The event has been held since 2007 and has ended.

Organisation

• Prof. Dr. Barbara Welzel, Professorship of Art History (Faculty of Art and Sport Sciences)
• Teachers and students of art history TU Dortmund University
• "Stern im Norden", Centre for Children, Youth and Family in Dortmund

Project partners:

• "Star in the North", Centre for Children, Youth and Family in Dortmund
• City Church St. Reinoldi
• Probstei Church St. Johannes Baptist
• St. Petri Church
• St. Mary's Church

Content

On the initiative of Prof. Dr. Barbara Welzel, the Department of Art History has been organising regular events as part of the KinderUni since 2007. Under the heading "Discover Dortmund. Treasures and History from the Middle Ages", the focus is always on the impressive works of art in Dortmund's churches. The teaching is not done solely by the art history lecturers, but to a large extent by the students. After a joint lecture, the children go to "seminars" led by students. In this way, churches become lecture halls and students become teachers.

How old is the Ruhr region? Which skylines define the cities? How do we perceive our own city? What landmarks do we use to open up urban space? Dortmund's four inner-city churches play a decisive role in the topography of the city. That makes it all the more important to get to know them. The four inner-city churches hold outstanding art treasures that can tell of Dortmund's cultural history in the middle of Europe and its connections to the Orient. To whom does the cultural heritage belong? How can participation be opened up? How can cultural participation be shaped in a country of immigration? The transmission of cultural heritage in a specific place, in one's own city, to future generations is an urgent task of committed cultural education. The Technical University of Dortmund sees itself as responsible for the urban public.

Parents, grandparents and teachers are also invited to attend, and will receive their own "seminar" parallel to the children's seminars. In this way, the KinderUni wants to initiate a cross-generational conversation about the rich cultural heritage.

Winter semester 2019/2020

This winter, the inner-city churches will once again be transformed into lecture halls for the KinderUni. There are many works of art to be discovered in Dortmund's churches that still tell us exciting stories about Dortmund in the Middle Ages.

Why were works of art bought in distant countries and brought to Dortmund via long trade routes? What precious materials are works of art made of and how is it that these treasures are still preserved after hundreds of years? And: what are mythical creatures doing in the church?

Professor Oskar Francke again invites you to four events in the winter semester 2019/20. Together with Professor Barbara Welzel, Laura di Betta and students, he will answer these and other questions about the architecture and artworks of the medieval churches in Dortmund.

A KinderUni with the Star in the North will be offered again this semester.

Families with children under 8 are also cordially invited to the KinderUni in St. Mary's Church!

Friday 13.12.2019, 4:00-4:45 p.m.

in St. Peter's Church
The "Golden Miracle" and how the
restorers saved the gold

Friday 10.01.2020, 4:00-4:45 p.m.

in the town church of St. Reinoldi
Saint Reinoldus and the significance of the
City Church

Friday 17.01.2020, 4:00-4:45 p.m.

in the St. Mary's Church
FamilyUni -
also for children under 8 years!
in cooperation with the "Star in the North"
Precious paintings and the origin of colours

Friday 31.01.2020, 4:00-4:45 p.m.

in the Probstei Church of St. John the Baptist
Dortmund's oldest view of the city and who
lived in a convent

Events so far

Winter semester 2018/2019:
Discover Dortmund. Treasures and stories from the Middle Ages

This winter, the inner-city churches will once again be transformed into lecture halls for the KinderUni. There are many works of art to be discovered in Dortmund's churches that still tell us exciting stories about Dortmund in the Middle Ages.

Why were works of art bought in distant countries and brought to Dortmund via long trade routes? What precious materials are works of art made of and how is it that these treasures are still preserved after hundreds of years? And: what are mythical creatures doing in the church?

Professor Oskar Francke again invites you to four events in the winter semester 2018/19. Together with Professor Barbara Welzel, Laura di Betta and students, he will answer these and other questions about the architecture and artworks of the medieval churches in Dortmund.

A KinderUni with the Star in the North will be offered again this semester.

Families with children under 8 are also cordially invited to the KinderUni in St. Petri!

Winter semester 2017/2018:
Discover Dortmund. Treasures and stories from the Middle Ages

This winter, the inner-city churches will once again be transformed into lecture halls for the KinderUni. There are many works of art to be discovered in Dortmund's churches that still tell us exciting stories about Dortmund in the Middle Ages.

Why were works of art bought in distant countries and brought to Dortmund via long trade routes? What precious materials are works of art made of and how is it that these treasures are still preserved after hundreds of years? And: what are mythical creatures doing in the church?

