Schloß Dagstuhl

For many computer science researchers, the name Dagstuhl rings a bell. Anybody who has been there has fond memories of interesting talks, great conversations, and lots of social interaction (lubricated by the abundantly available wine and beer). But what is Dagstuhl?

Schloß Dagstuhl is a castle in Germany’s Saarland region, close to the border with France. It’s easy to reach from nearly anywhere, and yet remote enough to keep people there for an entire week. That is important to foster interaction and discussions outside the formal sessions.

The castle originally dates from the 18th century, and was turned into a conference venue in the early 1990s. The old building was completely remodeled on the inside, and a new building was added that houses most of the bedrooms, the main seminar room, and a well-stocked library. There are many different places to hang out, including a billiards room, a music room, and a wine cellar.

Until a few years ago, there was no WiFi in the rooms and you were expected to use the handful of computers in the labs to check your email. That has changed, though there are still some rooms in the old building with no WiFi, and the organizers can disable it in the main seminar room. You’re expected to pay attention during the sessions, and not spend your time there responding to email or surfing the web.

Not content with people mingling and mixing during off-hours, the staff at Dagstuhl want to [...]