Gedenktafel Für Leonhard Euler In Riehen

Leonhard Euler, one of the most productive mathematicians in history, was born in Basel in 1707 and grew up in the neighbouring village of Riehen, where his father served as the Protestant pastor. A memorial plaque in the village recalls that connection. It is a modest marker, not a museum, and it is placed near the village church of Saint Martin, the Dorfkirche, which stands at the centre of old Riehen. The plaque is easy to miss if you are not looking for it, which suits the character of the place, a quiet village on the edge of the city where Euler's childhood was shaped by a household of learning and faith.

Euler's career took him far from Riehen. He studied at the University of Basel, where he came under the influence of the mathematician Johann Bernoulli, and in 1727 he moved to the Academy in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He later worked at the Berlin Academy and returned to Saint Petersburg, where he died in 1783. In a long career he made fundamental contributions to calculus, number theory, mechanics, optics and astronomy, and many mathematical concepts and notations still bear his name or were popularised by him, including the symbol for the base of natural logarithms and the notation for functions. His solution to the problem of the seven bridges of Königsberg is considered the first result in graph theory. He continued to work even after losing his sight in later life, dictating results to assistants.

Switzerland honours Euler in several ways, and he appeared on Swiss banknotes in the twentieth century. The memorial in Riehen is one of the smaller tributes, but it connects the abstract achievement of a famous scientist to a real place. The church itself is worth a look. It is a medieval building in the centre of Riehen, surrounded by a wall that once served as a defence for the churchyard, and it has an interior with historic wall paintings and a quiet, simple character. Because the church is in use, it may not always be open, and visitors should respect services.

The plaque itself is accessible at any time of day, since it stands outside, and there is no charge to see it. A visit takes only a few minutes, so it is best combined with other stops in Riehen. The village has the Fondation Beyeler, the Wenkenhof gardens, the Museum Kultur & Spiel and walking routes through the Wiese valley, so a morning or afternoon can be built around art, parks and a short walk to the church. The tram from Basel brings you to the village centre in a short ride.

The plaque suits people interested in mathematics, science or local history, and anyone who enjoys finding small details in a village. Read a short biography of Euler before you go to get the most from the stop, since the plaque is brief. Allow ten minutes for the plaque and the church exterior, and more if you walk around the old village centre.