Old Chemistry Building of ETH Zurich
Designated as «Chemical Landmark» on December 9th, 2010.
The second designation of a «Chemical Landmark» in Switzerland goes to Zurich: the old chemistry Building of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Universitätstrasse 6) has been awarded as “place of education and activity” for several generation of chemists and chemical engineers.
Exterior View of the old chemistry building at the Universitätstrasse 6des alten Chemiegebäudes an der Universitätstrasse 6 (Source: Departement für Chemie und Angewandte Biowissenschaften, ETH Zürich)
Over a period of nearly 120 years, in the lecture hall D2 of the so-called CAB-building many significant personalities – including seven Nobel laureates – taught numerous scientists. Later in their careers these have – with the knowledge acquired here - decisively contributed to the significance of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland and established the basis for groundbreaking discoveries in many international universities.
Thus the building is a place of scientific research, which was trend-setting throughout the world and acts a symbol of the pioneering spirit of the lecturer of the Chemistry Department.
ETH/Chemiegebäude, interior view, lecture hall D2 für inorganic and organic chemistry in 1917, on the left: Prof. Hans Fierz (Source: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv)
This building for the chemical laboratories was built between 1884 and 1886 by the architects F. Bluntschli and G. Lasius after the plans and ideas of the two professors of chemistry: V. Meyer and G. Lunge. The building was very up-to-date at that time and offered a highly innovative working environment for the researchers in Switzerland. The CAB-Building was listed as an historic site in 1987.
Until the relocation of the Chemistry Department at the Science City campus o the Hönggerberg in 2011. Several chemical institutes of the Chemistry Departement were based here.
The designation has taken place on December 9th, 2010 in the legendary lecture hall D2 of the CAB-Building. Almost 120 persons followed the invitation, among them a lot of past and present professors, students and collaborators of the Chemistry Department.
Prof. Dr. Karl Gademann, president of the «Platform Chemistry», welcomed the attendees and gave a short introduction to the SCNAT and the program «Chemical Landmarks». The Laudatio (text/presentation) emphasized by historic pictures was held by Prof. Dr. Katharina Fromm, board member of the «Platform Chemistry» and showed the history and significance of the whole building and the lecture hall D2 in special. The following presentations deepened this image: Prof. Dr. Detlef Günther, Head of the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences of ETH Zurich presented the history of the CAB-building and Department of Chemistry at the ETH. Prof. Dr. Albert Eschenmoser, emeritus professor of organic chemistry at the ETH Zurich and for more than 6 decades closely with the Chemistry Department, gave an overview of the great chemists of the ETH and their research. He presentation was enriched with a lot of personal memories and was therefore very authentically. Dr. Othmar Dossenbach, long-time assistant professor at the Technical-chemical laboratory of the ETH Zurich, finalized this part of the ceremony with entertaining anecdotes happened in the CAB-building during the last decades.
Foto: B. Winter
After the revelation of the commemorative plaque, Prof. Dr. Roman Boutellier, Vice-president of the ETH, thanked the SCNAT on behalf of the Swiss Federal Instutute of Technology (ETH) for the designation.