The Röntgen Monument, located in the Theaterpark of Gießen, celebrates the physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rõntgen who discovered X-rays in 1895. Röntgen’s links with Gießen include his tenure as Professor of Physics at the local University from 1879 to 1888.
The monument was created in 1962 by Berlin sculptor Erich Fritz Reuter and was realized, as the inscriptions on its stone plinth affirm, thanks to the involvement of civic and industrial patrons in Gießen. The sculpture displays several long metal rods piercing a dark block of stone, a visual metaphor for X-rays penetrating matter, making the hidden visible.
The sculpture is one of several opportunities to remember Röntgen in Giessen. He is buried in a family tomb in the Old Cemetery (Alter Friedhof) and the Justus-Liebig University Giessen has been awarding the Röntgen Prize (“Röntgen-Preis”) to young scientists for their research in the field of radiation for several decades.
The German inscription reads as follows in English:
FRONT of plinth
WILHEM CONRAD RÖNTGEN (1845-1923)
Professor of Physics at the University of Gießen, 1879-1888.
This honours Röntgen’s academic tenure in Gießen – where he conducted early experimental work that laid the groundwork for his later discovery of X-rays.
SIDE of plinth
This monument owes its creation to the initiative of Gießen citizen Hermann Hirz, and to the contributions of the Hessian State Government, the City of Gießen, the Buderus Ironworks, the Gebr. Jung Company, and many others. Design and overall composition by Berlin artist Erich Fritz Reuter.
- Photos by Luca Borghi ti.supmacinu|ihgrob.l#| (July 2025) and page layout by Maria Sofia Sgreccia ti.supmacla|aiccergs.sm#| (November 2025)
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