The Michelson House

At the highest point of Telegrafenberg stands the heart of the original scientific facilities, completed in 1879. It was the world's first astrophysical observatory. Its three domes were equipped with telescopes, primarily used for observing the sun. Like many other buildings on Telegrafenberg, this structure was built in the neoclassical style of Brandenburg brick Gothic. The physicist Karl Schwarzschild, who in 1916 found the first known exact solution to Einstein's field equations, worked in this observatory. The name "Michelson House" honors Albert A. Michelson and his interferometer experiment, first conducted in the house's cellar in 1881, which was of great importance for Einstein's special theory of relativity. The world's first remote recording of an earthquake was also achieved here in 1889. In 2001, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research moved into the building with its high-performance computers.