The house itself has a chequered history: it has borne the name "Haus zur großen Arche Noah und Engelsburg" since 1395. Even then, it served university purposes and was the residence and place of study of the second rector of the old university, Amplonius Rattingk de Bercka, from 1392 to 1395. 130 years later, the printer Melchior Sachse set up his workshop in this house. He produced 224 works here, including such important works as Luther's translation of the Bible and the reprints of the Strasbourg edition of Eulenspiegel. Having become wealthy through hard work, Sachse had the building remodelled, extended and partly rebuilt in 1565 to the external appearance it still has today. From 1495, the Sachse family also owned a multi-storey outbuilding extending as far as the Breitstrom: the "Kleine Arche Noah" house, situated at an angle to Furthmühlgasse, is considered to be the place of origin of the mocking verses Epistolae obscurorum virorum (Dark Men's Letters), published anonymously in 1515 and 1516.

The property's more recent history was less glorious: although it was mainly used for residential purposes, it survived the Second World War almost unscathed, but its structural condition deteriorated rapidly afterwards. Up to 16 tenants lived here in the meantime, sometimes under difficult hygienic conditions. There were many plans to professionally renovate and reuse the building, but for a long time there was a lack of both money and building materials to realise them.

In 1996, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation took over the property as an investor. Between 1998 and 2000, the listed building was extensively renovated and converted into the Erfurt International Meeting Centre. The official inauguration and handover to the University of Erfurt took place on 2 October 2000. This was the 13th International Meeting Centre of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to open its doors in the new federal states. The centre was set up to offer academics and their families not only suitable accommodation during their research stay, but also the opportunity to establish a wide range of contacts with specialist colleagues. More than 30 years ago, the foundation developed a programme to improve the integration of foreign guests - after all, in addition to their work, it is impressions and experiences of everyday life that shape the image of Germany that guests take home with them.

You can find out more about the history and architecture of the “IBZ” at the University of Erfurt on our campus tour website (in German only).

All four nominations this year met the criteria mentioned above, and so the decision was once again very close. The nominees were:

• the project ‘School in an immigrant society: Sweden and Germany in comparison’ – a collaboration between Professor Agnes Pfrang, Dr Lisa Sauer and Judith Preiß from the Faculty of Education and the University of Stockholm;
• the Studium Fundamentale seminar “Wellbeing of the Child” by Professor Myriam Wijllens and Yeshica Umaña Calderón from the Faculty of Catholic Theology;
• the International Graduate School “Resonant Self-World Relations in Ancient and Modern Socio-Religious Practices” – a collaboration between the Max-Weber-Kolleg at the University of Erfurt (Professor Jörg Rüpke) with the University of Graz and 
• the long-term anchoring of the University of Erfurt in the context of international research on the Middle East and the first steps towards establishing a Global South Studies Centre – an initiative by Professor Birgit Schäbler supported by a number of colleagues from all faculties.

In the end, the first two projects came out on top, each receiving prize money of €2,500.

Professor Jöckel took the opportunity to present the history of the University of Erfurt and its current and future teaching and research foci, and together they explored ways to deepen cooperation in the field of global communication and the challenges of democracy.