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Technical University of Munich

Anniversary Lecture: 2,500 Years of Cryptography

Studies, 150 Years Electrical and Computer Engineering | | Event

As the new semester begins, TUM students can look forward to a special highlight: On October 8, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology (CIT) invites students to a lecture on the fascinating history of cryptography.
Illustration of the Vigenère cipher with a historical cipher machine and encryption tables
Historical methods of message encryption: the Vigenère cipher. Image: AI-generated with Microsoft Copilot

As part of the anniversary year celebrating “150 Years of Electrical and Computer Engineering at TUM,” Tobias Vogl, professor of Quantum Communication Systems Engineering and Academic Program Director at CIT, will take the audience on a journey through 2,500 years of encrypted communication. 

The Ongoing Rivalry Between Code Makers and Code Breakers 

Since ancient times, code makers and code breakers have been engaged in a race over secret messages. In the 20th century, machines such as the Enigma shaped the development of encryption and decryption techniques, presenting new challenges for both sides. In the computer age, mathematical methods became increasingly important and gave code makers a decisive advantage: To this day, they form the foundation of secure communication on the internet. However, advances in quantum computing may eventually make it possible to break these very methods, forcing code makers once again to develop new approaches. 

The lecture traces more than 2,500 years of cryptographic history: from the earliest methods of secret communication and groundbreaking innovations in cryptanalysis to the question of how the cryptography of the future might be shaped through hybrid systems combining quantum cryptography and post-quantum cryptography. 

Invitation to All TUM Students 

The anniversary lecture is open to all interested TUM students. It will take place on October 8, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Lecture Hall 1200 on the main campus. Those who would like to get a humorous glimpse into everyday life as an electrical engineering student afterward are warmly invited to attend the screening of the web series “Technically Single” starting at 3:30 p.m.

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