On 25 August 2025, EuChemS revealed the recipients of its 2024 Historical Landmarks Award, recognising sites that have played a relevant role in the development of chemical sciences across Europe. This year, the award honours Banská Štiavnica (Selmecbánya) in Slovakia at the European level and the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum in Warsaw, Poland at the regional level.
The Mining Academy of Banská Štiavnica, founded in 1763 under Empress Maria Theresa, was the world’s first institution dedicated to technical education, elevating the city as a hub for mining, metallurgy, and chemistry. Its departments in chemistry, mineralogy, metallurgy, mathematics, hydraulics, and mining law shaped generations of experts and introduced experimental methods based on careful measurement. Eminent scholars such as Mikuláš Jozef Jacquin, Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, and Anton Leopold Ruprecht contributed to research that challenged outdated scientific theories and promoted modern chemical principles. Although the Academy closed in 1918, its influence continues to resonate in European scientific history.
Meanwhile, the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum in Warsaw preserves the birthplace and personal legacy of the Nobel-winning scientist. Established in 1967 by the Polish Chemical Society, the museum houses a rich collection of Curie’s personal belongings, letters, photographs, and laboratory instruments, including items safeguarded by her family and later donated by her daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie. The museum remains an inspiring destination for visitors seeking to understand Curie’s contributions to science.
Through this programme, EuChemS aims to highlight locations that have shaped chemistry in Europe, ensuring their stories and achievements are remembered. The 2024 awardees showcase both the origins of technical education and the enduring impact of one of history’s most influential scientists.
