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Meereskunde's Move into HdE

Martin Gade, Alexa Griesel, Francisca Terrassa

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Please note that this Wiki will be turned off in late August and a new system (XWiki) will be used instead. As a consequence, this page won't be updated anymore. We have already copied all contents to the new page https://xwiki.cen.uni-hamburg.de/xwiki/bin/view/OZEAN/UmzuginsHdE/ and will keep that page updated. Note that, in order to visit xwiki pages, you need to log in using your B* account

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On Saturday, August 1, 2026, the building will be completely closed from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. No use of the building, of any kind, is permitted during this time.

Last update: 24 July 2026

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Facts

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Dates of the Move

• General start: 29 June

• Basement: 9 - 10 July

• Ground floor: 1 July

• 1st floor: 2 - 3 July

• 2nd floor: 3 - 6 July

• 3rd floor: 6 - 7 July

• 4th floor: 8 - 9 July

• Geomatikum: 10 July

• Labs: first half of 2027

• The entire move (all institutions) shall be finished by mid 2028 earliest

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Procedure

This is the general procedure of the move. The exact dates (i.e., Day 1 for each floor) will be published after 22 June.

Home office is encouraged starting 2 July latest. Note that you must not enter floors that have already been moved, or are being moved.

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Floor Plans

(click on the plan to get a larger copy)

• 4th floor, east wing (offices):

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• .

• 4th floor, west wing (labs):

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• .

• 5th floor, east wing (offices):

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Yellow tables will be electric; blue furniture will be new; furniture outside the floor will be left in the respective source room in Bu53.

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Q & A

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LATEST

I experienced technical issues. To whom should I report them?

• Those issues are being collected and forwarded to the coordinators at UHH.
• Please report to your superior (head of the group), who will take care of that matter.

• Please do not send emails to everybody you heard about, who might be involved in HdE matters!

When will we get a fire safety briefing?

• There will be two online briefings, one in German and the other one in English. Note that attendance of (at least) one briefing is mandatory for all who have already moved into HdE.

• The German online briefing is scheduled for Friday 24 July, 10:00 - 11:30, to attend please follow this link.

• The English online briefing is scheduled for Friday 31 July, 11:30 - 12:30, to attend please follow this link.

• Further briefings will be held at a later stage.

When will the seminar rooms on the ground and first floors be accessible?

• The organizers at UHH proudly announced that all eight seminar rooms are ready furbished and equipped with IT techniques.

• They organized an information event on Friday 24 July, 13:00 - 14:00 in room O0.A.028 = HdE 0.1.

What are the opening hours of HdE?

• Mondays - Fridays: 06 - 22 h.
• From October also on Saturdays 08 -16 h.

I need to get into HdE on a weekend, what shall I do?

• Outside opening hours, HdE is not accessible, unfortunately.
• For the time being, in such cases, you will have to wait until the weekend is over.

Are the offices to be cleaned, some day?

• We were informed that the cleaning company was told to "increase the frequency of their visits."

I want a whiteboard to be installed in my office. What shall I do?

• All whiteboards were brought to HdE, and most of them are currently stored centrally. There should be enough for every office.
• Please attach an A4 sheet of paper labeled "WHITEBOARD" to the wall where you want the whiteboard to be installed.

When will I get the furniture that is still missing?

• All furniture marked blue in the floor plans will be new.
• Expected delivery date will be 11 August.
• If there is any other furniture missing, do inform your superior.

Where can I find the First Aid room?

• The First Aid room O0.C.095 is located on the ground floor.

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GENERAL

Which company will do the move?

• TC-Umzüge

What is the general process of the move?

• Our wing of Bu53, including all rooms in the basement, will be emptied by 15 July.
• The moving company will start with the basement, where storage rooms of Oceanography, Geology, Meteorology, and ESRAH are.
• After the basement, they will care of the rest of the wing, on a floor-by-floor basis. The exact order and dates will be published after 22 June.

Will there be members of the Oceanography Unit on site, who will ensure that the move is running smoothly?

• Yes, the Construction and Room Representatives will be contact persons for the moving company.

• Noone else is supposed to be on site on those days, in order to ensure a swift and smooth move !

• You will be allowed to come to your office after our move is finished, most likely on Tuesday 14 July.

Will our labs also move into HdE?

• Yes, but with some delay. There is still construction going on in the lab wing, and only after that is finished, we will get access.
• The labs of the Experimental Oceanography and Sea Ice groups will remain in Geomatikum, for the time being.
• According to current plans our labs will move into HdE in the first half of 2027.

What happens to all the stuff that is currently stored in room U8 in the basement?

• All stuff from the basement (U8) will be temporarily stored in the Geomatikum (ground floor) and will be hardly accessible for a while.
• It will be moved into HdE at a later time, maybe as late as in mid 2027.

Why do we have to move out so quickly?

