Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Federal research institute in Brunswick, Germany
The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt is Germany's primary metrology institute with locations in Brunswick and Berlin. It develops measurement techniques and establishes scientific standards across fields including spectroscopy, photometry, and electrical engineering.
The institute was founded in 1887 as the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt to standardize measurements during Germany's industrial expansion. This mission of unification remained central to its work for over a century.
The institute maintains four caesium atomic clocks and oversees the certification process for voting machines used in German federal and European elections.
The institute is a research facility rather than a public museum or exhibition space, dedicated primarily to scientific work. Anyone interested in visiting should inquire in advance about possible tours or events, as casual access to laboratories is not standard.
The institute operates specialized time servers that distribute precise temporal measurements over the internet and manages the longwave time signal DCF77. This infrastructure synchronizes countless technical systems behind the scenes across German-speaking regions.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
