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15.07.2026
Kepler Lecture 2026: Professor Werner Hofmann Inspires a Full Auditorium
On 8 July 2026, the Department of Physics of the Faculty of Science at the University of Tübingen hosted the Kepler Lecture 2026, the University's most prestigious annual event in physics.
This year's lecture was delivered by Professor Werner Hofmann, one of the world's leading pioneers of very-high-energy gamma-ray astrophysics and a central figure in the development of the H.E.S.S. Observatory and the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). In an inspiring presentation, Professor Hofmann traced the remarkable transformation of very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy from a niche discipline into one of the most vibrant fields of modern astrophysics. Before the advent of H.E.S.S., TeV gamma-ray emission was known from only a handful of exceptional sources. Thanks to the discoveries made with H.E.S.S., we now know that particle acceleration to extreme energies is a widespread phenomenon occurring in a large variety of Galactic and extragalactic astrophysical objects.
Professor Hofmann also highlighted the vision and international collaboration that led to the creation of CTAO, the next-generation global observatory for very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. His scientific leadership has been instrumental in bringing this ambitious international project to fruition, laying the foundations for discoveries that will shape the field for decades to come.
As part of the annual ceremony of the Department of Physics, the Förster Prize was also awarded. Established by the Förster Foundation, the prize recognizes outstanding young scientists in Physics and Physical Chemistry for particularly creative, interdisciplinary and application-oriented research carried out at the University of Tübingen within the previous three years. The annual presentation of the prize during the Kepler Lecture reflects the University's commitment to scientific excellence and to fostering the next generation of researchers.
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