History

The International Meetings Center with the TU of Sofia was created on the idea of the long-term President of TU – Darmstadt and Chairman of the Society of Friends of the TU – Sofia in Darmstadt Prof. Dr. Helmut Böhme, Doctor Honoris Causa of TU – Sofia and a number of other universities.

In the course of many years Prof. Dr. Helmut Böhme invested a lot of enthusiasm and efforts to raise funds for the realization of this idea. Many German sponsors supported the project and facilitated its implementation, namely: Heinrich Scherer, Timm Essam, Gerhard Tucheler. Prof. Helmut Böhme and his wife Mrs Bertheide Böhme donated substantial amount of their private funds, while attracting the support of many of their friends and colleagues from the academic and business communities of Germany.

In the realization of the idea to build the Center, a considerable role played the Friendship Society of TU – Darmstadt in Sofia, presided by Ass. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Alexiev. The accomplishment of the idea was also achieved by the assistance of the rectors of the Technical University throughout the different periods: Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Prof. Dr. Sc. Venelin Zhivkov, Prof. Dr. Kamen Vesselinov; as a result, the project was brought to a successful end.

The Center was designed by Architect Todor Todorov and the construction work was carried out by R.S. Engineering Company, run by Eng. Rasho Staykov. The first digs started on July 3rd, 2000, but bureaucratic obstacles hindered the construction work which was resumed after a considerable delay on January 6th 2003. After the construction activities were twice suspended due to lack of funding, the International Meetings Center was officially opened on February 29th, 2008.

The Guest House is already actively used in implementing the international exchange of scholars and partners of the Technical University of Sofia in the sphere of scientific research and academic training.