The Stochastics Institute of the Mathematics Faculty has moved at the beginning of the winter semester 2003/04 to Maschmühlenweg 8-10, near the huge gas balloon, behind the Iduna center.

There are several reasons for this move. One reason is that the previous building at the corner Walkemühlenweg/Lotzestrasse was very old, and dangerous to stay there. So, it was a risk to continue working there.

Moreover, it was very small. It was inconvenient to organize meetings. The new building has many offices, seminar rooms, a big library, and computer room over several floors. In this modern World it is necessary to have a computer room with sophisticated software and hardware and that's what the mathematicians in Stochastics Institute did. Most of the computers in the computer room of the old building were on the blink and unuseful anymore. The new building has a bigger computer room with modern computers and the technical equipments are much
sophisticated than before.

During a lecture...

Under the guidance of the director Prof. Axel Munk, the harsh work began since the end of the lectures in the SS2003 and the Institute could manage to accomplish the move during three months. It is remarkable the support of the president of the University Prof. Horst Kern and vice president Prof. Matthias Schumann to move the Institute into Maschmühlenweg.

Prof.  Munk: "A modern scientific research was simply impossible in the old building."

It is well known that the city and the region is suffering from hard economical situations. However, Munk and his colleagues in the Institute have decided to jump over the saving hurdles and operate a successful scientific research. It was not easy to find a new place for the Institute. It took quite long time to find it and rent it in a commercial center.

"Although the new place is a bit far away of the other institutes of the Mathematics Faculty, a modern scientific research was simply impossible in the old building", said Munk. "Unfortunately, the new place is difficult for students who want to attend lectures both in the Stochastics Institute and in the Pure Mathematics (or Numerical and Applied Mathematics) Institute. I know that this is not convenient for them and I hope in the future (around 7-8 years) all the Institutes will be in the same region (North Campus)", added Munk. Munk further remarked: "Don't forget too that the Institute with the new 'Applied Statistics and Empirical Methods' program is cooperating with 8 other Institutes whose locations are nearer to the new place than to the old building. So in this way the new location is somehow keeping
equilibrium between the Institutes."

Munk and his young team ready for a big challenge

In this new place the members of the Institute are ready to build a new path of mathematical researches. It is noticable the young spirit generated by young lecturers and students who joined lately the big family of the Institute. This young spirit together with the experienced professors hopes that the Institute will be one of the best institutes in the near future not only in Germany but in Europe too... It's true who said: "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." Is it possible that the optimist mathematicians will execute those dreams? "Wait and see!"

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