Professor Oskar Francke again invites you to four events in the winter semester 2017/18. Together with Professor Barbara Welzel, Christin Ruppio M.A. and students, he will answer these and other questions about the architecture and artworks of the medieval churches in Dortmund.

A KinderUni with the Star in the North will be offered again this semester.

Families with children under 8 are also cordially invited to the KinderUni in St. Petri!

Winter semester 2016/2017:

Discover Dortmund. Treasures and stories from the Middle Ages

This winter, the inner-city churches will once again be transformed into lecture halls for the KinderUni. There are many works of art to be discovered in Dortmund's churches that still tell us exciting stories about Dortmund in the Middle Ages.

What is a knight doing in church? Why do people buy works of art in distant countries and have them brought to Dortmund via long trade routes? What precious materials are works of art made of and how is it that these treasures are still preserved after hundreds of years?

Professor Oskar Francke again invites you to four events in the winter semester 2016/17. Together with Professor Barbara Welzel, Christin Ruppio M.A. and students, he will answer these and other questions about the architecture and works of art of the medieval churches in Dortmund.

A KinderUni with the Star in the North will be offered again this semester.

Families with children under 8 are also cordially invited to the KinderUni in St. Petri!

Winter semester 2015/2016:

Discover Dortmund. Treasures and stories from the Middle Ages

The four inner-city churches will once again become lecture halls for the KinderUni this winter. There are many works of art on display in Dortmund's churches that enable joint discoveries. You can find out what stories the buildings and works of art still tell us today about Dortmund in the Middle Ages. Who was Reinoldus and what does a city patron actually do? Why did people buy works of art from far away to bring to Dortmund? Which trade connections were used to get hold of particularly important things? What is a painting made of and how is it that we can still own and look at everything today? What does restoration mean?

Professor Oskar Francke again invites you to four events in the winter semester 2015/16. Together with Prof. Dr Barbara Welzel, Dr Niklas Gliesmann, Christin Ruppio and students from TU Dortmund University, he will answer these and other questions about the architecture and works of art of the medieval churches in Dortmund.

For the first time, two of these events will be held jointly with the Centre for Children, Youth and Family in Dortmund "Stern im Norden".

Winter semester 2014/2015:

Discover Dortmund. Treasures and Stories from the Middle Ages, (led by Dr Birgit Franke).

Discover history in the middle of Dortmund, get to know the figure of the city patron Reinoldus, hear about the fears and desires of people in the Middle Ages: Why did they donate precious works of art to the churches? Why can these art treasures still be explored today as witnesses of the past? Talk about the trade network of the merchants in the Middle Ages: How was Dortmund connected to distant countries and cities half a millennium ago? Why did people buy works of art in other places and bring them to Dortmund? Why did the preacher monks have the oldest city view of Dortmund in their church? Why were the works of art not lost over the centuries? Who saved and preserved them? What do the art treasures mean for us today?

Winter semester 2013/2014:

Dortmund Discover Treasures and Stories from the Middle Ages, (Director: Dr. Esther Meier)

This winter, an invitation was extended to the KinderUni in the four churches in the city centre of Dortmund. Numerous works of art from the Middle Ages can be seen there, which still tell exciting stories today and inspire many questions: Why are over 600 figures transported from Antwerp to Dortmund? Who is allowed to sit on the carved benches? Who wears black and white clothes? What do you do if a work of art has been sawn to pieces? Together with the children, the churches and their architecture were explored and the carved and painted pictures were put under the magnifying glass of "Professor Oskar Francke", questions were asked and answers sought.

Winter semester 2012/2013:

Light - Colour - Gold: Discover Dortmund. Treasures and Stories from the Middle Ages, (Director: Dr. Niklas Gliesmann)

Four KinderUni events took place from November 2012 to February 2013. About 30 children visited the four churches in the city centre with the students. There were different things to discover, which the students had prepared in the seminar so that they could then look at them with the children on site, discuss them and answer further questions. In St. Reinoldi, the focus was on the function of the choir room. The large modern stained glass windows around the choir stalls, the altar, the former repository of the relics of St. Reinoldus and the two larger-than-life wooden sculptures at the entrance to the choir were explored. In St. Peter's, the "Golden Miracle" with its many figures, much gold and paintings was viewed and the work of the restorers was presented. The Marian chandelier and its candles were a topic in the Provost Church, along with the images on the altarpiece and the preserved cloister. At the end of the series, the colours and colour combinations in a church interior were discussed in St. Mary's by examining the altarpiece by Conrad von Soest, the windows from the 1960s and the other medieval furnishings.