September 5, 2025, 5:04 am | Read time: 5 minutes
On the university campus of the University of Kaiserslautern in Zweibrücken, Rhineland-Palatinate, stands perhaps the most famous observatory in the world. It looks like a gigantic version of the lovable robot R2-D2 from the original “Star Wars” films. The idea came from a university lecturer who has been fascinated by galactic themes since childhood. Even Hollywood has taken notice of his observatory.
This place in Germany makes the hearts of fans of the original “Star Wars” films beat faster. We’re talking about an observatory on the university campus of the University of Kaiserslautern in Zweibrücken, Rhineland-Palatinate. It looks exactly like a gigantic copy of the friendly robot R2-D2 from the science fiction films. Since 2018, people from all over the world have been coming to take pictures in front of it. This hype was triggered by a lecturer who is now jokingly referred to in the media as “Doctor Enterprise.” And by a real Hollywood star who caused a media frenzy that the quiet town of Zweibrücken could never have dreamed of.
But let’s start from the beginning. The mastermind behind the R2-D2 observatory in Zweibrücken is Dr. Hubert Zitt, an engineer and lecturer in computer science at the University of Kaiserslautern. He is not only responsible for the unusual design of the observatory, but he also helped build it. “At the turn of the millennium, I had a job as an assistant at the university and was working on my doctorate,” he recalls in response to a TRAVELBOOK inquiry. At that time, he and others founded the Natural Science Association of Zweibrücken e.V., which still exists today. This group took care of the construction of the observatory, with Zitt actively helping. “I was involved in installing the dome, which we ordered specially from the USA. I also helped with the lighting and IT technology.”
A Coincidence Set Everything in Motion
By 2018, the observatory was already a bit dated and needed a new coat of paint. “That’s when the idea for the R2-D2 design came to me. I had walked past it repeatedly, and the shape of the building just reminded me of the robot.” In early August, in the middle of the summer semester break, Zitt and his friend Klaus Ruffing set to work on the unusual paint job. “We put in a total of 120 hours of work. A week of painting from morning to night. Initially, it was just the two of us, but people kept coming by to help voluntarily.”
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And then something happened that neither Zitt nor anyone else expected. While the work was still ongoing, a journalist from the newspaper “Rheinpfalz” happened to pass by, and the R2-D2 observatory made its first appearance in the media. More small reports followed, and then the story seemed to die down. But on March 22, 2019, both the observatory and Zitt suddenly became world-famous overnight. Actor Mark Hamill, who plays the main character Luke Skywalker in the original “Star Wars” films, noticed the observatory through a picture online. He tweeted about it, setting off a media frenzy of, well, galactic proportions.
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Worldwide Hype
“From then on, it was chaos here,” Zitt recalls with a laugh. “The click numbers on our university website went through the roof, and I had inquiries from media outlets worldwide.” Within just one week, images of the R2-D2 observatory were clicked 250 million times on social media, and in just a few days, there were 150 press reports in print media around the globe. “Our public relations department called me at first and asked: Hubert, what have you done this time?!” In the following weeks, masses of “Star Wars” fans came to have their pictures taken in front of the observatory, some even in costumes. “But they were only interested in the exterior of the building. A few pictures and they were gone again.”
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The major hype subsided after a few weeks, but according to Zitt, people still come for pictures even today. A few nearby hotels have even included “his” observatory in their programs for regional day trips. The lecturer himself is also a celebrity, as he has been giving lectures on the “Star Trek” series, another highly successful science fiction franchise, for almost 30 years. “I was very tech-savvy as a child. Anything that blinked was interesting to me. ‘Star Trek’ left such a lasting impression on me because it was the first series I saw in color as a 9-year-old boy at my aunt’s house.” The fact that the series also deals a lot with (futuristic) technology only added to his enthusiasm.
Successful Speaker
Zitt gave his first lecture on the subject to 250 students at his university in 2001. “The regional press reported on it right away. I had only planned four events,” he recalls. He is now represented by an agency and always performs in costume, portraying one of the series’ beloved characters. “Even as a child, I was very interested in technology. Anything that blinked fascinated me. I saw the series for the first time in color at my aunt’s house when I was 9 years old.” The fact that the series also focuses heavily on (futuristic) technology only fueled his interest.
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You can see Zitt’s famous R2-D2 observatory on the Zweibrücken campus at any time. However, if you want to visit it, someone is usually there after dark during the summer semester. Admission is free for everyone. If you’re interested in Zitt’s work and his regular appearances, you can find more information on his Star Trek Lecture website.