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On September 16 2025 - Excursion to the Wimsen Cave - with tunnels, smiles and extra altitude meters

Trip to Wimsener Cave – Stollen, Smiles, and Extra Climbing

On September 16th, we set out in perfect hiking weather to Wimsener Cave on the Swabian Alb near Hayingen. Despite traffic jams on the A8 and plenty of red lights, everyone arrived on time at the meeting point – hooray!

Inside the cave, crystal-clear water awaited us, with neither fish nor plants in sight. Our red-haired boat guide ferried the group through the first few meters. At first, there was plenty of headroom – but that didn’t last long. The guide maneuvered skillfully, barely brushing the ceiling – an impressive feat! After about 70 meters, the cave was off-limits for mere mortals. Beyond that point, only brave cave divers with oxygen tanks can continue.

Still, we got a special treat: the “Stollen Boat.” No joke – in autumn, a local baker loads this boat with Christmas stollen. Thanks to the 7–8°C temperature and high humidity, the stollen ripens perfectly – basically a “cave gourmet warehouse.”

After the boat tour, we set off on our 9 km hike. Passing Schloss Ehrenfels and the Glashöhle, we reached the grill area just in time for lunch – a chance to stretch our legs, enjoy the sun, and have a bite. Then came a little hiccup: a poorly marked turn added some unexpected extra elevation. Excitement? Well… not for everyone. But the stunning views from the Wacholderheide in the Digelfeld Nature Reserve made it all worthwhile. A scenic nature path led us down to the Schweiftal, where the Hasenbach flowed crystal clear – perfect for a group photo.

Hungry and thirsty, we ended the day at Gasthof Friedrichshöhle, right next to the cave entrance. There, a very enthusiastic waiter served us food and drinks and kept us smiling – a perfect ending to a truly fantastic day!

Congress of the German Nutrition Society from March 4 - 6 2024 in Kassel

 

At this year's congress of the German Nutrition Society (DGE), our department presented results from three different areas of research. Dr. Nils Nölle opened the "Food Science" session with his presentation "Effect of natural and artificial UV-light on the vitamin D content of selected edible insects", in which he presented the results of Helen Schwarz's Master's thesis. The following poster session "Physiology and biochemistry of nutrition" was opened by Leonie Dudichum with a presentation of her Master's thesis results "Influence of calcitriol (1,25-(OH)2-vitamin D3) on the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells to mature adipocytes".

Also the second day of the congress provided many interesting presentations and discussions during the coffee breaks. After the DGE presented its new food-based nutritional recommendations and the underlying methodology that were published that day, Lucy Hezinger (Department of Immunology at the University of Hohenheim) narrowly missed out on first prize in the Science Slam with her great contribution "What do chips and chicken nuggets do to our immune system?". The afternoon poster session "Physiology and Biochemistry of Nutrition" was also opened by a contribution from our department. Dr. Sarah Greve gave a short presentation on "Sexually dimorphic recovery of hepatic major urinary protein expression in response to refeeding following dietary restriction in mice", presenting part of her doctoral thesis’ results.

The day was concluded with culinary delights and communication at the evening get-together event. Jonas Pospiech from the Department of Biofunctionality of Food at the University of Hohenheim received the poster prize in the "Food Science" category - congratulations!

The last day of the congress provided important information for future DFG proposals and presented, among other things, the results of numerous interesting intervention studies in the field of nutrition. Fortunately, the GDL did not go on strike until the next day, and we were able to get home relatively on time by train.