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BIH Exhibition “Berlin – Capital of Women Scientists” travels to Lyon

exhibition has been presented in Lyon since January 2026.© Katharina Kalhoff/BIH

The Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) is delighted to announce the next international stop of its successful touring exhibition “Berlin – Capital of Women Scientists”, now on display at the Goethe-Institut Lyon. From 17 January to 28 March 2026, visitors can explore the stories of 22 pioneering women who shaped Berlin’s scientific history and discover their groundbreaking contributions. With more than 15,000 female scientists and the highest share of women professors, Berlin leads the way in gender equality in science in Germany — an achievement celebrated by this exhibition.

Discussion with scientists from Germany and France 

At the end of January, the Goethe-Institut Lyon hosted a bilingual debate titled “Women in Science: How Can Equality Succeed?” in connection with the exhibition. Among the panelists was Juliane Siegeris, a professor of software engineering at HTW Berlin and founder of the women’s degree program “Informatics and Business”, who is also featured in the exhibition. She exchanged ideas with astrophysicist Isabelle Vauglin, Vice President of the Association Femmes & Sciences at the Centre de recherche astrophysique de Lyon (CRAL). 

The discussion was moderated by Sibylle Goepper, Professor of German Studies at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, who also engaged with questions and contributions from the audience. Together, the experts explored persistent inequalities and strategies for targeted support, such as developing new career pathways for women in science.

Video "Voices from Lyon" (in German)

Workshops and accompanying Program 

In addition to the exhibition, a series of workshops and educational activities encouraged dialogue on the topic among younger audiences. 

The workshop “Women in Computer Science – How, Why, and What For?” led by Professor Juliane Siegeris (HTW Berlin), was aimed at students from grade 9 and demonstrated the diversity of computer science and the opportunities it offers, especially for girls. 

In the interactive workshop “Underestimated Women”, students aged 11 and older learned about the achievements of female scientists throughout history. Karin Höhne and Katharina Kalhoff from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité took participants on a fascinating time journey through different eras of research. In March, the “Wikipedia Editathon: Women Scientists” at the Goethe-Institut Lyon will invite participants aged 16 and up to explore the online world of knowledge and learn how to create or edit articles about women scientists. The workshop will be led by the Lyon-based Wikipedia group Cabale de la quenelle. 

These events are organized in cooperation with the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), the Senate Chancellery of Berlin, the Franco-German University, and the DAAD France, with support from the Métropole de Lyon and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.

You can find an online version of the complete exhibition as well as the current location of the physical exhibition here.

Link to the event page of the Goethe-Institut Lyon

Link to the Goethe-Institut’s page with accompanying materials and loan information for the poster touring exhibition in France

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