2^nd German Environmental Sociology Summit

Reshaping Nature: Old Limits and New Possibilities

Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ
Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
November 5-7, 2009

Presentations & Papers

The German Sociological Society's Section on Environmental Sociology and the Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology at the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ are pleased to announce the Second German Environmental Sociology Summit in Leipzig (Germany) from November 5-7, 2009.

Conference Theme: Reshaping Nature

Environmental sociologists have long called for the reduction of the impact of modern societies on ecosystems. More recently, new research in the ecological and technical sciences, augmented by public discourse about strategies for adapting to and mitigating ecological changes caused by humans (e.g., global warming), as well as natural catastrophes (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis), have fostered sociological research on not only the risks but also the opportunities for the social design of environmental dynamics. In light of these debates, this conference will explore sociology's potential for helping to better understand the social possibilities and limits of the "shapability" of an ever-changing natural world.

Conference Venue

The Second Environmental Sociology Summit will be held at KUBUS, the conference center of the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany. KUBUS is a modern conference centre in Leipzig's "Science Park". Further information about KUBUS can be found at
http://www.leipziger-kubus.de/.

To arrive by plane:
Leipzig-Halle-Airport is located close to the city center (17 km), about 15-20 minutes transfer to most of the centrally located hotels as well as to UFZ. Besides major German cities (e.g., Hamburg, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, or Munich), the Airport is served by daily direct flights to London, Paris, or Madrid operated by several major air lines in Europe. From the airport, please take the Airport Express train (Regional Express) to Leipzig Central Station (3,60 Euros one-way), which departs every 20 minutes. Journey time is less than 15 min. A taxi from Leipzig-Halle Airport to the UFZ and/or the inner city will cost about 30 Euros. Airport website in English:
http://www.leipzig-halle-airport.de/en/index.html.
For those of you who do not take connecting flights to Leipzig, the two international airports close by are Frankfurt am Main, the most likely to arrive from overseas, and Berlin-Schönefeld. From both airports Leipzig can be reached by train (ca. 4 hours from Frankfurt, less than 2 hours from Berlin).

To arrive by train:
Located right in the city center, Leipzig's Central Station is one of the most important junctions of the German rail network. From the central station across the main street with tramline No. 3 (direction "Sommerfeld") or No. 13 (direction "Taucha") until tram stop "Torgauer-/Permoserstraße" (not: Torgauer Platz). Cross the road and walk east into Permoserstraße about 300 m on the left side. Journey time from central station is about 15 min. You can see KUBUS already from the intersection where the train stops. The building looks, lo and behold, like a cube. Taxi from Leipzig Central Station to the UFZ will be about 10 Euros.

To arrive by car:
Motorways/Autobahn A9 (Berlin-Leipzig-Nürnberg-Munich) and A14 (Magdeburg-Leipzig-Dresden) integrate Leipzig into the federal motorway network. In order to drive to UFZ or to the inner city, it is best to arrive from A 14. Please take off-ramp "Leipzig-Ost" into the direction city-center ("Zentrum"). After some 3 kilometers, take a left into Permoserstraße.

The City of Leipzig

Leipzig is the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. Leipzig is noted for its rich tradition in music (e.g., Bach), culture, the origins of the German labor movement, the arts (e.g., the New Leipzig School), trade fairs, as well being the city that initiated the "peaceful revolution" in 1989. If you wish to extend your stay in Leipzig and vicinity, please see the city's official website:
http://www.leipzig.de/int/en.

Registration and Fees

Registration is now open for the 2^nd German Environmental Sociology Summit, 2009.
For further info, please contact: Johanna Hilsberg.
Registration will be confirmed by means of the Confirmation of Payment & Invoice, which will automatically be sent to you by e-mail upon receipt of the registration fee.

Fees

Registration fees include participation at all conference sessions, all conference materials, coffee & tea.

Payment Details

For direct bank transfer (which is our preferred option), please use the following banking details:

Bank Address

HypoVereinsbank Leipzig
Ratsfreischulstr. 5
04109 Leipzig
Germany

If you prefer credit card payment, please contact Johanna Hilsberg for further details!

Accommodation

Hotel reservations must be made separate from the conference registration! Because hotel rooms in Leipzig could run short due to expositions and other conferences, we have reserved a limited contingency of rooms in some hotels at a special price for our conference.

Important: To get the respective special price you will have to book your room directly at the hotels until October 14., 2009. Please mention the keyword "Reshaping" when making the reservation!

The Westin Leipzig
Euro 89/night, incl. breakfast - Near City Center, you can reach the Central Station and the tramway to UFZ on foot in about 10 min.

Suite Hotel Leipzig
Euro 63/night, incl. breakfast – Directly at the Permoserstraße, about 400 m from the UFZ/KUBUS.

Galerie Hotel Leipziger Hof
Euro 60/night, incl. breakfast – Halfway between central station and UFZ. This can be called our standard hotel for UFZ-guests, that is, very popular.

Motel One
Euro 59/night, incl. breakfast – You will find the hotel in the City Center, close to the Central Station and the tramline to UFZ as well as the Nikolaikirche.

Youth Hostel/Jugendherberge
This is by far the cheapest accommodation we can offer. The Youth Hostel is located in 15 minutes walking distance to UFZ. Prices for one night are 20,90 Euros, for two nights and more it is only 18,90 Euros per night, incl. breakfast and bed sheets. (Guests older than 26 years pay regularly 3,50 Euros more per night.) Please note: As guests of UFZ you do not have to be a member of Youth Hostel International.

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