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On 4 July 2024, the University of Konstanz opened its doors and invited the public to experience exciting guided tours. The guests were warmly welcomed by Professor Dirk Leuffen, Vice-Rector for Research, Research Infrastructures and Transfer, in an authentic lecture theatre. He presented the impressive "Forum Konstanz" project, a new building project worth 113 million euros. He also announced further upcoming exhibitions, events and projects in the "forum.konstanz" series, in which a lively exchange with the public is to be created.

After the welcoming address, the tour continued in small groups to various university locations that showcased the diversity of research and teaching at the University of Konstanz. The first stop was the Biological Teaching Collection, also known as the "university zoo". Here the visitors learnt how dead animals are prepared and species identified. They were able to admire numerous cabinets with skulls, skins and specimens of various reptiles, birds and mammals, including a confiscated lion skull from a zoo. The highlight was petting lizards and newts, touching snakes and feeding piranhas.

In the FabLab, the Fabrication Laboratory, which is open not only to university members but also to the city's population once a week, visitors were introduced to the use of industrial manufacturing machines. The participants were very impressed by the milling machines, 3D scanners and printers as well as computer-controlled sewing and embroidery machines and are determined to come back to the Gießberg to pursue their own projects and express themselves creatively.

Another group visited the Imaging Hangar of the Cluster of Excellence "Collective Behaviour". Swarms of animals are observed in this large room to find out how such swarms behave, pass on information and make decisions. The hangar was currently equipped with camouflage nets and six wine swarmers, which particularly fascinated the visitors. However, searching for the animals with the naked eye proved to be extremely difficult, which emphasised the necessity of the highly technical equipment.

In the nano laboratory, a clean room was visited in which nanometre-sized structures are produced and analysed. This state-of-the-art facility offered an insight into the smallest dimensions of materials science and electronics.

The school laboratory offered a special attraction: an educational game in which the participants had to bring the genie Aerus back into the bottle.The adventure began with the task of learning more about the climate-damaging gas carbon dioxide, before a mysterious stranger revealed the recipe for summoning the genie.

The event was a complete success.All participants had a lot of fun and there were many pleasant encounters between the townspeople and university staff. 
Many misunderstandings were cleared up and interest in research on the Gießberg was awakened. The University of Constance left a lasting impression on its visitors.