200 years Hermann von Helmholtz

August 31, 2021, marked the 200th anniversary of his birth. In his honor, many of the activities that took place in 2021 were dedicated to the theme “200 years of Helmholtz – Inspired by challenges”.

Hermann von Helmholtz is the namesake of the Helmholtz Association. He researched phenomena from the fields of optics, acoustics, geology, meteorology and thermodynamics; a true polymath. In doing so, he combined basic research with application and invented many instruments such as the ophthalmoscope, the Helmholtz resonator, the first electronic synthesizer, and devices for measuring nerve conduction velocity.