The Old University of Leuven (or of Louvain) is the name historians give to the

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, or ''

studium generale is the old customary name for a medieval university in medieval Europe. Overview There is no official definition for the term . The term ' first appeared at the beginning of the 13th century out of customary usage, and meant a place where stude ...

'', founded in

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

Brabant Brabant is a traditional geographical region (or regions) in the Low Countries of Europe. It may refer to: Place names in Europe * London-Brabant Massif, a geological structure stretching from England to northern Germany Belgium * Province of Bra ...

(then part of the

Burgundian Netherlands In the history of the Low Countries, the Burgundian Netherlands (french: Pays-Bas bourguignons, nl, Bourgondische Nederlanden, lb, Burgundeschen Nidderlanden, wa, Bas Payis borguignons) or the Burgundian Age is the period between 1384 and ...

, now part of

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

), in 1425. The university was closed in 1797, a week after the

cession The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdictio ...

to the French Republic of the

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...

and the

principality of Liège A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...

(jointly the future Belgium) by the

Treaty of Campo Formio The Treaty of Campo Formio (today Campoformido) was signed on 17 October 1797 (26 Vendémiaire VI) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy, respectively. The treat ...

The name was in medieval Latin Studium generale Lovaniense or Universitas Studii Lovaniensis, in humanistical Latin Academia Lovaniensis, and most usually, Universitas Lovaniensis, in Dutch Universiteyt Loven and also Hooge School van Loven. It is commonly referred to as the University of Leuven or University of Louvain, sometimes with the qualification "old" to distinguish it from the

Catholic University of Leuven University of Leuven or University of Louvain (french: Université de Louvain, link=no; nl, Universiteit Leuven, link=no) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of ...

(established 1835 in Leuven). This might also refer to a short-lived but historically important

State University of Leuven The State University of Leuven was a university founded in 1817 in Leuven in Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was distinct from the Old University of Leuven (1425-1797) and from the Catholic University of Leuven, wh ...

, 1817–1835. The immediate official and legal successor and inheritor of the old University, under the laws in force in 1797, was the , which itself closed down in 1802.

History

In the 15th century the civil administration of the town of

, with the support of

John IV, Duke of Brabant John IV, Duke of Brabant (11 June 1403 – 17 April 1427) was the son of Antoine of Burgundy, Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg and his first wife Jeanne of Saint-Pol. He was the second Brabantian ruler from the House of Valois. He is b ...

, a prince of the

House of Valois The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the List of French monarchs, French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589 ...

, made a formal request to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

for a university.

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...

issued a papal bull dated 9 December 1425 founding the University in Leuven as a ''Studium Generale''. This university was institutionally independent of the local ecclesiastical hierarchy. From the founding of the university to its abolition in 1797, Latin was the sole language of instruction. In its early years, this university was modelled on those of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. The university flourished in the 16th century due to the presence of famous scholars and professors, such as Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens (

Pope Adrian VI Pope Adrian VI ( la, Hadrianus VI; it, Adriano VI; nl, Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 January 1522 until his d ...

Desiderius Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...

Johannes Molanus Joannes Molanus (1533–1585), often cited simply as Molanus, is the Latinisation of names, Latinized name of Jan Vermeulen or Van der Meulen, an influential Counter Reformation Catholic theologian of Old University of Leuven, Louvain University, ...

Joan Lluís Vives Juan Luis Vives March ( la, Joannes Lodovicus Vives, lit=Juan Luis Vives; ca, Joan Lluís Vives i March; nl, Jan Ludovicus Vives; 6 March 6 May 1540) was a Spanish (Valencian) scholar and Renaissance humanist who ...

Andreas Vesalius Andreas Vesalius (Latinized from Andries van Wezel) () was a 16th-century anatomist, physician, and author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, ''De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem'' (''On the fabric of the human body'' ' ...

and

Gerardus Mercator Gerardus Mercator (; 5 March 1512 – 2 December 1594) was a 16th-century geographer, cosmographer and Cartography, cartographer from the County of Flanders. He is most renowned for creating the Mercator 1569 world map, 1569 world map based on ...

. In 1519, the Faculty of Theology of Leuven, jointly with that of the

University of Cologne The University of Cologne (german: Universität zu Köln) is a university in Cologne, Germany. It was established in the year 1388 and is one of the most prestigious and research intensive universities in Germany. It was the sixth university to ...

, became the first institution to condemn a number of statements drawn from

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

Ninety-five Theses The ''Ninety-five Theses'' or ''Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences''-The title comes from the 1517 Basel pamphlet printing. The first printings of the ''Theses'' use an incipit rather than a title which summarizes the content ...

(preceding the papal bull ''

Exsurge Domine () is a papal bull promulgated on 15 June 1520 by Pope Leo X. It was written in response to the teachings of Martin Luther which opposed the views of the Church. It censured forty-one propositions extracted from Luther's ''Ninety-five Theses'' ...

