Since 1998, the Hornemann Institute has been operating as a scientific service center in the field of conservation and restoration. In September 2003 the Hornemann Institute became a part of the University of Applied Sciences und Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen. "On 1st of September 2003 the Hornemann Institute became a part of the University of Applied Sciences und Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen. The previous holder of the institute, the non-profit Verein zur Bewahrung und Erhaltung des Weltkulturerbes e.V. (Association for the Preservation and Conservation of World Cultural Heritage) is since September 2003 a supporting body to the Hornemann Institute. The Institute focuses on the dissemination of knowledge through traditional and modern media. By relying on the combination of scientific and cultural resources present in Hildesheim, it gains its particular strength. It bears the name of the first German explorer of Africa, Friedrich Konrad Hornemann, who was born in Hildesheim in 1772. When the Hornemann Institute started up on 1 Nov 1998, it established its offices in the so-called ""Kaiserhaus"" (""Imperial House"") in Hildesheim for its first three years. The show façade of the old Kaiserhaus, which was destroyed on 22 March 1945, has been integrated in its west side. The history of the house's construction, its artistry and its development in the course of time, its former coloration, as well as its owner's need for a prestigious building style has been dealt with in a book which was published in spring 2000, as the first volume of the series of publications by the Hornemann Institute."