# European XFEL

> multinational X-ray research laser facility in Germany

**Wikidata**: [Q462592](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q462592)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_XFEL)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/european-xfel

## Summary
European XFEL is a multinational X-ray research laser facility in Germany. It is classified as both a research institute and a linear particle accelerator, with headquarters in Schenefeld. The facility’s construction ran from 2009 to 2016, and it officially opened in October 2016.

## Key Facts
- European XFEL is a multinational X-ray research laser facility located in Germany.
- It is an instance of a **research institute** and a **linear particle accelerator**.
- Headquarters/location: **Schenefeld**, Germany (coordinates **53.588611, 9.829444**).
- Construction was a significant event for the facility, running from **2009** to **2016**.
- Date of official opening: **2016-10** (October 2016).
- Service entry year: **2017**.
- Reported capital cost: **€1,220,000,000**.
- Website: **https://www.xfel.eu/** (domain: **xfel.eu**).
- Identifiers include **ROR 01wp2jz98**, **GRID grid.434729.f**, **ISNI 0000000405902900**, and **VIAF 305334243**.
- “Karabo” is listed as a created/developed-by related component (a scientific SCADA framework).

## FAQs
### Q: What is European XFEL?
A: European XFEL is a multinational X-ray research laser facility in Germany. It operates as a research institute and is also classified as a linear particle accelerator, headquartered in Schenefeld.

### Q: Where is European XFEL located?
A: European XFEL is located in Schenefeld, Germany. Its listed coordinates are 53.588611 latitude and 9.829444 longitude.

### Q: When was European XFEL built and opened?
A: Construction is recorded as running from 2009 to 2016. The facility’s official opening is listed as October 2016, and its service entry year is 2017.

### Q: What organizations is European XFEL a member of?
A: European XFEL is listed as a member of several organizations, including the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Eiroforum, DataCite, and the European Open Science Cloud Association. It is also listed as a member of Verein zur Förderung eines Deutschen Forschungsnetzes and Informationsdienst Wissenschaft.

### Q: What is the official website and online presence of European XFEL?
A: The official website is https://www.xfel.eu/ (domain xfel.eu). Social handles listed include Twitter “europeanxfel,” Instagram “europeanxfel,” YouTube “EuropeanXFEL,” Facebook “EuropeanXFEL,” and LinkedIn ID 5359345.

## Why It Matters
European XFEL matters because it is a dedicated multinational facility for X-ray research in Germany, organized as both a research institute and a linear particle accelerator. Its scale and long development timeline—construction from 2009 to 2016, official opening in October 2016, and service entry in 2017—position it as a major piece of research infrastructure rather than a small laboratory instrument. The recorded capital cost (€1.22 billion) further indicates its role as a large, shared scientific facility.

As an institution, it also connects into broader research and open-science ecosystems through memberships such as the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Eiroforum, DataCite, and the European Open Science Cloud Association. These affiliations signal integration with research networks, scientific communication channels, and data infrastructure. For users and integrators, the facility’s stable identifiers (e.g., ROR, GRID, ISNI, VIAF) and official web domain support reliable referencing, discovery, and attribution across scholarly and administrative systems.

## Notable For
- A **multinational** X-ray research laser facility based in **Germany**.
- Classified simultaneously as a **research institute** and a **linear particle accelerator**.
- Large-scale project with **construction (2009–2016)** and **official opening in October 2016**.
- Reported **capital cost of €1.22 billion**.
- Membership in major research and open-science organizations, including **Helmholtz Association** and **EOSC Association**.

## Body
### Identity and Classification
- Name: European XFEL
- Description: multinational X-ray research laser facility in Germany
- Instance of:
  - research institute
  - linear particle accelerator
- Common aliases include:
  - European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser
  - European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser GmbH
  - XFEL.EU
  - European XFEL
  - XFEL
  - 欧州XFEL

### Location
- Country: Germany
- Located in / headquarters: Schenefeld
- Coordinates: 53.588611, 9.829444

### Timeline
- Significant event: construction
  - Start time: 2009
  - End time: 2016
- Date of official opening: 2016-10 (October 2016)
- Service entry: 2017

### Cost
- Capital cost: €1,220,000,000

### Memberships and Affiliations
European XFEL is listed as a member of:
- Verein zur Förderung eines Deutschen Forschungsnetzes
- Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
- DataCite
- European Open Science Cloud Association
- Eiroforum
- Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

### Systems and Related Development
- Created/developed-by related component: **Karabo** (scientific SCADA framework)

### Official Web and Social Presence
- Website: https://www.xfel.eu/
- Domain name: xfel.eu
- Twitter: europeanxfel
- Instagram: europeanxfel
- YouTube handle: EuropeanXFEL
- Facebook: EuropeanXFEL
- LinkedIn ID: 5359345

### Identifiers and Catalog Entries
- ROR: 01wp2jz98
- GRID: grid.434729.f
- ISNI: 0000000405902900
- VIAF: 305334243
- Freebase ID: /m/03gylx4
- Ringgold ID: 339694 (name qualifier: “European XFEL GmbH”)
- Additional listed identifiers:
  - KISTI ID: K000213037
  - GEPIR/GEPRIS organization ID: 194443589
  - Lobby register of the German Bundestag ID: R002183 (start time: 2022-02-28)
  - UK Parliament Thesaurus ID: 459939
  - UIA Open Yearbook organization website ID: 1122274521
  - Encyclopædia Universalis ID: european-xfel

### Media and Wikimedia Links
- Logo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/European_XFEL_logo.png
- Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/European_XFEL_DESY_Beschleunigermodule_2.jpg
- Commons category: European XFEL
- Wikipedia title: European XFEL
- Wikipedia languages listed: commons, de, en, fa, fr, it, pl, ru, ta, uk

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-01-10
2. [Source](https://www.dfn.de/verein/mv/mitglieder/)
3. [Source](https://idw-online.de/de/institution1685)
4. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20240112184553/https://datacite.org/members/)
5. [Source](https://eosc.eu/members/)
6. Bundestag Lobby Register
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. GRID Release 2015-12-14
9. GRID Release 2016-12-06
10. Quora
11. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
12. GERiT
13. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
14. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)