Heinrich Hertz – A Pioneer in Electrodynamics and his Work in Bonn

Heinrich Hertz's work between 1886 and 1889 made a significant contribution to the development of modern wireless technologies. His experimental proof of electromagnetic waves theoretically predicted by James Clerk Maxwell made him the most important pioneer of the radio age; from mobile communication and radar technology to satellite navigation, many important systems in today's society are based on his work. The discovery of the photoelectric effect and his experiments, which proved that light is also an electromagnetic wave, represent an important basis for today's optical communications technology. The development of lasers, photodiodes and optical fibers led to the field of photonics as a symbiosis of optics and electronics. It is the basis for fast data transmission in computer and telecommunications networks and forms a key technology in today's information technology. Heinrich Hertz also has a special significance for the city of Bonn, as he took up a professorship in physics at the local university and spent the last years of his life here. During this time, he was primarily concerned with the continuation of his studies of electromagnetic field theory. On the one hand, he modified Maxwell's original equations and expressed them in the mathematical form that is now commonly known as Maxwell's equations. However, Hertz went even further, and developed a theory of the electrodynamics of moving bodies. He also tested the permeability of various materials to light and cathode rays. In their contribution, the authors recall Heinrich Hertz's great achievements in the field of electromagnetic waves and look at the focus of his work towards the end of his life during his time in Bonn.