• During the final preparation of the main entrance on Beim Schlump, a WWII bomb was found underground. There is no immediate danger, but the bomb will have to be dismantled by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, which will take place 16 - 24 July. The coordinators at UHH want Bu53 to be emptied before that date.

Not sure if I understood everything. Where can I find detailed info in German?

• Here is the Umzugshandbuch.

To which email address should I send further questions?

• umzug-hde.esw@uni-hamburg.de

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BEFORE the Move, Packing

When will we get the moving boxes and labels?

• 600 moving boxes were delivered and are stored in the former library downstairs. Help yourselves!
• If need be, more boxes will be ordered.
• Labels will be provided by the moving company on time. Note that you can already start packing boxes, even without labels.
• Ready packed and labelled boxes should look like this, with the labels on the narrow side:

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I can see the pile of moving boxes in the library, but I cannot get in. What shall I do?

• Ask at Geomatikum's front desk if someone can open the door. They will be happy to help.

How do the offices need to be prepared?

• Furniture will be labelled by the moving company on 24 - 26 June. Labels will have a QR code that denotes the item and the source and target rooms, so they must not be changed.

• Packed boxes will be labelled by yourself, labels have been provided by the moving company:

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• where you fill in: Gebäude: "HdE"; Etage: your (target) floor number [4;5]; Zimmer: your (target) room number (see floor plans; you may only use the last three digits, e.g. "033"); Abt.: "IMee"; Name: [your lastname]. Our secretaries can provide you with labels for your boxes.
• No trash of any kind (full or empty bottles, paper, etc.) should be left in the offices !

Should I also put any valuables into the moving boxes?

• No, by no means! Please take any valuables (money, credit cards, smartphones, etc) with you, they are not supposed to be packed in boxes.

• If certain valuables really need to be moved by the company, please use lockable boxes that can be ordered from Kai Jarchow.

Will plants also be moved by the company?

• Only if they are packed and labeled.

• As an alternative, every floor can collect their plants before the move and leave them in the stairwell (by the other plants.) They can then be brought into HdE after the move (i.e., after the furniture and boxes.)

• Note that no unpacked plants must be left in the offices.
• Plants that are to be disposed of should be marked by a red label (available from the secretaries) and should also be brought to the stairwell.

Do I need to pack my laptop also?

• No, laptops won't be moved by the company. Please take it home with you, as you may do anyway.

Do I have to pack IT stuff such as computers and screens?

• No, this will be done by the moving company, as they have special boxes for the transport of IT items.
• Please unplug computers and peripheral devices and leave the cables on your desk, together with those items. It is recommended to label (at least) one monitor stand, to make sure that they will put it on your desk in HdE.

Do I have to unplug and pack my telephone also?

• No, most phones will be left in Bu53.
• The only (rare) exceptions are telephones with special status ("emergency phones"), like those at Leitstelle.

What happens to the desk lamp(s) in my office?

• All desk lamps need to be moved, and so does yours. Desk lamps are no electric waste and will not be collected separately.
• Please pack your desk lamp in a moving box.

What happens to empty folders? Should I also put them into the container?

• Empty folders contain metal parts and should be collected separately. Please use plastic bags or moving boxes to collect all such folders from your floor.

• The bags and boxes with folders should be taken to the basement and left in room U23. Our secretaries can provide you with the key(s).

How about the small trash bin and paper basket in my office?

• Just leave them as they are: unpacked and unlabelled.
• They are being collected by the moving company and re-distributed at HdE.

How should my office look like when the move starts?

• In your office, there should only be:

• - empty, labelled furniture

• - packed, labelled boxes

• - unplugged IT items with cables

• - maybe a telephone on the desk

• - maybe a whiteboard on the wall

What happens to my whiteboard?

• Whiteboards will be dismounted in Bu53 and installed in HdE by the Technical Department, after the move.

Our office is full of IT hardware that is no longer used. Should that also move into HdE?

• No. IT items that are no longer used will be sorted out and disposed of. They should be collected floor by floor and then brought to a central storage.

• Please check with the head of your research unit which items should not move into HdE. Please collect all items on your floor and once done, please inform Thomas Wasilewski.

• Please do get this done by Thursday 25 June latest.

I have a disability and cannot pack boxes myself. Will there be any help?

• Yes, if you and your colleagues cannot pack your boxes, TC Umzüge can send someone who helps. Please touch base with Guido Pankau.

How can I get rid of all the paperwork in my office?

• First, make sure that there are no documents that must not be disposed of (contracts, project documents, etc.)
• Each office is equipped with a paper basket, whose only purpose is to collect paperwork that is no longer used.
• There is a paper container on the backside of Geomatikum, which is open in the morning hours.

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• For confidential or delicate documents, a metal bin can be found on the third floor.

Where can I leave my 100 empty fritz-kola bottles?

• O, c'mon..!

Will the poster frames in the corridors also be moved?

