story has been updated with the correct order of the five Metzig sons and to clarify that Saint Jeanne Cheese was named after Dave Metzig's mom Katy Macek is a regional features and local business editor for the Appleton Post-Crescent. Contact her at kmacek@gannett.com or 920-426-6658. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMacek Rebecca Loroff is a breaking and trending news reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her at rloroff@gannett.com 2024: This story was republished to make it free for all readers OSHKOSH – The State of Wisconsin found probable cause for felony charges against Erik Metzig, Court Commissioner Eric Heywood said at a preliminary hearing Monday at the Winnebago County Courthouse Metzig, 25, faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of his parents David and Jan Metzig longtime owners of Union Star Cheese Factory in the unincorporated community of Zittau prosecuting attorney Adam Joseph Levin called Detective Ryan Hathaway from the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office as a witness Hathaway said he was dispatched to the scene after the deaths were reported and arrived around 9 a.m March 18 at the Metzigs' home in the town of Wolf River Hathaway said first responders had found a "substantial" amount of blood in the master bedroom where David and Jan were found on the floor on either side of their bed with gunshot wounds and covered in blankets and garbage bags Much of the hearing focused on where blood spatters were found at the scene: in a garbage bag full of clothing in the garage on the porch and on three pairs of glasses Some red smears were also found in the lining of Erik's car an unidentified witness accompanied officers to the home on the day of the murder That person said at the time that Erik lived with David and Jan and should be home Hathaway said "multiple" members of the family told officers the empty garage stall was where Erik would regularly park his car officers found a loaded AR platform rifle on the kitchen table and a 9mm Glock handgun in the garbage The Glock's registration was traceable to Erik they also found a spiral notebook with written plans for David and Jan's murder The notebook was entered into evidence as the first exhibit Hathaway revealed one of the pages expressed a desire to kill David and Jan The journal's writer had plans detailed in bullet points for the murder wanting to "cause an accident" while David and Jan were on a walk The writer also believed the motives were justified defense attorney Scott Ceman cross-examined Hathaway The detective could not say definitively whether the Glock was the murder weapon nor could he identify the handwriting in the journal as Erik's Ceman also objected to admitting the journal as evidence but the judge allowed it to remain after Ceman's cross-examination After about 45 minutes of hearing the state's evidence and Hathaway's testimony County Commissioner Eric Heywood found that the state of Wisconsin had established probable cause for the murder with the evidence initially laid out in the criminal complaint Erik Metzig pled not guilty and was bound over for trial His next court date is scheduled for 2 p.m Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website you can trust the funeral directors at Lewin Funeral Home to help you celebrate your loved one’s life Our staff has experience planning a variety of funeral services and can assist your family in honoring your loved one no matter your personal preference We pride ourselves on serving the Fremont community and surrounding areas with compassion Lewin Funeral Home is dedicated to providing personalized Our goal is to lessen the burden on your family so that you can focus on celebrating your loved one's life and beginning your grief journey.Hear what other families have said about our services and get to know our experienced staff We're here to help you create a service thats unique to you or your loved one Making arrangements beforehand gives you time to consider all of your options it can be difficult to know how to cope with the loss See what families have to say about our services Lewin Funeral HomePhone: (920) 446-2288210 W © Lewin Funeral HomeSupported by SRS Computing and TA Your browser may not work with certain site. 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Clarifications and corrections: This story has been updated with the correct order of the five Metzig sons and to clarify that Saint Jeanne Cheese was named after Dave Metzig's mom Wisconsin – Nearly every day for the last 13 years Metzigs have owned Union Star Cheese Factory for more than 100 yearsJon's role at Union Star is about more than the factory and the business; it’s about the tightly woven fabric of his community 'Zittau cheese' made by state-certified master cheesemakersThey had little to worry about "One of the reasons (Union Star has been successful) is there really isn't anyone else doing this anymore," Dave told the Appleton Post-Crescent in 1999 Not only does Union Star bring business to Zittau As the initial shock of Dave and Jan's loss subsided OSHKOSH — A trial date for Erik Metzig, the only suspect in the double murder of his parents, Dave and Jan Metzig Erik Metzig faces two charges of first-degree intentional homicide Thursday morning at the Winnebago County Courthouse Judge Michael Gibbs set Erik Metzig's pretrial conference for Aug Gibbs said he expected the trial to last about eight days The trial date comes after Erik Metzig entered a not