Here lies my personal collection of graves, memorials, statues, commemorative tablets, road signs, etc., of famous scientists.
Particularly, physicists, mathematicians and astronomers are well represented in this collection, due to my personal interest in these fields.
Some of the pictures had to be (highly) edited, as I prioritize legibility over "authenticity" of the photograph.
The proto-idea for this project emerged in the minds of several Physics students in the cold Prague spring of 2023, and was inspired by the book of M. Vlach et al. (available from Matfyzpress).
For a few days, an Instagram account named "Science is Dead" hosted these pictures, but was taken down as a misinformation site, without the right to appeal -- in the eyes of Instagram algorithms, Physicist behave the same as machines -- cf. Descartes.
I am keeping this site somewhat anonymous, as the field of Mathematical Necro-Tourism is still in its infancy (but see Cicero's notes as exception), and I am often faced with a lack of understanding from my others. This appears to be a shared experience, as several other Mathematico-Necro-Tourists have reported to me (notably Mi.St. and Ja.Rů).
This can be exemplified by a recent story: while searching for shared apartments, I was asked what are my hobbies. I made a promise to myself that I will not mention graves on interviews and first dates, so I had to simply say, "I enjoy walks in parks". Needless to say, the apartment is near a very nice Friedhof :)
Be prepared. A detailed plan can save you tens of kilometers. Try to find pictures of the grave before.
Daylight is your friend, nocturnal hunts can be challenging.
Patience is key. Feel free to bring along friends, as long as they are dedicated to the hunt.
And some astronomers in the foreground. Albanifriedhof, Göttingen
House of C. F. Gauss, aged 19-21
Göttingen
House of Gauss, aged 31 - 39
Göttingen
Dirichlet's grave, Göttingen
Bartholomäusfriedhof, Göttingen
Bartholomäusfriedhof, Göttingen
Dirichlet's house
Göttingen
known for Lichtenberg figures. Bartholomäusfriedhof
Bartholomäusfriedhof, Göttingen
and some foreground figures. Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Riemann's house in Göttingen
Before taking the position held previously by Dirichlet
House of Farkas/Wolfgang Bolyiai
Göttingen
Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
known e.g., for Nernst's postulate. Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Known for Liénard-Wiechert potentials. Stadtfriedhof, Göttingen
Alter Südfriedhof, München
Waldfriedhof, München
Visiting the grave of Werner Heisenberg in Munich
Detail of the grave
Waldfriedhof, München
Alter Südfriedhof, München
With a commemorative resistor
Waldfriedhof, München
Alter Südfriedhof, München
Nordfriedhof, München
Nordfriedhof, München
Here, on this intersection (2 minutes from the house on the left), Sommerfeld was hit by a car while walking. He died as a result of this accident several months later.
Bergfriedhof, Heidelberg
Bergfriedhof, Heidelberg
Bergfriedhof, Heidelberg
Alter Friedhof, Bonn
Alter Friedhof, Bonn
Known for Geissler tubes
Known e.g., for Mohr's salt
Albach, Tirol, Austria
Westminster Abbey, London
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Hidden under a tablecloth in Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Commemorative tablet, Westminster Abbey
Commemorative tablet, Westminster Abbey
Under the same tablecloth as J. J. Thompson
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Theoretical physicist M. Bílek laying flowers at the grave of
the mathematician B. Bolzano, Olšany cemetery
Space scientist T. Formánek navigating the vast cemetery using the book of M. Vlach.
Mathematician, Olšany cemetery, Prague
Astronomer, Olšany cemetery, Prague
Astronomer, Olšany Cemetery, Prauge
Bust of Stanislav Vydra, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague
Mathematician, Olšany Cemetery, Prague
Mathematician and Physicist, Olšany Cemetery, Prague
Panthéon, Paris
Panthéon, Paris
Panthéon, Paris
Perplexing statue near Paris Observatory
Memorial near Paris Observatory
Paris, Cimetière Père-Lachaise
Paris, Cimetière Père-Lachaise
with To.Fo in Paris, Cimetière Père-Lachaise
with To.Fo in Paris, Cimetière Père-Lachaise
Paris, Cimetière Père-Lachaise
discoverer of wireless telegraph
Graciously contributed by To.Fo.'s Mom.
Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier
Graciously contributed by To.Fo.'s Mom.
Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier
Graciously contributed by To.Fo.'s Mom.