Stockholm bridge lights up for Nobelist Skłodowska-Curie

On Saturday Stockholm inaugurated its annual Nobel Week with an illumination in tribute to Polish chemist and two-time Nobelist Maria Skłodowska-Curie on the city's main Vaesterbron Bridge.

The green-coloured light-installation honouring Skłodowska-Curie, who together with her husband Pierre Curie discovered radioactivity in the early 20th century, is one of 21 illuminations in the city honouring earlier Nobel winners.

Its author Emma Hjortenklev Wassberg said she chose the Polish scientist because she was the first female Nobelist, and therefore well suited to mark this year's 100th anniversary of granting women voting rights in Sweden.

The illumination will remain on Vaesterbron Bridge until December 12.

Skłodowska-Curie was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize, receiving it twice - in 1903 for discovering radioactivity, and again in 1911 for secluding the radioactive elements radium and polonium.

Nobel Week is the week during which Nobel Prizes are awarded to their winners. Owing to pandemic restrictions this year's laureates will not come to Stockholm personally to collect the awards.