'' by several months). After the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

, by the

signed on 17 October 1797, the

ware ceded in perpetuity to the

French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

by the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

Francis II, in exchange for the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

. Once formally integrated into the French Republic, a law dating to 1793 mandating that all universities in France be closed came into effect. The University of Leuven was abolished by decree of the Département of the Dyle on October 25, 1797. What remained of the university's movables and books were requisitioned for the

École centrale The Ecoles Centrales Group is an alliance, consisting of following grandes écoles of engineering: * CentraleSupélec (formed by merger of École Centrale Paris and Supélec) established in 2015 * École centrale de Lille established in 1854 * ...

in Brussels. This was the immediate official and legal successor and inheritor of the old University, under the laws in force at the time. It was in turn closed down in 1802.

Cultural role and influence

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the University of Leuven was until its closure a great centre of

Jansenism Jansenism was an early modern theological movement within Catholicism, primarily active in the Kingdom of France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. It was declared a heresy by th ...

in Europe. To shake off this reputation, the faculty of theology thrice declared its adherence to the papal condemnation of Jansenist beliefs in the papal bull ''

Unigenitus ''Unigenitus'' (named for its Latin opening words ''Unigenitus dei filius'', or "Only-begotten son of God") is an apostolic constitution in the form of a papal bull promulgated by Pope Clement XI in 1713. It opened the final phase of the Jansen ...

'' (1713) but without effect. The University of Louvain, with Baïus and

Jansenius Cornelius Jansen (, ; Latinized name Cornelius Jansenius; also Corneille Jansen; 28 October 1585 – 6 May 1638) was the Dutch Catholic bishop of Ypres_in_Flanders.html" ;"title="atholic-Hierarchy]/ref> Its seat was Saint Martin's Cathedra ...

, the cradle of Jansenism and remained, during the 17th and 18th centuries until its closure, the bastion and the hub of Augustinian theology known as

, in Europe, with professors like

, Petrus Stockmans,

Johannes van Neercassel Johannes Baptista van Neercassel (Gorinchem, 1626 – Zwolle, 6 June 1686) served as Archbishop of Utrecht from 1661 to 1686. Life Neercassel was born in Gorinchem, where his father was a wealthy brewer and city alderman. He probably received h ...

, Josse Le Plat and especially the famous Van Espen and his disciple Febronius, and as Henri Francotte says: “Jansenism reigned supreme at the University of Louvain”. This fidelity to the spirit of Van Espen remained alive in the University of Louvain until its abolition in 1797, as evidenced by what Charles Lambrechts wrote in 1818, former

rector magnificus A rector (Latin for 'ruler') is a senior official in an educational institution, and can refer to an official in either a university or a secondary school. Outside the English-speaking world the rector is often the most senior official in a un ...

and successor to the chair of canon law of Van Espen : “The encroachments of the Catholic clergy and their claims were so vexatious that, at a time when their religion was dominant, no other remedy had been found for their abuse of power except the appeals in question. This is what prompted the famous Van Espen to write, at the age of eighty, his treatise ''De recursu ad principem'', in order to put a barrier against the ever-recurring abuses of clerical jurisdictions; but this virtuous ecclesiastic, who distributed to the poor all the revenues of the chair of canon law which he occupied at the University of Louvain, was soon obliged to have recourse to appeal as an abuse for himself; still, this remedy could not save him entirely from the persecution of intolerant priests. Loaded with years, glory and infirmities, he was compelled to seek shelter in Holland from their vexations; he soon died in Amsterdam in feelings of piety and resignation, after having employed his life in defending the discipline and customs of the primitive church, of which he was the most zealous supporter ".

Subsequent institutions

The first attempt to found a successor university in the nineteenth-century was the secular

, 1817–1835, where a dozen professors of the old University taught. This was followed by a private Catholic university, the

, established in Leuven in 1835 (initially the

Catholic University of Mechlin The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, 1834–1835). This institution was founded with the intention of restoring the confessionally Catholic pre-Revolutionary traditions of learning in Leuven. In 1968 this split to form the two current institutions: the Dutch language

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven (or Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. It conducts teaching, research, and services in computer science, engineering, natural sciences, theology, humanities, medicine, l ...

and the French language

Université catholique de Louvain The Université catholique de Louvain (also known as the Catholic University of Louvain, the English translation of its French name, and the University of Louvain, its official English name) is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It ...

Library

From the founding of the university in 1425 up until 1636, there was no official library of the university. Very likely the students had access to manuscripts and printed books preserved in the homes of their professors or colleges. In 1636, however, a

university library An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. It is unknown how many academic librar ...

was founded in the

Cloth hall A cloth hall or linen hall (german: Gewandhaus; pl, Sukiennice; french: Halle aux draps; nl, Lakenhal) is a historic building located in the centre of the main marketplace of a European town. Cloth halls were built from medieval times into the 18 ...

