Back in 2016, the idea of a series of historical landmarks to be initiated by the European Chemical Society was put forward. Commemorating science past is nothing new, and the practice is widely spread and very diverse. It ranges from a simple plaque to panels or displays, to museums and touristic sites. Many national landmarks take root in the aspiration to boost national pride so common in the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. But in the second half of the 20th century, with the emergence of anti-science feelings, the fear of chemicals and the distrust in chemists, pinpointing at sites of chemistry also became an outreach instrument.
Taking stock of what has been done in and outside Europe, the EuChemS Historical Landmarks Programme was established to reinforce the sense of belonging among European chemists and to remind them that as far as the history of chemistry goes, people and ideas alike have circulated across borders, as their science and techniques were shared and shaped through meetings and communication. At the same time, the landmarks aim to reveal to the public how chemistry is part of the general cultural heritage and history of every European citizen.
Escaping nationalism was an easy target, as the European Chemical Society has been a federation from its very inception. Less straightforward was the answer to the challenge presented by a heterogeneous geographical space with a range of centres and peripheries, and different local traditions of both science and history. For that reason, it was decided to have two awards, one at the European level and one at the regional level, depending on the reach of the different sites. Beyond the recognition of one or two sites per year, one of the byproducts of the EuChemS Historical Landmarks is that several member societies that didn’t already run a similar programme, have created one.
More than a place, a person or a group of persons, the awards are given to sites in Europe where events in chemistry occurred that have left an imprint in the chemical community and in our everyday world and life all together. The EuChemS Historical Landmark Awards tell the stories of how chemistry developed across Europe (and sometimes beyond) through singular yet shared moments of deep transformations. Over the last six years these awards have indeed illustrated cooperation beyond competition, transdisciplinary and transnational collaboration, networks and infrastructures, with stories focusing on materials as much as concepts, on mines and factories, on communication, teaching and educating. In sum, the awards celebrate the whole of European chemistry through its multi-faceted past, productions and practices, people and places.
