University of Franeker
Encyclopedia
The University of Franeker (1585–1811) was a university
in Franeker
, Friesland
, presently part of the Netherlands
. It was the second oldest university of the Netherlands, founded shortly after Leiden University
.
Also known as 'Academiae Franekerensis' or the University of Friesland
, it was the stopover for many Puritan
s, such as Peter Stuyvesant
, escaping the persecutions of Bishop Laud
on their way to, eventually, the American Continent. It consisted of departments of Theology
, Law
, Medicine
, Philosophy
, Mathematics
and Physics
.
Initially the university had an excellent reputation, attracting students from far and wide, but from 1700 its fortune changed. The university was disbanded by Napoleon in 1811, along with the University of Harderwijk
.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in Franeker
Franeker
Franeker is one of the eleven historical cities of Friesland and capital of the municipality of Franekeradeel. It is located about 20 km west of Leeuwarden on the Van Harinxma Canal. As of 1 January 2006, it had 12,996 inhabitants. The city is famous for the Eisinga Planetarium from around...
, Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, presently part of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. It was the second oldest university of the Netherlands, founded shortly after Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
.
Also known as 'Academiae Franekerensis' or the University of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, it was the stopover for many Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
s, such as Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
, escaping the persecutions of Bishop Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
on their way to, eventually, the American Continent. It consisted of departments of Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
.
Initially the university had an excellent reputation, attracting students from far and wide, but from 1700 its fortune changed. The university was disbanded by Napoleon in 1811, along with the University of Harderwijk
University of Harderwijk
The University of Harderwijk , also named the Guelders Academy , was located in the town of Harderwijk, in the Republic of the United Provinces...
.
Notable Professors and Alumni
- Lieuwe van Aitzema, historian and diplomat
- Willem BaudartiusWillem BaudartiusWillem Baudaert or Baudartius , born Willem Baudart, was a Dutch theologian...
, theologian - Balthasar BekkerBalthasar BekkerBalthasar Bekker was a Dutch minister and author of philosophical and theological works. Opposing superstition, he was a key figure in the end of the witchcraft persecutions in early modern Europe.-Life:...
, theologian - Court Lambertus van BeymaCourt Lambertus van BeymaCoert or Court Lambertus van Beyma was a notary and auctioneer, delegate and representative of the Frisian States, leader of the Frisian patriots, coup leader and in exile in northern France...
, delegate of the Frisian States - Govert BidlooGovert BidlooGovert Bidloo or Govard Bidloo was a Dutch Golden Age physician, anatomist, poet and playwright. He was the personal physician of William III of Orange-Nassau, Dutch stadholder and king of England....
, anatomist and personal physician of William III of Orange-NassauWilliam III of EnglandWilliam III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, Dutch stadholder and king of England - Cornelius van Bynkershoek, jurist and legal theorist, president of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands
- Steven BlankaartSteven BlankaartSteven Blankaart , was a Dutch physician, Iatrochemist, and entomologist, who worked on the same field as Jan Swammerdam. Blankaart proved the existence of a capillary system, as had been suggested by Leonardo da Vinci, by spouting up bloodvessels, though he failed to realize the true significance...
Dutch physician and entomologist - Johannes Bogerman, professor for theology, president of the Synod of DortSynod of DortThe Synod of Dort was a National Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618-1619, by the Dutch Reformed Church, to settle a divisive controversy initiated by the rise of Arminianism. The first meeting was on November 13, 1618, and the final meeting, the 154th, was on May 9, 1619...
- Sebald Justinus BrugmansSebald Justinus BrugmansSebald Justinus Brugmans was a Dutch botanist, physician and professor of natural sciences.Brugmans studied at the University of Groningen, where he earned doctorates in medicine and philosophy, and also a masters degree in liberal arts...
, professor of physics and mathematics 1585 - Petrus CamperPetrus CamperPeter, Pieter, or usually Petrus Camper was a Dutch physician, anatomist, physiologist, midwife, zoologist, anthropologist, paleontologist and a naturalist. He studied the orangutan, the rhinoceros, the skull of a whale...
, professor of philosophy, anatomy and surgery in 1750 - Johannes CocceiusJohannes CocceiusJohannes Cocceius , Dutch theologian, was born at Bremen.-Life:After studying at Hamburg and the University of Franeker, where Sixtinus Amama was one of his teachers, he became in 1630 professor of biblical philology at the Gymnasium illustre in his native town...
, professor for Hebrew and theology, 1643 - Johannes van den DriescheJohannes van den DriescheJohannes van den Driesche [or Drusius] was a Flemish Protestant divine, distinguished specially as an Orientalist, Christian Hebraist and exegete.-Life:He was born at Oudenarde, in Flanders...
, professor of Oriental languages at OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in 1575 and in Franeker in 1585 - Sicco van GoslingaSicco van GoslingaSicco van Goslinga was a Dutch statesman and diplomat, who served as gedeputeerde te velde of the States-General of the Dutch Republic with John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough during his campaigns in Flanders in the War of the Spanish Succession...