, previously the seat of the cloth weavers’ guild, and was enlarged in 1725 in a

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style. This library, with its various additions, was transferred in 1797 by M. De la Serna Santander to the École centrale official continuation of the old university. Wauthier, head of office of the department of Dyle and the ex-Jesuit De la Serna Santander, librarian of the Central School of Brussels, were responsible for the application of this measure. On October 26, 1797, they went with Michel-Marcel Robyns, receiver of national domains, to the municipal administration of Louvain, to notify it, while its most precious works and manuscripts were deposited in Paris among the national treasures of the National Library. It is also very likely that on the occasion of the troubles of the wars of this time, many precious works and documents surreptitiously followed an unofficial route, sometimes with the high aim of saving them from disaster, sometimes with the sordid goal to profit from it. In 1797, much of what remained of this library was sent to the École centrale de Bruxelles, established as the official replacement of the abolished university, although its most precious books and manuscripts were deposited in Paris at the

Bibliothèque nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...

. The library of the Central School of Brussels came to number about 80,000 volumes, which later became part of the Library of Brussels, and then the Royal Library of Belgium. When invading German forces burned the library of the

at the beginning of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, but this library did not contain the books and archives of the old university, or of the

State University A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, territory or federal district. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country. State univers ...

, but only those of the 19th-century founded

List of colleges

Chronological list of colleges by foundation, the oldest 4 (Castle/Pork/Lely and Faulcon) were considered as Grand College. in the early 18th century there were 18 colleges.Supplement aux trophees tant sacres que profanes du Duche de Brabant (etc.): 3-4

Related people

List of chancellors

Chronological list of chancellors.

Notable professors in chronological order

Michael Baius Michael Baius (151316 September 1589) was a Belgian theologian. He formulated the school of thought now known as Baianism. Life He was born at Meslin L'Eveque near Ath in Hainaut as Michel De Bay, the son of Jean de Bay, a farmer. De Bay studied ...

(1513–1589), theologian, inspirer of the Baianism. *

Petrus Peckius the Younger Petrus Peckius the Younger, also known as Petrus Pecquius or Pierre Peckius (born Pieter Peck; 1562 – 28 July 1625), was a diplomat and chancellor of Brabant for the Sovereign Archdukes Albert and Isabella. He is best known for a failed at ...

(1562–1625), diplomat and

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of Brabant *

Grégoire de Saint-Vincent Grégoire de Saint-Vincent - in latin : Gregorius a Sancto Vincentio, in dutch : Gregorius van St-Vincent - (8 September 1584 Bruges – 5 June 1667 Ghent) was a Flemish Jesuit and mathematician. He is remembered for his work on quadrature of th ...

(1584-1667), mathematician *

Cornelius Jansen Cornelius Jansen (, ; Latinized name Cornelius Jansenius; also Corneille Jansen; 28 October 1585 – 6 May 1638) was the Dutch Catholic bishop of Ypres_in_Flanders.html" ;"title="atholic-Hierarchy]/ref> Its seat was Saint Martin's Cathedra ...

(1585-1638), inspirer of Jansenism. * Petrus Stockmans (1608-1671), Hellenist and jurisconsult, important member of Jansenism. *

Christian Lupus Christian Lupus (23 July 1612 – 10 July 1681) was a Flemish theologian and historian. Lupus was born at Ypres (Flanders). He joined the Augustinian Order at the age of fifteen, and on the completion of his studies, was appointed lecturer in the ...

(1612-1681), jansenist theologian. *

Zeger Bernhard van Espen Zeger Bernhard van Espen (Espenius) (born at Leuven, 9 July 1646; died at Amersfoort, Netherlands, 2 October 1728) was a Belgian canonist, who supported Gallican theories and was an ardent upholder of secular power against religious authority. Van ...

(1646-1728), canonist, jansenist theologian.. * Martin van Velden (1664-1724), philosopher. * John Sullivan (1633-1699), rector of the University of Louvain(1690-1691), president of Irish Pastoral College(1672-1697), president of the College de Drieux, Louvain(1692-95). He returned to President of the Irish Pastoral College 1695. * Josse Le Plat (1732-1810), jurisconsult and professor of canon law, supporter of

Josephinism Josephinism was the collective domestic policies of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1765–1790). During the ten years in which Joseph was the sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy (1780–1790), he attempted to legislate a series of drastic reforms ...

and Enlightenment. * Martin Fery (1754-1809), professor of philosophy, became representative of the people in the Council of the Five Hundred in 1797. He was a Freemason. * Charles Joseph van der Stegen, Freemason, member of the lodge the True Friends of the Union. *

Jean-Pierre Minckelers Jean-Pierre or Jan Pieter Minckelers (also Minkelers, Minckeleers) (1748-1824) was a Dutch academic and inventor of coal gasification and illuminating gas. Minckelers was the son of Anna Margaretha Denis en Laurens Michael Minckelers, a pharm ...

