PUBLIC ANOUNCEMENT
CHARITY AUCTION
November 26, 2010
Today, 21 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is not easy to find souvenir-parts of the wall. It is getting more and more difficult to find objects made in the already nonexisting German Democratic Republic. They are either in the museums or in the garbage dump. In most of the cases, objects from that time kept by the families today are household goods from mass production, which are of high quality but without any antiquarian value.
Completely different is the situation at the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory in Bulgaria. Its flagship telescope is one of five 2-meter reflectors produced by one of the crown jewels of GDR planned economy, the VEB Carl-Zeiss Jena. It is a unique system of optical, mechanical and electronic components. In 2009, thirty years after the commissioning of the telescope, it was upgraded with a completely new control system. All parts of the original control system are well preserved and safely stored and will be used in the future in a permanent exhibition of astronomical devices and instruments at the Observatory.
As all other science institutes in Bulgaria the National Astronomical Observatory is in a deep financial crisis and struggling to survive under the austerity measures imposed by the government. Considering the salvation of the unique infrastructure of the Observatory and retaining its highly qualified staff, the leadership of the Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory reached the following
DECISION
1. Organize a charity auction and sell some of the components of the original control system of the 2-meter telescope.
2. Place pictures of the components, together with the accompanying information, on the website of the National Astronomical Observatory.
3. All funds collected from this charity auction of unique parts belonging to the decommissioned control system of the 2-meter telescope must be used for covering the running costs of the Observatory, the salaries of the staff inclusive.
Price 14 000 euro (for PST - 1800 euro)
Price 19 000 euro
Price 17 000 euro
Price 700 euro
Price 12 000 euro
Price 4 000 euro
Price 4 000 euro