On April 18 and 19, 2026, the New Town Hall in Leipzig hosted the FIRST LEGO League DACH Finale, bringing together top teams from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to showcase their skills in robotics, research, and teamwork. Among them was the team GarsControl Senior from Gymnasium Gars, which earned its place in the competition through strong performances in regional rounds. The event, open to the public with free admission, highlighted the achievements of young innovators aged 9 to 16 in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
According to reports from the regional competition, GarsControl Senior secured second place in the South Germany final, qualifying them for the Central European final in Leipzig. There, the team competed across four categories: Core Values, Research, Robot Design, and Robot Game. Their robot, named after their team chant “3-2-1-VoiGars,” demonstrated both mechanical precision and advanced programming, featuring over 1,000 lines of Python code that included color recognition and automatic navigation correction.
In the Robot Game segment, where teams have 2.5 minutes to complete as many missions as possible on a standardized playing field, GarsControl Senior achieved a score of 530 out of 545 points. This performance placed them fourth overall in the Central European final, earning them a spot at the next stage of the competition. The team’s research project focused on simplifying archaeological documentation by developing an app that allows users to record artifacts along with metadata such as scale and classification.
The FIRST LEGO League DACH Finale in Leipzig is part of a global initiative to engage youth in hands-on learning through themed challenges. For the 2025–2026 season, the theme was “Unearthed,” encouraging teams to explore discoveries beneath the surface and develop innovative solutions related to archaeology, earth sciences, and cultural heritage. Over 300 young participants from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) took part in the Leipzig event, presenting projects that combined technical skill with creative problem-solving.
The event was held at the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) in central Leipzig, a historic building that served as the venue for the finals under the patronage of Vicki Felthaus, Mayor for Youth, Schools, and Democracy. Opening hours were from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, April 18, and from 8:45 AM to 7:00 PM on Sunday, April 19, 2026. Admission was free, and visitors were invited to explore not only the competition tables but also interactive exhibits, LEGO displays, and educational activities.
Support for the event came from a range of local and national partners, including the City of Leipzig, which provided the venue and logistical backing. The competition emphasized core values such as inclusion, teamwork, and gracious professionalism, aiming to foster long-term interest in STEM careers among young people. By combining robotics challenges with research presentations and team exercises, the FIRST LEGO League seeks to develop both technical abilities and interpersonal skills in participants.
For GarsControl Senior, the fourth-place finish in Leipzig marked a significant achievement in their season, reflecting months of preparation in robot design, coding, and project development. Their advancement to an international stage underscores the growing reach of youth robotics programs in Europe and the opportunities they provide for students to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges.
As the team prepares for the next phase of competition, their journey highlights how extracurricular STEM initiatives can inspire innovation, collaboration, and confidence among young learners. Events like the FIRST LEGO League Finale serve not only as contests but as platforms for youth to demonstrate what is possible when curiosity is met with opportunity and support.
To learn more about upcoming FIRST LEGO League events, official results, or how to support youth STEM programs, visit the organization’s website or contact regional partners in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.