FACULTY OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE FACULTY OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

The collection of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy comprises instruments and measuring devices from all subfields of the discipline, with a focus on the period from the mid-18th century to the end of the 19th century.

The collection comprises around 1,900 items – ranging from thermometers and barometers, through rangefinders and spectrometers, to a wide variety of current and voltage measuring instruments. Some of the instruments are associated with eminent scientists such as Philipp von Jolly, Gustav Kirchhoff and Hermann von Helmholtz. Part of the collection is on display on the ground floor of the Magistrale. In addition, around 200 selected exhibits are available on request and illustrate both the general progress of physics and the history of physics in Heidelberg.

Among the exhibits are renowned pieces, including several instruments developed by Hermann von Helmholtz, as well as devices associated with Robert Bunsen, Gustav Robert Kirchhoff, and William Thomsen (Lord Kelvin). Since the collection also still possesses the historical inventory books, some past experiments and experimental setups can be reconstructed precisely.