Leiden2022 European City of Science

Maps and Atlases

World history as river delta: The first Stream of Times-map

A new map genre emerged in the 19th century: the Stream of Times-map, depicting history as a system of dividing and converging rivers. Friedrich Strass published 'Der Strom der Zeiten' in 1803, considered a first of its kind. Dutchman Johan Willem Scheele, however, designed one a century earlier.

Martijn Storms • 22-11-2022

Early Printed and Rare Books

Bad blood at an 18th-century printing type auction

Printers kept a close eye on each other in the 18th-century Dutch book industry. A stinging comment from printer Lobbedanus regarding one of his colleagues gives an intriguing insight into the trade of printing types.

Erik-Jan Dros • 18-10-2022

Manuscripts, Archives and Letters

An Unknown Latin Manuscript Translation of Descartes’ 'L’Homme'

A previously unknown manuscript of a Latin translation of Descartes’ L’homme has resurfaced in the collection of the UBL. A stunning discovery at a time of renewed interest in L’homme. Hopes are that the manuscript can help solve the problematic history of the text and numerous textual problems.

Guest author • 18-08-2022

Middle Eastern Special Collections

Tricks ánd Treats: Medieval Machines from the Middle East

Medieval Arabic manuscripts in the Leiden University Libraries with colourful images of intricate machinery are part of a tradition that goes back a long way in the Middle East.

Arnoud Vrolijk • 15-02-2022

Manuscripts, Archives and Letters

The early years of mathematics education at Leiden University (1575-1645)

Leiden University was one of the first universities in Europe to offer a practical mathematics course, taught in vernacular, parallel to a theoretical course. Why was this practical course taught and what did it teach students? The lecture notes of one of its first teachers can tell us a lot.

Guest author • 28-09-2021

Blogs

World history as river delta: The first Stream of Times-map

Bad blood at an 18th-century printing type auction

An Unknown Latin Manuscript Translation of Descartes’ 'L’Homme'

Tricks ánd Treats: Medieval Machines from the Middle East

The early years of mathematics education at Leiden University (1575-1645)