History of the Röntgen Memorial

By Roentgen-Memorial

Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.

"Through an open door you could see into a slightly larger room of about 20 x 15 feet. This was the laboratory in which the discovery took place, and therefore, modest as it may be, will remain of lasting historical value. [...] This laboratory spoke for itself. "
H.J.W. Dam. McClure's Magazine 6, 403 (1896).

Würzburg (1642-01-01) by Cornelis DanckertsOriginal Source: Wikipedia

WÜRZBURG

1000 BC a Celtic refuge castle on the Marienberg is proven. In the year 704 "castello Virteburch" is first mentioned in documents. With the year 604, Würzburg was a Franconian ducal seat. In 1127, the first knight tournament was held on German soil in the city. The city today has 130000 inhabitants and is the seat of the Lower Franconian district government.

Old University of Würzburg. by unknownOriginal Source: Wikipedia

OLD UNIVERSITY

The University of Würzburg was founded in 1402 by Prince-Bishop Johann von Eglofstein and is the oldest university in Bavaria and one of the oldest in German-speaking countries.  From 1629-1631 the Jesuit and mathematician Athanasius Kircher worked on physical problems. The start of modern physics in Würzburg was founded by Prof. Rudolf Clausius, who is regarded as one of the central founders of thermodynamics.

Physical institute around 1900, where Prof. Röntgen discovered the X-Rays. (1900) by unknownOriginal Source: unknown

PHYSICAL INSTITUTE

The physical institute of the University Würzburg around 1900. It was one of the best equipped faculties in Europe at that time. Röntgen's laboratory is on the left side of the building below the railing.

Physical laboratory by unknownOriginal Source: unknown

LABORATORY

Laboratory at the Physical institute of the University of Würzburg located at Pleicherring 8.

Röntgen's lab by unknownOriginal Source: unknown

Lecture hall in the former physical instute. by unknownOriginal Source: unknown

LECTURE HALL

Old lecture hall in the physical institute where Prof. Röntgen gave lectures in Physics.

Prof. Röntgen in his lecture hall., unknown, Original Source: unknown
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Meeting of the physical-medical society. (1896-01-23) by unknownOriginal Source: unknown

HISTORIC MEETING

Painting of the meeting of the physical-medical society of Würzburg on Jan 23rd 1896. Prof. Köllikers hand was x-rayed live. It became one of the most famous x-ray images.

Meeting report of the physical-medical society in Würzburg, unknown, 1896, Original Source: University Würzburg
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Marble table at tge Röntgen-Memorial. (1905) by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: unknown

1905 - SPECIAL HONORS

Röntgen received special honors from his colleagues (Boltzmann, Braun, Drude, Ebert, Graetz, Kohlrausch, Lorentz, Planck, Riecke, Warburg, Vienna, Vienna and Zehnder) ten years after his discovery, when he celebrated his 60th birthday. They donated a marble tablet. Until the beginning of the World War II, this marble tablet was attached to the outside of the building. Today there is an inscription instead of it: "In this house W.C. Röntgen discovered in 1895 the rays named after him". The marble tablet can be seen in the entrance area of the Röntgen memorial and commemorates the discovery of the X-rays in 1895.

Röntgen memorial room by unknownOriginal Source: unknown

1923 - RÖNTGEN MEMORIAL ROOM

On December 9, 1923, Professor Ernst Wagner, an assistant doctoral candidate and one of Röntgen's successors, opened an "Röntgen memorial room" in the Physics Institute. Since 1985, the Röntgen memorial has been set up and open to the public.

March 16, 1945, bombs on Würzburg. by unknownOriginal Source: Movie

1945 - BOMBS ON WÜRZBURG

Würzburg was bombed in the last weeks of World War II. The attack on the evening of March 16, 1945, by the British Royal Air Force, killed about 5,000 people. The historic old town was destroyed to 90%, the building at Röntgenring 8 remained reasonably unscathed.

Remodelling 1977. (1977) by unknownOriginal Source: unknown

1977 - REMODELING

Conversion of the building at Röntgenring 8 in 1977 by the University of applied sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt.

Prof. Röntgens lecture hall today. (2017) by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: unknown

LECTURE HALL TODAY

In the historic lecture hall, Prof. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen gave the only public lecture on a new kind of radiation. It is still used today for science lectures at the University of Applied Sciences. It was rescued and installed in a new part of the building.

Opening Röntgen Memorial 1985. (1985-11-08) by unknownOriginal Source: unknown

1985 - RÖNTGEN MEMORIAL

After its founding in 1982, the Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V. took care of the construction of the Röntgen memorial site at the place of discovery. On 8.11.1985 it was solemnly opened in the context of a state reception.

Opening Röntgen Memorial 1985., unknown, 1985-11-08, Original Source: unknown
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Building where Prof. Röntgen discovered the X-rays. (1009-07-26) by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: unknown

RÖNTGEN-MEMORIAL

Entrance of the Röntgen memorial.

Building where Prof. Röntgen discovered the X-rays. by DaderotOriginal Source: Wikipedia

Lobby with showcases at the Röntgen-Memorial. (2017) by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: unknown

2015 - MODERN DESIGN

On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of discovery, in 2015 the new, modern design and it's implementation was finished by the Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V..

Hallway (2017) by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: unknown

Historic Site (2017) by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: unknown

2016 - HISTORIC SITE

The European Physical Society (European Physical Society, EPS) honored on 7 June 2016 the place where Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen on 8 November 1895 discovered the X-rays as a “Historic Site”. It is the third “Historic Site” in Germany, in Europe 29 places are awarded. With this award, the EPS recognizes the importance of the discovery of X-rays.

Video in English language about the Röntgen-Memorial. by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.

Video about the Röntgen-Memorial in English. Produced by students of the University of applied sciences

Video in German language about the Röntgen-Memorial. by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.

Video about the Röntgen-Memorial in German. Produced by students of the University of applied sciences.

Video about the Röntgen-Memorial in French. Produced by students of the University of applied sciences.

Video in Japanese language about the Röntgen-Memorial. by Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.Original Source: Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.

Video about the Röntgen-Memorial in Japanese. Produced by students of the University of applied sciences.

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Röntgenkuratorium Würzburg e.V.

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