guilty plea by reason of mental disease or defect last September Brooke Lundbohm have examined Metzig and submitted reports to the court The murder victims, Dave and Jan Metzig, were known for owning and operating Union Star Cheese Factory in the unincorporated community of Zittau in the town of Wolf River Their son Jon Metzig now owns and operates the cheese factory More: The murder of Union Star Cheese Factory's owners rocked these Winnebago County communities. Jon Metzig is keeping the family business going Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Contact her with story tips and feedback at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @RebeccaLoroff OSHKOSH – The sentencing hearing for Erik Metzig, convicted of killing his parents at their Wolf River home in 2023 was delayed pending a sheriff's investigation into an allegation Metzig made and a subsequent attorney change His sentencing hearing was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Winnebago County Circuit Court but the proceeding was changed to a motion hearing Judge Michael Gibbs granted two motions filed by the defense: one to adjourn the sentencing while the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office conducted an investigation to allow Metzig's attorney to withdraw and a new defense attorney to take over the case Metzig's next hearing will be a status conference at 1:15 p.m Metzig sent a letter to court from the Winnebago County Jail the prosecution offered the defense the opportunity to have law enforcement conduct an investigation Metzig told Ceman that he would like law enforcement to conduct an investigation into his claims prior to sentencing Ceman filed a second motion requesting permission to withdraw from his role as Metzig's lawyer due to a conflict of interest Ceman said the decision is "not something that I do lightly," but there was "an ethical concern" raised about his ability to continue as Metzig's counsel Ceman said he spoke with ethics counsel from the Wisconsin State Bar and they agreed he faced a conflict of interest "To disclose more would violate my duty of confidentiality to the defendant," Ceman's motion to withdraw reads While neither attorney discussed the specific claims in Metzig's letter under investigation a court filing from the prosecution indicates the claims relate to allegations of sexual abuse Metzig denied "ever having been the victim of sexual abuse" in conversations with psychologists who evaluated his mental health and the Department of Corrections agent who conducted Metzig's pre-sentence investigation and the prosecution requests that investigators ask Metzig to "explain these denials to determine the truth of his claims." Assistant District Attorney Adam Levin expressed frustration with the delay in sentencing the victims would likely face more suffering if Metzig's allegation was ignored and issues that could be addressed now were brought up later on appeal RELATED: The murder of Union Star Cheese Factory's owners rocked these Winnebago County communities. Jon Metzig is keeping the family business going RELATED: Erik Metzig pleads no contest to murders of parents, the owners of Union Star Cheese Factory On the morning of March 18, 2023, David and Jan were found dead in their home in the unincorporated community of Zittau they located a spiral notebook containing written plans for his parent's murders Officers arrested Erik later that morning at the Heart of the Valley YMCA in Kimberly about 2½ hours after David and Jan Metzigs' bodies were discovered The Metzigs owned Union Star Cheese Factory in Fremont for over 30 years. According to their obituary they were the third generation of Metzigs to do so Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @ArseneauKelli. our new institute in Zittau will help Germany to achieve its national climate targets Decarbonising energy-intensive processes will prevent emissions on a large scale," explains Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla "Our employees are motivated by the scientific challenge of transforming industrial processes ecologically and cost-effectively This involves finding solutions that take regional characteristics and existing structures into account." DLR is thus expanding its expertise in the field of energy research in the region of Lusatia The aim is to significantly reduce carbon dioxide and pollutant emissions from industrial plants and power plants The work focuses on decarbonisation in industrial sectors with a high energy demand there is a focus on the efficient use and storage of sustainably generated electricity is and should continue to be an industrial state but without polluting the environment," explains Michael Kretschmer "With its research and innovative spirit the new DLR Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes in Zittau will significantly contribute to this goal Low-carbon processes help with the gradual transition to environmentally friendly and climate-neutral industrial production Thanks to the close cooperation between science the Free State of Saxony is able to provide significant drive on the road to achieving a decarbonised economy and energy system.” The DLR Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes will support the development of new technologies by regional academia and industry. This facilitates an active contribution to structural change in the region and to job creation. Intensive cooperation with the universities of Zittau/Görlitz and Cottbus-Senftenberg is already underway