Newton Apple Tree

The famous Newton Apple Tree - The Flower of Kent from England on the Campus of the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau

Engineering Physics was one of the first diploma study courses, when the Technische Fachhochschule Wildau (now Technical University of Applied
Sciences Wildau) was founded in 1991. It is still a very successful study course and a fruitful research area with innovative subjects. In 2002 the then existing Bachelor Course in Engineering Physics was extended to a Masters Course with specialisation in Photonics.

The 25th anniversary of Engineering Physics and the 15th anniversary of Photonics in 2017 fell together with the 25th anniversary of Asta Richter as Professor in Wildau. In memory of these achievements, Prof. Dr. Richter donated a descendant of the famous Newton apple tree to her long-term working place of active teaching and intensive research. The Flower of Kent from England was planted on the Campus of the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau on December 13, 2017 together with staff, students and many long time colleagues and friends from the local region and abroad. The celebration with fresh apples, apple juice and apple pie was an opportunity to honour the foundation of technical physics and to discuss new projects in the future.

The English mathematician, physicist and astronomer Isaac Newton was inspired by a falling apple to formulate his universal law on gravitation in summer 1665 in his birthplace of Woolsthorpe Manor, a sheep farm close to Loughborough University, which was one of our first international collaboration partners. Newton carried out the work at Woolsthorpe because Cambridge University was closed due to the plague. The apple tree in the garden, can be seen from his study and still stands there today.

Newton’s fundamental work on motion was published in 1687 in the journal Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica and is still a basic tool used in applied physics and classical mechanics with widespread applications in modern engineering science.

The symbol of Newton’s apple tree was described by Prof. Richter in her dedication: "May the little tree grow and flourish as intensely as the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau in the past 25 years and delight everyone on our campus with flowers and apples, as well as stimulating scientific studies and inspiring research achievements."