Location: Lange St. Agnietenstraat 10, 2312 WC Leiden, The Netherlands
Contact: informatie@museumboerhaave.nl (Museum) and collectie@rijksmuseumboerhaave.nl (Library)
Access: Museum open to the public with paid entry; Contact library to book appointment for a visit
Website address: https://rijksmuseumboerhaave.nl/engels/
Museum Boerhaave is the Dutch National Museum for the History of Science and Medicine. Museum Boerhaave is located in the former Caecilia Hospital, in the centre of Leiden. The earliest objects on display date to the 16th century, such as the world’s oldest herbarium. From the Dutch ‘golden age’ (17th century) come Willem Blaeu’s giant quadrant, microscopes by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek and pendulum clocks by Christiaan Huygens, his planetarium and telescope. The 18th century is splendidly represented by the cabinets – science demonstration laboratories – of professors Gravesande and Van Musschenbroek. The huge quantity of 19th-century objects includes Dr Zander’s physiotherapeutic devices and the papier-mâché anatomical models of Dr Auzoux. The 20th century was a second golden age in the nation’s scientific endeavours. Dutch researchers won Nobel Prize after Nobel Prize: Van‘t Hoff, Lorentz, Zeeman, Van der Waals, Kamerlingh Onnes and Willem Einthoven are represented in the museum. The Museum also houses a library, with a searchable online catalogue.