50 Years of experimental particle physics in Bonn. A personal recollection

The first synchrotron for electrons in Europe was built at the Physikalisches Institut Bonn in the fifties, and two electron accelerators were built in the following decades. For fifty years, accelerators in Bonn have been in use for studying particle physics in scattering experiments with electron and photon beams, and for research and development of new detector components in both accelerator and experimental technology. Also, for fifty years, experimental groups in Bonn have worked on external experiments at accelerators and storage rings in the large research centres CERN and DESY. In this article, the long history of experimental particle physics in Bonn and at external accelerators is reviewed. It is shown that the interplay between an institute at a university and research centres can be very fruitful. Running accelerators at the institute supported by well equipped workshops were the basis for a wide range of technical developments. Most of the work was carried out in the hands of students. This was successful and guaranteed optimal possibilities for their education. The article is based on the personal recollection of the author.