• Yes, but they should be properly prepared. As they won't fit into the moving boxes, you may find a different way of protecting them.
• We have ordered bubble wrap that can be used to protect, e.g., poster frames.
• Once the poster frames are ready prepared (wrapped), please label them (labels are provided by the secretaries):

• where you fill in: "HdE"; "5"; "026"; "IMee"; "LAGER"

How will sensitive and fragile material have to be packed?

• There exist special boxes and wrap that can be provided. Please touch base with Kai Jarchow.

• Again, we have ordered bubble wrap that can be used to protect, e.g., fragile material.

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AFTER the Move, HdE

I will have an electric desk at HdE. What is its vertical adjustment range?

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What happens to the furniture that won't be used by us in HdE?

• That furniture will be disposed of or brought to a central storage, and we won't have access to it anymore.

When will the meeting rooms on floors 4 and 5 in HdE be available, and bookable?

• They will be furnished on 11 August.
• However, the meeting room on the 4th floor won't be available for a while, as it is being used as a temporary office.
• The booking system does already exist, booking should be done through our secretaries - once they have been introduced to the system.

When will I get my transponder?

• When they are ready programmed. We have provided the coordinators with all info, and we will be informed once the new transponders are ready for pickup at Mittelweg. Those who already have a transponder will only need to update it at the terminals by Geomatikum's front desk or behind the window right from the main entrance.
• There are transponder terminals on every floor of HdE, where you can frequently update your transponder.

• Note that the transponder programming will expire after 10 days, so it is recommended to update them on a weekly basis.

Where should I leave the key of my office at Bu53?

• All keys will be collected by the secretaries, after the move.
• In case you won't be around for a while, or even leave us, make sure that you hand over your key before you leave.

Will there be kitchens on both floors in HdE?

• No, there will be only one kitchen on the 5th floor, equipped with some base units and a rinse, a fridge, an oven/microwave, and a dishwasher. As there will be much less storage room, you can expect that most of the existing tableware will not move into HdE.
• Don't forget that our kitchens also have to be emptied before the move. All tableware should either be packed in (labelled) boxes, or it should be taken to the trash container outside (open in the morning hours).

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• Of course, mensa tableware should be taken back to the mensa.

Will the seminar rooms and lecture halls at Bu53 be accessible until the end of the term?

• Yes, lecturers and students will be allowed to enter the building and the respective seminar rooms and lecture halls, even during (and after) the move. Note that this exception does not include access to any offices.
• Only lecturers and their students are allowed to enter Bu53 during the move. They are not allowed to enter HdE at that time.

Will all IT and internet connections work properly when we move into HdE?

• The Regional Computing Center and CEN-IT have been doing a great job ensuring that all physical connections (cables and ports) are in place and running properly. However, we will be the very first ones moving into HdE and not everything will be running properly, like it does at Bu53. Expect it to take some days, even weeks, until all internet connections are stable.
• Also, expect it to take some time until all projectors, screens, and other IT devices are in place and ready installed.

The carpet in my new office has not been properly laid - does this have any consequences?

• Yes. During their final assessment of all rooms in the building, TÜV-Süd has identified several issues that need(ed) to be fixed, among which are loose carpets and carpet gaps. GMH are currently organizing that these issues will be fixed, but unfortunately, this will be possible only after we moved in.

• Known issues with the carpet exist in rooms O5.A.031 (Fiedler, Meyer - AG Baehr), O4.B.053 (Wei, Wett - AG Frajka-Williams), O4.B.059 (Paul, Maaß - AG Arndt), O4.B.061 (Arndt), O4.C.075 (Heuer, Heikens - Leitstelle)

• The carpet in those offices has already been removed, and a new carpet will have to be laid. The respective furniture has been taken to a different room (e.g., the meeting room on floor 4), where a temporary office has been set up.

It is quite warm and sticky in my office. How does the ventilation work?

• The ventilation and air condition will be fully working only from Week 30, unfortunately. For the time being, we will have to deal with warm temperatures.

How can I raise and lower the blinds in my office window?

• The blinds cannot be raised or lowered, unfortunately. Only the slats can be tilted using the control panel by the door.

• You can find the manual of the control panel here.

Is there any way to avoid that the light always goes on when someone enters my office?

• No, unfortunately. You will have to turn it off manually.

When will the cafeteria on the ground floor open?

• The cafeteria is expected to open in September. Also, there will be tables and chairs in the entrance hall.

Will HdE be accessible during the investigations of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit?

• Yes. Only in case of a disposal of the bomb the immediate neighborhood (including HdE) will have to be evacuated, but this would be announced well in advance.

How are the delivery and pickup of (surface) mail organized?

• Incoming mail is being delivered to Geomatikum, where it is being picked up (and distributed) by our secretaries.

• Outgoing mail should be taken by yourself to Geomatikum, where a mailbox is located in a room next to the front desk. Please ask at the front desk if thy can open the room for you.

• At a later stage, all mail will be delivered to, and picked up from, HdE.

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