Abstract

he formation of the first stars brought the infant Universe out of the dark ages and changed its chemical composition by producing the first heavy elements. Metals, dust and photons strongly affected the cooling properties of the gas and thus the subsequent generations of stars and galaxies. In the Local Group, stars can be individually resolved, providing us with the unique opportunity to indirectly study the interstellar medium of high-redshift galaxies up to the era of reionization.

In this talk, I will review the most recent findings for Local Group galaxies from both a theoretical and an observational perspective. The implications for the properties of the first stars and galaxies will be discussed, and new ideas to connect Near- and Far-Field cosmology presented.