Stephen Hawking died more than eight months ago. Now the London auction house Christie's is auctioning 22 items from the astrophysicist's possession in an online auction.
Among them are, according to the auction house complex research of the British, a wheelchair and a screenplay of the series "The Simpsons".
The doctoral thesis of the astrophysicist should bring a particularly high price at the auction. Their estimated value is between 113,000 and 170,000 euros.
Hawking received his doctorate in 1966 - at just 24 years old. Under the heading "Properties of Expanding Universes," he explored ideas about the origins of the universe that played a role in the scientist's career.
Genius and pop star
Brilliant physicist and pop star: The world mourns Stephen Hawking. He died at the age of 76 years. When he gave a lecture, the hall was packed - like this one in June 2012 in Seattle.
Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 in Oxford. Hawking lives the first years in Highgate in the north of London. In 1950 the family moved to St. Albans, 30 kilometers outside of London. Hawking later described himself as a mediocre student.
Hawking suffered from the incurable muscle and nerve disease ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Already for decades he was almost completely unable to move, he was sitting in a wheelchair. For a long time he could communicate only with difficulty with the help of a computer.
Despite his illness, Hawking traveled the world - and even experienced weightlessness. In 2007 he flew on a parabolic flight. "In my opinion, disabled people should focus on the things they can do instead of mourning those they can not," Hawking wrote in his autobiography.
Hawking was married twice, here he is seen after the second wedding in 1995 with Elaine Mason. She was one of his nurses. "My marriage to Elaine was passionate and stormy," Hawking later wrote.
In an interview with New Scientist magazine, Hawking once said what he thinks about most every day: "Women, they are a complete mystery." Here he is in 2005 with Elaine in Spain to see.
Shortly thereafter, in 2006, the couple divorced (this recording was made in 2005 during the Frankfurt Book Fair). Hawking had three children from his first marriage.
In 2009, then-US President Barack Obama awarded the physicist the prestigious Medal of Freedom. It is awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution "to the security or national interest of the US, world peace and cultural or other significant public interests."
In 2008, Hawking met Pope Benedict XVI. in the Vatican. Physicians had predicted to Hawking about half a century ago that he would die from muscle weakness AS. The thought of death had been with him for a long time, Hawking said. He is not afraid of that.
Also in 2008, Hawking also traveled to South Africa, where he met, among others, Nelson Mandela. A beyond was the physicist excluded. "I see the brain as a computer that stops working when its parts stop working," Hawking once told the British "Guardian."
In 2014, the movie "The Discovery of Infinity" was released, based on the memoirs of Hawking's first wife Jane. The two were married from 1965 to 1995. The main roles in the film were taken by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones - here they are with Hawking to see the premiere of the film in the UK.
In the popular TV series "The Big Bang Theory" Hawking was seen several times. Jim Parsons plays one of the main roles, the nerd Sheldon. And whose idol is Stephen Hawking.
Hawking is one of the greatest scientists of all time. Experts valued Hawking for his theories of the origin of the cosmos and black holes. "I want to understand the universe completely," he once said. "I want to know why it's the way it is and why it exists."
A wheelchair Hawkings, which he was reliant on because of the nervous disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), will also be auctioned off. Its value is estimated between 11,000 and 17,000 euros. The proceeds from the auctions are to go to charities.
Hawking had died at Cambridge on March 14 at the age of 76. He is considered one of the most important physicists of our time.
Hawking's best-selling "A Brief History of Time" was popular, explaining the nature of the universe to a non-scientific audience. Last week, the posthumous publication of his last book, "Letter Answers To The Big Questions," made headlines: science and education are in greater danger than ever, Hawking had warned shortly before his death in March 2018. In this context, he also spoke about the election of US President Donald Trump and the decision of the British in 2016 to withdraw from the European Union. It is "a global revolt against experts, and that includes scientists".