The Physics Laboratory of Leiden University

Abstract

AbstractThe Leiden Physics Cabinet dates back to 1675, when the professor of philosophy Burchard de Volder (1643–1709) was given permission to set up a small house as the Theatrum Physicum, next to the Hortus Botanicus botanical gardens. In 1742, the Cabinet was elevated to the largest collection of instruments in the world when the Leiden University governors bought the private collection of Willem Jacob ’s Gravesande. In the nineteenth-century the Leiden Physics Cabinet began to lag behind. In 1859, it moved into a new building in the inner city. Splendid feats have been accomplished and pioneering discoveries made, such as the liquefaction of helium (1908) and the discovery of superconductivity (1911), both by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes. In fact, Kamerlingh Onnes introduced what was later to be known as Big Science. With his orchestrated approach to research he set an example that was followed by other laboratories.KeywordsKamerlingh OnnesLeidenEducationColdBig scienceResearchInternationalisation