Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen
Encyclopedia
The Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities), located on the east side of the Spaarne
in downtown Haarlem
, Netherlands, was established in 1752 and is the oldest society for the sciences in the coutnry. The society has been housed in its present location, called Hodshon Huis, since 1841. Nearby the society is the Teylers Museum
, a closely related museum of natural history founded in 1784. In 2002 the society was awarded the predicate "Royal" when it celebrated 250 years of science studies.
a proper museum was established with zoological specimens located there on display for the public, as a forerunner of the modern Naturalis
in Leiden. Van Marum also kept a small garden for public viewing in the summer months, filled with special plants, located in the Bakkerstraat. The museum fell out of favor after Van Marum's death, and it was dissolved in 1866.
for Catharina Cornelia Hodshon (1768–1829), a wealthy heiress and regentess of the Wijnbergshofje
. After she died, the house came into the hands of the Amsterdam banker Adriaan van der Hoop
, and it was purchased for the society in 1841. The original mission of the society included research as well as education. There are many awards, prizes, and collaborative initiatives that are kept up by the society. Membership is by invitation only, and the historical building is open by appointment only. Today the building is owned by the :nl:Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser.
Spaarne
The Spaarne is a river, in North Holland, Netherlands. This partially canalized river connects the Ringvaart to a side branch of the North Sea Canal. It runs through Haarlem, Heemstede, and Spaarndam....
in downtown Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, Netherlands, was established in 1752 and is the oldest society for the sciences in the coutnry. The society has been housed in its present location, called Hodshon Huis, since 1841. Nearby the society is the Teylers Museum
Teylers Museum
Teyler's Museum , located in Haarlem, is the oldest museum in the Netherlands. The museum is in the former home of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst . He was a wealthy cloth merchant and Amsterdam banker of Scottish descent, who bequeathed his fortune for the advancement of religion, art and science...
, a closely related museum of natural history founded in 1784. In 2002 the society was awarded the predicate "Royal" when it celebrated 250 years of science studies.
History of the society and museum
The society started as a gentleman's club that met in the Haarlem City Hall to discuss science topics and promote the study of the arts and sciences. They pooled resources to purchase books and specimens for study, which were kept in the town hall until they purchased a building on the Grote Houtstraat (nr. 51, since unrecognizably rebuilt), where the curator of the collection lived. Under the direction of Martin van MarumMartin van Marum
Martin van Marum was a Dutch scientist and teacher, who studied medicine and philosophy in Groningen...
a proper museum was established with zoological specimens located there on display for the public, as a forerunner of the modern Naturalis
Naturalis
Naturalis is the national natural history museum of the Netherlands, based in Leiden. It originated from the merger of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie and the Rijksmuseum van Geologie en Mineralogie in 1984. In 1986 it was decided that the museum had to become a public museum and a new...
in Leiden. Van Marum also kept a small garden for public viewing in the summer months, filled with special plants, located in the Bakkerstraat. The museum fell out of favor after Van Marum's death, and it was dissolved in 1866.
Hodshon House
The house was built in 1794 by the architect Abraham van der HartAbraham van der Hart
Abraham van der Hart , was an 18th century architect from the Northern Netherlands.-Biography:According to the RKD he learned architecture and draughtsmanship from his father, Jan van der Hart, and became an architect specialized in Neoclassicism, who built the Hodson house and Barnaart house in...
for Catharina Cornelia Hodshon (1768–1829), a wealthy heiress and regentess of the Wijnbergshofje
Wijnbergshofje
The Wijnbergshofje is a hofje in Haarlem, Netherlands, on the Barrevoetstraat.It was founded in 1662 by the Mennonite Church. It was renovated in 1872 and contains 9 houses for pensioners...
. After she died, the house came into the hands of the Amsterdam banker Adriaan van der Hoop
Adriaan van der Hoop
Adriaan van der Hoop was a Dutch banker and in the first half of the 19th century one of the richest men in the Netherlands. He also was an influential politician: a member of the city council, the States-Provincial in Haarlem and the Senate in The Hague. In his later years he became an important...
, and it was purchased for the society in 1841. The original mission of the society included research as well as education. There are many awards, prizes, and collaborative initiatives that are kept up by the society. Membership is by invitation only, and the historical building is open by appointment only. Today the building is owned by the :nl:Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser.
External links
- Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (website introduction in English)