Memorial Plaque on the Development of Ammonia Synthesis

This bronze plaque, measuring approximately 50 by 60 centimeters, features the development of ammonia synthesis by Fritz Haber (1868–1934) and Carl Bosch (1874–1940). Its role in fertilizer production alone makes this process one of the most significant in the chemical industry. It is estimated that around 40 % of the nitrogen in the body of a person living in an industrialized nation has undergone this ammonia synthesis process. The fundamental research conducted at Karlsruhe Polytechnic on ammonia production prompted acknowledgment of this work by turning a decommissioned synthesis reactor into a monument on the university campus in 1990. The plaque attached to the reactor column at that time lauds Haber’s fundamental laboratory work, presenting impressive data, along with Carl Bosch’s success in scaling the process for industrial application at Badische Anilin- und Sodafabriken (BASF). The Nobel prizes awarded to both scientists are also mentioned. This memorial is thus focused on the volume of production of synthetic ammonia and on its public reception. The plaque notably omits Haber’s controversial role in developing poison gas during World War I and the use of ammonia for the production of explosives as a weapon of war. This omission may well have prompted the addition of another plaque to the reactor column, addressing Haber’s supervisory role in the deployment of poison gas and Bosch’s in the production of explosives. kn