when it comes to law, Economics, medicine, and other things that hold the world together in its innermost,, the students Catch. Noise is included. In the Foyer of the Audimax of the University of Hamburg there is a lot going on. What is not that it is aspiring lawyers or Doctors – at least so soon. And most of them came voluntarily to the lecture. The Hamburg Children’s University has re-invited.

every Monday in the winter semester, it is an issue from the world of science, child-friendly manner. Then students in the age between eight and twelve years to the great Uni and dedicate yourself to even greater questions. How does the heart? What is justice? How do you study Black holes, if you can’t see it yet? Every father and every mother is familiar with these questions of children, in which their own education is crumbling mercilessly. Here, children try to find answers to questions, where most adults fail.

“with the heart” has Cedric like, seven years old, to be the best, “but today it is definitely pretty exciting,” he says, while he waits in the queue in front of the entrance to get a stamp in his student ID card. Yes, lecture notes are there at the Children’s University also, and they are similarly sought after as the real students – just that you get them without examination. Cedric has missed this Semester, no lecture.

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Large crowds: The young students to get their attendance sheet

©stern A challenge for children and professors

“How the pirates lived in the Caribbean?”, the topic today is. Claudia cord man knows that one. For 15 years she is a Professor for the North American, Caribbean, and Atlantic history of the modern era, normally they published articles with titles such as “Hamburg in the perception of homesickness sick migrants of the early 19th century. Century”. Today, she stands in front of about a thousand children in the almost fully occupied the Audimax and would like to explain to you how the was really with the pirates. For the scientists, the Children’s University is almost a bigger challenge than for their young students: you do not have to make complex content child-friendly, understandable, but also constantly to the attention of the children fight. 30 minutes of the lecture, after which there is a quarter of an hour time for questions. “Of course I have prepared myself differently,” explains Gobahis the historian. “For children, I can’t talk for 20 or 30 minutes only.”

Therefore, it has brought with it support – a real pirate, with a black Cape, eye patch, pistol, saber, and of course a parrot on the shoulder. Cord’s staff Philipp Wendler has thrown in a Cup. “He was immediately enthusiastic. Or at least has done so,” reports a cord man. “Philip the Terrible”, the terror of the seas of the world, telling horror stories from a time long past, and when he releases his battle cry, wince the children in the series. The pirate embodies the stereotype of the young students from “pirates of the Caribbean” or “Pippi Longstocking”: “A fun life as a pirate, albeit a short one, is better than a long life as a farmer,” is his Motto.

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The Professor and the pirate: Claudia string man (R.) and “Philip the Terrible” try the children of the world the pirates closer to

©star science> enthusiastic <p, The Professor is meanwhile, for the scientific facts from the 17. Century responsible. Gently, but relentlessly, you does away with all romantic ideas: pirates suffered because of their wrong diet to scurvy and had, therefore, already with 30 little teeth in the mouth, you didn't have to swim any Chance of a peaceful life, at eight o'clock, sleep was on the Deck of the time and most of them were able to once again. Jack Sparrow and all this has not much to do. "Pirates wanted to steal, murder and destroy. You were in pain, criminals, Criminals, with bad teeth," sums up the cord man.

to learn That may Rob some children of their illusions, but also for the adults in the room there is something. Who knew, for example, that most of the pirates close their eyes because in the fight sustained injuries contributed, but because they had looked into the sun?

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professors than pop stars: After the lecture, historian Claudia cord man must be still busy signing autographs

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“The children have much better hearing than the adult students. The constantly hanging on the phone,” Claudia cord man after her presentation. “And the questions were phenomenal.” Samira, 10, wanted, for example, not in the head, why there was no pirates. “The women were too smart for something like this,” a cord of man as a response. At the end there is a round of applause as they took him to a lecture probably never experienced. Also the professors are strange, but nice feeling: the undisguised enthusiasm of the audience. The can even be so large that the organizers as a precaution, a shield with the inscription “Please do not jump onto the stage”.

Back in the Foyer, a long queue forms again – this time the children want to have answered, autographs of the lecturer, and the last questions. Philip and Adrian, both nine years old, have also employed, in the Hand of your notes from the lecture. That the pirates did not like women and a lot of Rum drank, remembers Philip. Also, he already has four stamps in his student ID card. Next week, when it comes to Black holes, he says for the fifth.