The observatory was founded in 1896, in the heyday of astronomy. Its major claim to fame is having the largest telescope in the world, a 21 metre mammoth built by Friedrich Simon Archenhold, after whom the observatory is named. In 1915, Albert Einstein gave his first public lecture on the theory of relativity here. The museum encompasses two permanent exhibitions on the history and instruments of astronomy. A stargazer's paradise—may the force be with you! view all details