Abstract. Elastic form factors are of fundamental importance for the understanding of microscopic spatial structures. In case of the proton and the neutron, charge and magnetic form factors can be studied in elastic electron scattering. Techniques to accelerate polarised continuous electron beams, the availability of polarised targets as well as modern concepts and instrumentation for coincidence experiments and recoil polarimetry had an enormous impact on these measurements. The developments and experiments at the Mainz Microtron MAMI will be discussed in a general context.
PACS