The Quantum Year 2025 in Germany: A Vibrant Mix of Activities

With a wide range of activities, national and international scope, and strengthened partnerships, the German Physical Society (DPG) is closing the Quantum Year—an outstanding example of volunteer work.

A memorable closing event on November 15, 2025, marked the end of the activities of the Quantum Year in Germany. The DPG took the lead in implementing the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQT) in Germany. Under the motto “Quantum2025—100 years is just the beginning…,” a large number of events and activities were organised, mostly by volunteers. These activities were aimed at anyone interested in quantum phenomena, including pupils, researchers, industry professionals, artists, history enthusiasts, or simply the curious.

The DPG honoured this special year with a national opening ceremony, attended by representatives from 15 physical societies, and a closing ceremony, attended by 3,000 members of the wider public. In addition, a joint DPG autumn conference was held in Göttingen, the birthplace of quantum mechanics, which was specifically dedicated to the significance and modern developments of quantum mechanics. Recurring DPG events were placed under the motto of the Quantum Year, such as the annual DPG Spring Meetings, with around 8,000 participants. Ghana was the country of honor at the annual conference in Bonn and was represented by a delegation to honour Ghana’s role in the United Nations’ proclamation of the IYQ.

New momentum in science communication

In the field of research and science communication, new projects connected science with the public: for example, a quantum light source travelled across Europe, accompanied by social media posts and numerous publications. The project received several awards. In addition, an online map was created highlighting quantum physics institutions in Germany. Each of these received a building plaque to draw attention to quantum physics locally. “Over the course of one year, the DPG’s quantum activities could be found everywhere, in cities and physics institutes, on the internet, in social media, in schools, in libraries, and even in museums and cinemas,” summarizes DPG President Klaus Richter. In addition, interactive elements were developed to illustrate the history of quantum mechanics, and initiatives were launched to highlight the significant but often overlooked contributions of women to quantum physics. These resources remain available beyond the Quantum Year.

All these activities were made possible by members of the DPG, who developed and implemented ideas well in advance of the Quantum Year. Special thanks also go to the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation, whose financial support made many projects possible in the first place.

Impact beyond the DPG

With its official website, www.quantum2025.de, the DPG provided a central calendar during the Quantum Year, listing more than 400 quantum events in Germany. An exhibition and the national closing event were held under the patronage of the DPG, and partnerships with cities were established. The DPG also reached an international audience through livestreams and international partnerships, e.g., through cooperation with the European Physical Society on the EPS Declaration “Europe and the Future of Quantum Science” and with the Physical Society of Japan on the “Declaration for the Future.” “We have successfully brought the topic of quantum physics to the public’s attention and made clear that it is a powerful cultural, social, and economic development that will influence our social lives,” emphasizes Dieter Meschede, coordinator of the DPG Task Force Quantum Year and former president of the DPG.

At the international level, the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology will be officially closed in February 2026 in Accra, Ghana.