The FORS Deep Field

Dedicating a major fraction of its guaranteed time, the FORS consortium started investigating a FORS Deep Field, which also contains a known QSO at z = 3.36. The FORS Deep Field (FDF) was imaged in UBg RIz with the FORS instrument at the ESO VLT1 as well as in J and Ks with the ESO NTT. Covering an area 6 - 8 times larger as the HDFs but nearly as deep in the optical it is one of the largest deep fields up to date to investigate, e.g., the galaxy evolution from present up to z ∼ 5.An overview about the field selection, planned projects, the status and first imaging and spectroscopic results is given.