Leiden.edu
Title
Universiteit Leiden
Description
Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was founded in February 1575, as a gift from William of Orange to the citizens of Leiden who had withstood a long siege by the Spaniards.
It was the first university in the Netherlands where freedom of belief and religion was practised, as reflected by the university’s motto, Praesidium Libertatis, Bastion of Liberty. It was in this atmosphere of freedom of speech that philosophers like Spinoza and Descartes were able to develop their ideas.
Several great scholars and scientists have brought fame to Leiden University. For example, the illustrious Dutch professor of medicine, botany and chemistry, Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738), who was the first in Europe to emphasise the importance of the natural sciences for the study of medicine. More recently, the Spinoza Award, the most prestigious Dutch academic award, granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), has been presented to professors from Leiden University 9 out of 36 times.