, Dutch statesman and diplomat - Willem van HarenWillem van HarenJonkheer Willem van Haren was a Dutch nobleman and poet.Van Haren was born in Leeuwarden. His best known work was an epic poem, Friso, created in 1741. His brother, jhr. Onno Zwier van Haren, was also a poet and wrote patriotic verses. Willem van Haren died in Sint-Oedenrode....
, poet and politician - Onno Zwier van Haren, writer and politician
- Pieter HartingPieter HartingPieter Harting was a Dutch biologist and naturalist, born in Rotterdam. He made contributions in a number of scientific disciplines, and is remembered for his work in the fields of microscopy, hydrology, botany, and biostratigraphy.In 1835 he obtained his medical degree from the University of...
, Professor for medicine in 1841, and professor of pharmacology and plant physiology in Utrecht - Daniel HeinsiusDaniel HeinsiusDaniel Heinsius was one of the most famous scholars of the Dutch Renaissance.-His youth and student years:...
, student and later professor in Leiden - Tiberius HemsterhuisTiberius HemsterhuisTiberius Hemsterhuis was a Dutch philologist and critic.-Life:He was born in Groningen. His father, a learned physician, gave him a good early education and he entered the university of his native city in his fifteenth year, where he proved himself the best student of mathematics...
, professor of Greek and history, 1720–1740 - Ulrik Huber, professor of law and a political philosopher
- Theodorus van KootenTheodorus van KootenDr. Theodorus van Kooten was a Dutch poet, professor and politician.Van Kooten was the son of the sexton at Leeuwarden, and amazed all visitors to his father's house by translating randomly selected pieces from the Greek bible into Dutch. Van Kooten became Kampen's rector in 1772...
, professor of Latin language and history, poet and politician - Johann Samuel KönigJohann Samuel KönigJohann Samuel König was a mathematician. Johann Bernoulli instructed both König and Pierre Louis Maupertuis as pupils during the same period. König is remembered largely for his disagreements with Leonhard Euler, concerning the principle of least action...
, professor for mathematics and philosophy, 1744–1749 - Sibrandus LubbertusSibrandus LubbertusSibrandus Lubbertus was a Dutch Calvinist theologian and was a professor of theology at the University of Franeker for forty years from the institute's foundation in 1585. He was a prominent participant in the Synod of Dort...
, professor of theology 1585 - 1625 - Johannes MaccoviusJohannes MaccoviusJohannes Maccovius , also known as Jan Makowski, was a Polish Reformed theologian...
, professor of theology in 1615, brother in law of Saskia van Uylenburgh - Henricus Antonides Nerdenus, professor of theology 1585 - 1614
- Adriaan MetiusMetiusAdriaan Adriaanszoon, called Metius, , was a Dutch geometer and astronomer. He was born in Alkmaar. The name Metius comes from the Dutch word meten , and therefore means something like "measurer" or "surveyor."-Father and brother:Metius was born at Alkmaar, North Holland...
, mathematician and astronomer, professor extraordinarius in 1598 - Johannes Mulder, (1769–1810) student and later professor in groningenUniversity of GroningenThe University of Groningen , located in the city of Groningen, was founded in 1614. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands as well as one of its largest. Since its inception more than 100,000 students have graduated...
- Mattheus Brouërius van Nidek poet
- Jacob PerizoniusPerizoniusPerizonius was the name of Jakob Voorbroek , a Dutch classical scholar, who was born at Appingedam in Groningen....
, professor eloquence and history 1682-1693 - Murk van PhelsumMurk van PhelsumMurk van Phelsum was a Dutch physician who was born 1730 and died 1779 in Sneek. He is most memorable as the namesake for the lizard genus Phelsuma....
, physician - Herman Alexander Röell, professor of theology
- Petrus Stuyvesant, governor of New AmsterdamNew AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
- Jean Henri van Swinden, professor of physics and philosophy in 1766
- Christiaan Hendrik Trotz, professor of law 1741
- Johan ValckenaerJohan ValckenaerJohan Valckenaer was a Dutch lawyer, patriot and diplomat.- Life :His father Lodewijk Caspar Valckenaer was Franeker university's professor of law and, in 1766, was appointed to succeed Tiberius Hemsterhuis at Leiden...
, lawyer, patriotPatriotismPatriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
and diplomat - Lodewijk Caspar ValckenaerLodewijk Caspar ValckenaerLodewijk Caspar Valckenaer was a Dutch classical scholar, at Leiden. He was a follower of Tiberius Hemsterhuis, and his successor in 1766 in the chair of Greek at Leiden. He was born in Leeuwarden....
, professor of Greek 1741-1765 - Johannes Henricus Voorda, professor of law 1797 - 1802
- William IV, Prince of OrangeWilliam IV, Prince of OrangeWilliam IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
, stadtholder of the Netherlands - René DescartesRené DescartesRené Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...
, student, 1628–1630
External links
- NRC newspaper article on the University of Franeker by Peter van Rooden (in Dutch)