The GRB‐SN Connection: GRB 030329 and XRF 030723

The attempt to secure conclusive, spectroscopic evidence for the GRB/SN connection has been a central theme in most GRB observing time proposals since the discovery of the very unusual GRB 980425 associated with the peculiar type Ib/c SN 1998bw. GRB 030329 provided this evidence to everybody’s satisfaction. In this contribution we show the results of a spectroscopic campaign of the supernova associated with GRB 030329 carried out at ESOs Very Large Telescope. We also present preliminary results from a photometric and spectroscopic campaign targeting the X‐ray Flash of July 23.