The polymath with a sense of practice
Our namesake: Hermann von Helmholtz
As a community, we have deliberately named ourselves after Hermann von Helmholtz, one of the greatest natural scientists of the 19th century. The name Helmholtz stands for the whole diversity of natural science research and for the turn towards technological practice.
Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) was one of the last true polymaths. He studied medicine and represented a natural science that built bridges between medicine, physics and chemistry. His groundbreaking research and developments linked theory, experiment and practical application.
Helmholtz founded the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt and served as its first president. The Reichsanstalt is considered the world's first non-university research center - and thus a precursor of the Helmholtz Association.
