Authors: Guido Drexlin and Thomas Muller
On October 30 2025, the European Physical Society (EPS) conferred the award `EPS Historic Site´ on the Heinrich Hertz Lecture Hall at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in recognition of the series of ingenious experiments carried out at this site in 1886 by Heinrich Hertz. This newest EPS Historic Site, still being in regular use today for lectures at KIT, formed the ideal surroundings for a highly instructive view on the foundational research by Hertz. It also allowed putting the excellence of the physical sciences in Karlsruhe on a map in Europe and beyond.
The first observation of electromagnetic waves by Heinrich Hertz, sent and received by antennae, successfully tested the laws of electromagnetism as described by Maxwell´s equations. Beyond that, it marks a seminal event in the history of physics and engineering that has paved the ground for the development of technologies that have been transformative for modern societies.
Heinrich Hertz held a position as Professor of physics from 1885 to 1889 at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, a predecessor institution of KIT. His experiments were carried out at today’s Heinrich Hertz Lecture Hall, in close proximity to a Memorial dedicated to his legacy. On the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of that memorial on October 30, 1925 a special EPS Colloquium honoured the achievement of Hertz with a series of talks. The convenors of the fully packed symposium, Guido Drexlin and Thomas Müller from KIT, put together a series of talks and key notes, reviewing the fundamental relevance of Heinrich Hertz then and now, including a lively experimental demonstration of his breakthrough experiment.
The highlight of the Colloquium was marked by the unveiling of the commemorative plaque by several attendees, including the Presidents of the EPS, Professor Mairi Sakellariadou, and of the DPG, Professor Klaus Richter, as well as KIT´s Vice President Academic Affairs, Professor Oliver Kraft. The latter emphasised that `The discovery of electromagnetic waves by Heinrich Hertz has been fundamental for wireless communication. Many of today´s technologies such as television, mobile phone communication, or WLAN would not be conceivable without this discovery. KIT takes pride in receiving the EPS Historic Site Award today´. Following the festive ceremony, the commemorative plaque will be placed in due time at the Ehrenhof of KIT next to the memorial of Heinrich Hertz as an inspiration for future generations of scientists.
Image credit: KIT
