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In the course of the 19th century, the images of scientists started to diverge from their ancient models, where the ruler was typically shown in profile—his individuality less important than his representation of power. The medal dedicated to the French chemist Michel-Eugène Chevreul (1786-1889) from 1886 shows him on the front also in profile, his […]

On the occasion of their 50th anniversary of service, a medal was donated to the jurist Georg Ludwig Böhmer (1715-1797) and the teacher of constitutional law Johann Stephan Pütter (1725-1807). On the double portrait of the medal, it shows the relationship between conformity and individuality, typical for the representation of professors in the 18th century.

Since antiquity, the moulding of the face of a deceased individual has been part of a culture of remembrance. The direct contact with the body, of which the mask is an image, gives the whole process a special authenticity. Sometimes even the hair of the deceased is preserved in the plaster: the border between the

While there was general agreement that the new library hall, which had been renovated in 1812, should contain busts of “Göttingen’s Heroes” serving as role-models and inspiration for the students, the question of who should be included was not so straightforward. On-going discussions erupted, when in 1814, students bequeathed the bust of the lawyer Christian

The colossal bust of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’ (1646-1716) served as a counterpart to an equally oversized Gauss bust in the historical hall of the University. Göttingen received this donation in 1792, after it had presumably been used as a model for a marble bust. Around the turn of the 19th century, when the interest for

When in 1812, the Pauliner Church was reconstructed and turned into a library hall, it was done so with far-reaching plans to set up portrait busts of scholars. In addition to selected plaster castings reminiscent of antique sculptures, the “Göttingen Pantheon” would be dedicated to the famous scholars of Göttingen. Thus, in 1814, busts of

Works of art, especially representative portraits, are also used during social conflict. In June 2009 during the “nationwide education strike”, the institution of the university at large was put in the pillory: tuition fees, the Bologna process, the Excellence Initiative and inadequate democracy. On the 18th of June, a group of demonstrators entered the auditorium