Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Giessen Grave of Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen

Grave of Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen

Final resting place of the humble physicist who discovered X-rays, and made the invisible visible.

Giessen, Germany

Added By
Christine Williamson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Grave of Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen   Atlas Obscura user Christine Williamson
Grave of Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen   Atlas Obscura user Christine Williamson
Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, 1900   Unknown
One of the first X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen of the left hand of his wife Anna Bertha Ludwig, 1896   Wilhelm Röntgen
Wilhelm Roentgen’s X-ray photograph of his wife’s hand   Wilhelm Röntgen
Coolidge X-ray tube, from around 1917. The heated cathode is on the left, and the anode is right. The X-rays are emitted downwards.   Daniel Frost Comstock
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

There are few discoveries that have affected modern medicine as much as the X-ray, a previously unknown electromagnetic wavelength range that was discovered more or less on accident, by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen on November 8, 1895.

Roentgen was studying the conduction of electricity in gases at the Institute of Physics in Wuerzburg, Germany, where he worked as a professor. He was working with cathode tubes (which are similar to fluorescent light bulbs) and noticed when the tube was filled with a special gas if he passed a high electric voltage through it it produced a fluorescent glow that when shielded with a heavy black paper caused a screen several feet away to glow. He realized the fluorescence was caused by invisible rays originating from the tube: He had discovered a brand new type of electromagnetic radiation.

This new invisible light could penetrate through most substances, and in doing so would cast shadows of solid objects on a screen. The rays could even pass through human tissue, leaving the bones and metals visible on the film. Roentgen called the invisible radiation an “X” ray because of its unknown nature and continued to throughout his life, even though in the German language the rays were baptized "Roentgen-Strahlen" (Roentgen rays) against his will.

On November 22, 1895, the first X-ray images in history were taken. Roentgen photographed a hand skeleton with more than 20 minutes of fluoroscopy time. His first publication about those new rays appeared on December 28, 1895 for the Physical-Medical University of Wuerzburg, and the first lecture to the public was given the following year. 

This presentation provided the impetus for evaluating the medical implication of the rays. In addition to X-raying various technical objects, Roentgen demonstrated an X-ray of part of his hand and his wife Bertha's hand with a ring on it. It took only a few weeks until doctors near and far were replicating the experiment, understanding the special capabilities of these rays for medical examinations. Although the technical resources back than were extremely limited, they soon started to involve X-rays in their daily practice.

Roentgen wrote only three essays about his discovery before turning back to his earlier research themes; his special interest was studying the physical properties of crystals. He never patented his discovery and never made money from it. He just wanted X-rays to be available to mankind. 

Nevertheless, on November 10, 1901 the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen for his discovery. This was the first time a Nobel Prize in Physics was ever awarded. Roentgen rejected the invitation to the ceremony and donated the prize of 50,000 crowns to the University of Wuerzburg.

He died in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, on February 10, 1923. Per his wishes he was buried in the graveyard of his parents in Giessen, Hesse, Germany, where later his wife Bertha was also buried. In a final humbling act, on his tombstone his middle name was misspelled by the mason, written with a "K" instead of a "C."

Related Tags

Science Technology Medicine Physics

Know Before You Go

A nice highlight are the many fireflies swarming around the grave in May and June.

Community Contributors

Added By

Christine Williamson

Edited By

Molly McBride Jacobson, Meg

  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • Meg

Published

August 12, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • google, wikipedia
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_R%C3%B6ntgen
  • https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Conrad_R%C3%B6ntgen
  • https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alter_Friedhof_(Gie%C3%9Fen)
  • http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1901/rontgen-bio.html
  • http://wilhelmconradroentgen.de/de/ueber-roentgen
Grave of Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen
14 Am Alten Friedhof
Giessen
Germany
50.582054, 8.688372
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gießkannenmuseum (Watering Can Museum)

Giessen, Germany

miles away

The Three Gossips

Giessen, Germany

miles away

Schlammbeiser Statue

Giessen, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Giessen

Giessen

Germany

Places 6

Nearby Places

Gießkannenmuseum (Watering Can Museum)

Giessen, Germany

miles away

The Three Gossips

Giessen, Germany

miles away

Schlammbeiser Statue

Giessen, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Giessen

Giessen

Germany

Places 6

Related Stories and Lists

The Existential Horror Created by the First X-Ray Images

31 days of halloween

By Kelsey Kennedy

Related Places

  • Wilson Greatbatch’s tool box.

    Clarence, New York

    Greatbatch Barn

    This exhibit pays tribute to the “humble tinkerer” who invented the implantable pacemaker.

  • Picture of the particle accelerator.

    Elmhurst, Illinois

    Barbara A. Kieft Accelerator ArtSpace

    A former atom smasher turned into an art gallery.

  • Drop Tower at night.

    Bremen, Germany

    Bremen Drop Tower

    The only microgravity tower in Europe can produce nine seconds of weightlessness.

  • Vienna, Austria

    Gedenkstätte der Anatomie

    A memorial to those who donated their bodies to science.

  • Leuven, Belgium

    Heilige Geestcollege

    Where George Lemaître discovered the expanding nature of the universe.

  • Manchester, England

    Dalton's Entry

    An obscure walkway dedicated to a scientist who helped pave the way for the world to sit up and take notice of Manchester.

  • Wax figures in the Heart of Cape Town Museum

    Cape Town, South Africa

    Heart of Cape Town Museum

    The first successful human heart transplant is depicted through wax figures at the hospital where it the surgery took place.

  • Potsdam, Germany

    Michelson Interferometer

    The site of the original experiment that would be used to disprove the theory of luminiferous ether.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.