as is cooperation with local industrial companies This enables an effective transfer of knowledge from fundamental research to applications for industrial use "As Commissioner for the new Federal States will make a significant contribution to the path to low-carbon industries of the future," says Marco Wanderwitz Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the industrial strategy of the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy are important for the future of industry in the new and old federal states They enable positive structural change in the region where industry is still the key driver of economic development today." It is expected that 60 personnel will eventually be employed at the Zittau site. Since the DLR Senate officially founded the institute in June 2019 its staff have been operating on the premises of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and are expected to move to the Mandauhöfe in Zittau in June A hall has also been rented for the establishment of one of the research facilities a new building with a large hall for experiments will be constructed for the institute near the Zittau University Library "The opening of the DLR Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes at the institute's Zittau branch has come at the right time," explains Martin Dulig Saxony's State Minister for Economic Affairs "Climate-friendly industrial processes are a global concern Climate-neutral living and working is a wonderful vision This institute will provide significant impetus for this with excellent research as well as economical and at the same time ecological innovations Its impact will extend far beyond Lusatia and Saxony the federal government and Saxony are establishing a lighthouse in Zittau with international appeal Companies in Saxony in particular are being called upon to conduct joint research with the new DLR institute Such research can provide them with a valuable advantage in adopting pioneering technologies." Research in Zittau is conducted primarily via the departments of 'High-temperature Heat Pump' and 'Low Carbon Reducing Agents' The developments on new types of high-performance heat pumps focus on the provision of carbon-neutral high-temperature heat for industrial processes The large industrial demand for this heat is currently met primarily using fossil fuels High-temperature process heat is indispensable in the food industry the chemical industry and in vehicle construction The challenge lies in the efficient generation of heat using electricity produced from renewable sources Hydrogen plays a central role in the 'Low-Carbon Reducing Agents' research area This involves investigating how processes can be adapted to prevent process-related carbon emissions This could be achieved using hydrogen produced from renewable sources or Stay up to date and sub­scribe to the DLR press releases with ar­ti­cles and media calls from the DLR ed­i­to­ri­al team in Ger­man and En­glish Subscribe to our free newsletter and receive regular updates on DLR research topics You can of course unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is the national aeronautics and space research centre of the Federal Republic of Germany Did you hear the one about Czech apartment prices It sounds like the punchline to a bad joke, but it’s now a reality in the Czech Republic in areas near the German border, reports Česká televize the Czech Republic’s fifth-biggest city with a population of around 100,000 rental prices have grown 20% year-on-year and are now in the range of 150-200 crowns per square meter rental prices have increased by more than 20 percent so today they start at around 150 crowns per square meter,” Petr Černý director of the Liberec housing authority SBD Sever “For better equipped apartments it is up to 200 crowns The amount of interest [in them] is huge.” meanwhile – a German city of about 20,000 across the border from Liberec – rental costs start at about 124 crowns per square meter A luxury apartment in the city center runs 142 crowns per square meter Zittau is a mere 20 minutes by car (and half an hour by train) from Liberec making the location a feasible alternative for Liberec citizens in search of more affordable housing Around 300 Czechs currently live in Zittau and the majority of them commute to the Czech Republic daily for work “90 people have arrived and 34 left,” says Zittau’s Mayor “We have over 3,000 vacant flats in Zittau and about half of them are ready to move in.” the cost of an apartment in some German locations – where the average salary is more than double the Czech equivalent – can be significantly less expensive than in the Czech Republic While this may not be a solution for the rising real estate prices in Prague those in areas near the border may want to consider looking outside the country for accommodation options And if housing costs are still sky high three decades from now, it may yet become a solution for Praguers with the completion of that high-speed railway line from Prague to Dresden Your morning coffee deserves a great companion. Why not enjoy it with our daily newsletter? News from Czechia, curated insights, and inspiring stories in English. Visit our Vintage page Visit Infront Moto Racing | Copyright 2025 FIM Europe | Terms of use - Privacy statement | our slow travel expert goes border-hopping on the historic Oder-Neisse line from the Czech Republic to Germany Read moreWith the melting of borders and the free movement afforded by Schengen the railways along