Leiden University is the
university in
Leiden, a town near
Amsterdam,
The Netherlands. It's famous for the
physicists it spawned in the last 2 centuries, such as
Lorentz,
Ehrenfest,
Kamerlingh Onnes.
Foundation
Leiden University was founded in 1575, as an unexpected gift to the city. In 1574,
Prince William of Orange took the first steps towards establishing the university, when he wrote a letter to the
States of Holland. In this letter he proposed that as a reward for the town’s brave resistance against the
Spanish invaders a university be founded which would serve as ‘a staunch support and maintenance of the
freedom and good
lawful government of the country’. On February 8, 1575, the university was founded, and later was granted the motto
Praesidium Libertatis, or
Bastion of Liberty.
FacultiesLeiden University is a
traditional university. It has eight
faculties, which together offer about 60 regular degree
studies.
The faculties are, in alphabetical order:
Faculty of
Archaeology,
Faculty of
Arts and Letters,
Faculty of
Law,
Faculty of
Mathematics and Natural Sciences,
Faculty of
Medicine,
Faculty of
Philosophy,
Faculty of
Social and Behavioural Sciences,
Faculty of
Theology.
The University has a Science Park for the faculties of Medicine, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The other faculties and the university libraries are spread throughout town.