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Primary sourcePhotograph3 November 1965

Unveiling of the Gregor Mendel Monument, Haarlem

Joop van Bilsen for Anefo · 3 November 1965

A 1965 photograph of the unveiling of a Mendel monument at a school in Haarlem, Netherlands.

Documents the unveiling of a monument honoring Mendel's contribution to the science of heredity.

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Black-and-white photo of a smiling man in a long raincoat standing in front of an abstract iron sculpture on a concrete plinth engraved with 'G. MENDEL 1865'. A crowd of onlookers, some in hats and coats, stands behind, with a brick school building and trees in the background.
Joop van Bilsen/Anefo, unveiling of the Gregor Mendel monument, Haarlem, 3 November 1965. Nationaal Archief.

About this source

What it is

This black-and-white photograph, taken by Joop van Bilsen for the Anefo photo agency, documents the unveiling on 3 November 1965 of a Gregor Mendel monument at the grounds of the Mendelcollege in Haarlem, Netherlands. The sculpture, representing the study of heredity, was created by sculptor Thomas Rodr, who is shown standing beside it. The photo is held in the Dutch National Archive.

Why it matters

This image shows how Mendel's scientific legacy—his work on heredity—was honored internationally, with a school even named after him. It captures a public ceremony and the people involved, including the sculptor, giving insight into mid-20th-century commemoration of scientific pioneers.

Look closer

  • What does the inscription on the sculpture's plinth tell you about what it represents?
  • Why might a school choose to name itself after Mendel and commission a monument?
  • What does this photograph capture about the public event that a written record might miss?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Gregor Mendel on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Scan of the first text page of Gregor Mendel's 'Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden', with the title, author name, presentation date note, and the opening section 'Einleitende Bemerkungen' in German black-letter-style print on aged paper.Book

Primary source

Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden

Gregor Mendel · 1866 (read 1865)

Black-and-white portrait of a man with short wavy hair, wire-rimmed spectacles, and a dark high-collared coat with a white clerical collar, facing the camera against a white background.Photograph

Primary source

Gregor Mendel

Unknown

Black-and-white group photograph of ten monks in long dark robes posed together, with a caption below naming them, including Gregor Mendel, and the title 'Plate III. Gregor Johann Mendel among his Fellow-Monks'.Photograph

Primary source

Mendel with other monks

Unknown

Black-and-white photograph of a long, low wooden building with a corrugated metal roof and a row of small-paned windows, partly overgrown with shrubs and climbing plants. A brick base is visible at right. A printed caption at the bottom reads: Abb. 16 Mendels Bienenstock im Altbrünner Klostergarten.Photograph

Primary source

Mendel's Beehouse

Unknown · before 1909

Black handwritten cursive signature on white background, reading 'Gregor Mendel' with a smaller abbreviated mark ('Ohh' or similar) written beneath it.Document

Primary source

Signature of Gregor Mendel

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