The foundation of the university: two friends, one success story
The university was a gift from William of Orange to the people of Leiden for their courageous resistance to the Spanish. We’ve all heard the story of the university’s foundation. But its foundation was also a success story for two friends.
Anniversary edition of Leidraad alumni magazine
To celebrate the university’s 450th anniversary, Leidraad alumni magazine dived into the university’s history. In 45 key moments, milestones and highlights, the magazine details how the university developed over more than four centuries. This article also appears in the anniversary edition, which can now be found online.
Jan van Hout (1542-1609) was the offspring of a Leiden family of weavers. He served as a clerk at the city hall and went on to become city secretary. The city council had been tasked with developing and implementing plans for a new university and it was Van Hout who planned the ceremony on 8 February 1575. This included the procession through the city of the four faculties, in order of importance: Theology, Law, Medicine and the Arts.
Network of famous scholars
During the Siege of Leiden, Van Hout struck up a friendship with Johan van der Does (Janus Dousa, 1545-1604), who was appointed the first governor of the university. The two shared a love of language and wrote each other poems. Van der Does, who came from Noordwijk, had already studied in Leuven and Paris and had a network of famous scholars to show for it. Some of these he managed to tempt to Leiden in its early days: first Lipsius, soon followed by Clusius and Scaliger. They were lured by a generous salary, plenty of freedom and no teaching duties. This investment soon paid off as Leiden University made a name for itself on the back of their fame.
Lifelong friendships
Janus and Jan would not believe their eyes if they saw Leiden in 2025. Physically, reputationally and culturally the university has made its mark on the city. And The Hague, which did not have a university, has also come under Leiden’s wing. Together Leiden and The Hague have 33,500 students from all around the world.
They no longer come here as they did in the 16th century for religious freedom or tax privileges but as they have always done to develop as people. And lifelong friendships still blossom here.
Photo: Janus Dousa and Jan van Hout, photographed for the Iconen van Leidens Ontzet exhibition, where two key figures were set in the present. Sasja Dirkse