Anniversary website of the MPI-IS and former MPI-MR launched

Stuttgart/Tübingen – The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems emerged ten years ago from the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, which was founded in 1921. With the dual anniversary celebration approaching at the end of this month on September 30, the web design and PR team of the MPI-IS have now launched an accompanying anniversary website. For all employees, alumni, and friends of both Institute’s it is a place to see and read about the history that spans 10 and 100 years.

https://anniversary.is.mpg.de

Among the many different Max Planck Institutes, there are only a few with such a long background. Hence, the history of the MPI for Metals Research and consequently of the MPI for Intelligent Systems reflects all the major historical developments of the turbulent past century. Like the people who have contributed to the world-class research, also the political and societal changes shaped our research orientation, such as the collapse of the Weimar Republic, the seizure of power by the National Socialists and World War II, the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany, when West Germany was rebuilt and experienced an economic miracle, the reunification of both German states etc. Then, from 2011, an increasingly technological and digital world that relies ever more on artificial intelligent systems defined our new research orientation. Despite these changing times, both institutes have continuously excelled in basic research.

The team which created the website dug through archives, the library, digitized old documents, and images. Emeritus Director Prof. Dr. Günter Petzow also provided extensive historical material. Meanwhile, the texts on the website were researched by a professional historian, Dr. Thomas Prüfer of history agency Reder, Roeseling & Prüfer GbR. Structured into ten history blocks, the newly created website showcases key milestones, many interesting facts and highlights, and of course the people who have shaped both institutes over the course of 100 years.