Open Lecture Hall – Helmut Plath: Mentally Active
2026-09-07 A successful career, a happy family life, and many hobbies: yet the retired mechanical engineer still felt he needed an additional intellectual challenge. He found it in the Open Lecture Hall at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
When Helmut Plath starts traveling to Lüneburg twice a week again starting in October, he’s not just looking forward to the lectures: “For me, the Open Lecture Hall is a complete package. Not only am I becoming smarter, but I’m also meeting new people and spending time among young people.” Sometimes he also thinks back to his first college experience: “Back then, I was just a number. At Leuphana, it’s completely different. The team at the Open Lecture Hall always gives me friendly and helpful advice on any questions I have about my studies,” he explains.
Helmut Plath is from Seevetal near Hamburg. As a mechanical engineer, he worked at Germany’s largest coffee roaster, where he was responsible for legal and technical issues related to the environment: “I’ve always continued my education throughout my professional life. Retirement shouldn’t mean that has to stop,” he says.
Helmut Plath has been a guest student since 2024. His first courses covered a wide range of topics: data protection, urban planning, and media law. Many of these topics tied in with his professional experience. Later, he developed an interest in social psychology and cultural management, among other things. One field trip stands out in his memory: “We visited a self-organized orchestra in Hamburg. That was a very special experience.”
In the coming semester, he would like to explore philosophy. “There’s a wide range of options. I’m already looking forward to the new course catalog.” The number of courses Leuphana offers in the region will more than double in the winter semester. Many new language courses have also been added. “We’re especially pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response to the new online auditor directory, which—in this form—is unique to Lüneburg in Lower Saxony,” adds Christof Schmitt, Executive Director of the Leuphana Professional School.
There’s one place at Leuphana that Helmut Plath particularly likes: the cafeteria. “I like the light-filled space, the view of the cafeteria lawn, where many people exercise, and the lively interaction with conversations and discussions,” he describes. And although Helmut Plath and his family eat mostly vegetarian, he sometimes treats himself to a currywurst in the cafeteria.
In addition to attending lectures, the 68-year-old joins the regulars’ table at the Open Lecture Hall. “Every two weeks, we meet at Klippo and exchange thoughts on lectures or professors.” For him, it’s the interactions with people that make the program at Leuphana so special. “There are also many online options available. But it’s precisely the in-person experience that I love.”
In addition to his university studies, Helmut Plath volunteers as a housing counselor, drives a community shuttle, and works out five times a week. But it’s at the Open Lecture Hall that he really keeps his mind active.