Arithmeum, Mathematics museum in Bonn, Germany.
The Arithmeum is a science museum in Bonn, housed in a modern glass and steel building on the university campus, with one of the largest collections of mechanical calculating machines in the world. The displays cover several centuries of calculation tools, from early hand-operated devices to the first mechanical computers.
The Arithmeum grew from the calculating-machine collection of Bernhard Korte, director of the Research Institute for Discrete Mathematics at the University of Bonn. The museum building by architects Wilfried Pilhatsch and Sepp Rössle dates from 1998; the English Wikipedia gives 2008 as the founding year, while the German article records Ina Prinz as director since 2003. Korte had himself worked on the development of modern logic chips.
The collection shows how mathematics and design connect through everyday objects. Visitors can see old calculating machines, historical books, and early computer parts that reveal how people built mathematical thinking into their tools.
The Arithmeum stands at Lennéstrasse 2, on the southwestern corner of the Hofgarten, a short walk from Bonn's university buildings. Guided tours can be arranged in advance and are offered in several languages. The museum closes on Mondays, and opening hours vary by day, so check the official website before setting out.
The museum holds the Schuitema collection of around 4,000 slide rules covering roughly 400 years of use. Before digital tools took over, the slide rule was the standard instrument for engineers and scientists, and this collection is one of the largest of its kind in the world.
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