the Oder-Neisse line have over the years been reconnected A new passenger train running east from the German town of Guben over the Neisse River into Poland started just last month The ‘handsome town centre’ of Görlitz Photograph: zwawol/Getty Images/iStockphotoI hop on a train in Hrádek we have glorious views of the Neisse Valley water meadows with thundery showers and shafts of sunshine dancing over the Zittau mountains Few rail journeys in Europe offer such sublime opportunities for easy border-hopping as the Neisse Valley railway I stop for scrambled eggs and coffee in Zittau having already slipped from the Czech Republic into Germany crossing a slither of Polish territory along the way Britons may have ceded many rights with Brexit but happily the freedom to roam without let or hindrance over frontiers within Schengen hasn’t been curbed It is a moment to ponder Germany’s summer gift to travellers this is a fine chance to try slower but scenic routes and the widespread overcrowding predicted by some pundits has not come to pass particularly on sunny weekends when crowds have flocked to the mountains and the coast Germany’s benign attitude towards taking bikes on trains has morphed into a liability with crowds of cyclists struggling to load their bikes into the limited space available The market place in Zittau in Upper Lusatia Photograph: Peter Probst/AlamyWhat has been promoted as essentially a national ticket also offers a wealth of cross-border opportunities With a €9 ticket to hand you can travel without additional charge to selected railway stations in each of the nine countries sharing a common border with Germany So those with an appetite for slow travel can travel from Belgium to Austria or from Poland’s Baltic coast to Lorraine in France Encouraged by breakfast and a brisk walk around beautiful Zittau I return to the town’s grand station to ponder the departure boards It’s a geographical curiosity that trains from Zittau to anywhere else in Germany always have to cross Polish or Czech territory along the way which tracks north along a deeply incised valley sliding through quiet forests with splendid views of the river The railway crisscrosses the German-Polish border thrice between Zittau and Krzewina Zgorzelecka where the station enjoys a serene setting by the Neisse I stop for a couple of hours for a border-hopping walk using a footbridge over the river to explore the German village of Ostritz on the west bank of the river A man on the Polish side of the bridge sells cheap cigarettes Despite his evident disappointment at not clinching a sale he tells me to look out for beavers in the river below The Zittau mountains Photograph: Torsten Mitschke/Getty ImagesThen it’s back on the train at midday where the train manager checks my ticket and asks if she might bring me a cold beer sparkling wine or sandwiches – all priced at just €2 accommodation and food are often very good value Soon the train is back in Germany again and running north through territory where Sorbian is still a living language. Bilingual station signs are a reminder that eastern Germany has an autochthonous Slavic minority with its own distinctive culture I pause for an hour in Görlitz and stroll through the handsome town centre before crossing the Neisse on a footbridge to explore the Polish side of the divided town From Görlitz it’s back on another one-carriage train and north to the next stop at Forst where 100 years ago about 15,000 people were employed in the textile industry It is not for nothing that Forst was called the German Manchester By 1989 the number of workers had shrunk to 1,900 all the mills in this erstwhile part of the German Democratic Republic had closed Forst slipped into sleepy oblivion and this town on the Neisse is today a forlorn spot The train approaches its destination Photograph: Hidden EuropeThe stretch of the Neisse railway from Forst down to Guben closed in 1995 so I loop back west via Cottbus (Chóśebuz in Sorbian) and then regain the Neisse near Guben where the red-brick station building tells of a Prussian design North of Guben the Neisse makes lazy loops over a wide floodplain we reach the point where the Neisse finally joins the Oder the latter river now marking the German-Polish border down towards the Baltic coast A journey that started in humble surroundings at Hrádek nad Nisou ends in summer-evening grandeur in Neuzelle where a striking baroque abbey stands proud on a bluff above the water meadows I watch the evening train to Frankfurt-an-der-Oder rattle by and settle down in a restaurant by the walls of this old Cistercian monastery for a supper of local trout – just one of the simple pleasures of travel through this unsung part of Europe Nicky Gardner is a Berlin-based writer. The 17th edition of her book Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide is available from the Guardian Bookshop. She is co-editor of Hidden Europe magazine The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden Please log in here to leave a comment 2014 will surely be remembered in the history of triathlon in Malta as the year dominated by Danica Bonello Spiteri Bonello Spiteri's season didn't climax yet as she won every single multisport race organised locally during this year and also claiming the first-ever National Aquathlon Championships organised by the Malta Triathlon Federation some days ago Her next target is that of re-claiming the National Triathlon Championships in October and of having a once in a lifetime experience in Hawaii.