Lecture Series: “Forests in Transition – Forests Between Climate Change and Societal Demands”
In the winter semester 25/26, we will host the public ring lecture series of the University of Göttingen
“Forests in Transition – Forests Between Climate Change and Societal Demands”.
The series explores forest resilience to climate impacts, combining scientific, social, and artistic perspectives. Highlights include a performance by the University of Göttingen Chamber Choir presenting “Un bois hors du monde – Musical Walks through the Impressionist Enchanted Forest,” and a dialogue between science and poetry with Barbara Greese and Prof. Dr. Christian Ammer.
This unique blend of music, literature, and science fosters interdisciplinary exchange, offering fresh insights into the challenges and opportunities facing our forests today.
The lecture series was realised through partial funding from the
Innovation Pool of the Competence Centre Landscape Resilience,
funded by the Eva Mayr-Stihl Stiftung,
as well as through financial support from the
Universitätsbund Göttingen e.V.
and the
Campus Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use
(CBL).
The coordination of the lecture series was supported by the Climate Future Lab
FoResLab
.
Recordings:
The lecture recordings will be broadcast one week later on Wednesdays at 12:00 and Saturdays at 15:00 on StadtRadio Göttingen (107.1 MHz).
Video recordings of the lectures are available via the official
YouTube playlist.
Audio recordings are permanently accessible on the
GRO.publication platform.
Within the lecture series “Forests in Transition”, two events were made possible through funding from the Innovation Pool of the Competence Centre for Landscape Resilience. The lecture series itself, held during the winter semester 2025/26, explored the ecological, societal and cultural dimensions of forests in the context of global change. Across a total of 14 events, topics such as climate change, biodiversity loss, forest use and conservation were discussed alongside literary, historical and artistic perspectives on forests.
The funded events exemplified the interdisciplinary ambition of the series. The first event, “Im Walde da wird mir so licht” – A Dialogue between Poetry and Science, brought together Prof. Dr Christian Ammer (Silviculture and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen) and the reciter Barbara Greese. Scientific insights into forest climate, photosynthesis, water balance and sustainable management were interwoven with literary texts, highlighting the interplay between ecological reality and cultural perception.
A music- and art-historical perspective was offered by the event »Un bois hors du monde« – Musical Walks. Antonius Adamske, Artistic Director of University Music Göttingen, guided the audience together with the Chamber Choir of the University of Göttingen through several centuries of European music and art history. From Romantic forest imagery to Symbolist nature mysticism and Impressionist soundscapes, the forest emerged as a mythological space, a place of refuge and an aesthetic realm of reflection.
The interdisciplinary format fostered dialogue between researchers from different disciplines and a broad public audience. The strong attendance and sustained interest throughout the series underline the societal relevance of the topic. The lecture series demonstrated that forests are not only ecological systems, but also cultural and emotional points of reference.
A detailed account of the lecture series is available in the CampusPost blog article:
“Forests in Transition” – CampusPost
.
Dr. Miriam Teuscher
Prof. Dr. Alexander KnohlOutreach Projects
2025Lecture Series: “Forests in Transition – Forests Between Climate Change and Societal Demands”
Impressions of the lecture series 2025/26
A dialogue between poetry and science with Barbara Greese.
Dr. Antonius Adamske, University Music Göttingen.
Musical walks through the Fable Forest...
with the Chamber Choir of the University of Göttingen.
Photos: Miriam Teuscher
Report & Reflection
Background and Approach
Implementation and Formats
Resonance and Outlook
Highlights
Contact
Email: mteusch@uni-goettingen.de
Phone: +49-551-39-29840
Co-applicants
Prof. Dr. Christian Ammer
Prof. Dr. Christoph Leuschner