(1748-1824), inventor of lighting gas. * Guillaume van Cutsem (1749-1825) jurisconsult, deputy of the departement of the Deux-Nèthes and adviser to the Imperial Court of Justice in 1811. * Charles Lambrechts (1753-1825), professor of canon law (1777), rector of the university (1786) and freemason,Initieted in 1778 at the lodge La Vraie et Parfaite Harmonie of Mons. Paul Duchaine, ''La franc-maçonnerie belge au XVIIIe siècle'', Brussels, 1911, p. 103: " dans la suite plusieurs professeurs (de Louvain) et plusieurs étudiants se firent encore initier aux mystères maçonniques, Fery (N. B. Martin François Joseph Fery, professeur de philosophie à Louvain) et Lambrechts, Verhulst et Van der Stegen notamment" and Adolphe Cordier, ''Histoire de l'ordre maçonnique en Belgique'', Mons, 1854, p. 337: "Tableau des loges : 117: Lambrechts, professeur de droit à l'université de Louvain, Init., 1778". member of the lodge of the True and Perfect Harmony in Mons, became Minister of Justice of the French Republic from 3 vendémiaire year VI to 2 thermidor year VII. * Ferdinand Sentelet (1754-1829), graduate in theology, professor of philosophy at the Pedagogy of the Lily and president of the college of Craenendonck, since 1780. Then becomes professor of physics and rural economy at the new

State University of Louvain The State University of Leuven was a university founded in 1817 in Leuven in Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was distinct from the Old University of Leuven (1425-1797) and from the Catholic University of Leuven, ...

, member of the Netherlands Institute. * Jean-Baptiste Liebaert, professor of philosophy, after the abolition of the university in 1797 he will continue his course as a private professor and will then become a professor at the

. * Étienne Heuschling (1762-1847), professor of Hebrew at the

Collegium Trilingue The Collegium Trilingue, often also called Collegium trium linguarum, or, after its creator Collegium Buslidianum (French: Collège des Trois Langues, Dutch: Dry Tonghen), was founded in 1517 under the patronage of the humanist, Hieronymus van Bus ...

, orientalist and philologist, then became a professor at the

. * Jean Philippe Debruyn (1766-), then became a professor at the

. * Xavier Jacquelart (1767-1856), jurisconsult, professor at the Faculty of Law, he became in 1797 professor at the Law School of the Imperial University in Brussels and then professor at the law faculty of the

Notable alumni

* Rudolph of Beringen (active 1420–1459), professor of canon law *

Jan Standonck Jan Standonck (or ''Jean Standonk''; 16 August 1453 – 5 February 1504) was a Flemish priest, Scholastic, and reformer. He was part of the great movement for reform in the 15th-century French church. His approach was to reform the recruitment ...

(1454–1504), Master of the Collège de Montaigu in

* Adriaan Floriszoon Boeyens (1459–1523), Pope Adrian VI *

(1466–1536),

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "human ...

Damião de Góis Damião de Góis (; February 2, 1502January 30, 1574), born in Alenquer, Portugal, was an important Portuguese humanist philosopher. He was a friend and student of Erasmus. He was appointed secretary to the Portuguese factory in Antwerp in 152 ...

(1502-1574), Portuguese

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

Johannes Sturm Johannes Sturm (also known as Jean Sturm; Latinized as Ioannes Sturmius; 1 October 1507 – 3 March 1589), was a German educator and Protestant reformer, who was influential in the design of the gymnasium system of secondary education. Biogr ...

(1507–1589), German educator *

Gerard Mercator Gerardus Mercator (; 5 March 1512 – 2 December 1594) was a 16th-century geographer, cosmographer and cartographer from the County of Flanders. He is most renowned for creating the 1569 world map based on a new projection which represented s ...

(1512–1594),

cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

(1514–1564), father of modern

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Rembert Dodoens Rembert Dodoens (born Rembert Van Joenckema, 29 June 1517 – 10 March 1585) was a Flemish physician and botanist, also known under his Latinized name Rembertus Dodonaeus. He has been called the father of botany. Life Dodoens was born Rember ...

(1517–1585),

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (20 August 151721 September 1586), Comte de La Baume Saint Amour, was a Bisontin ( Free Imperial City of Besançon) statesman, made a cardinal, who followed his father as a leading minister of the Spanish Habsb ...

(1517–1586), cardinal, statesman * Wilhelmus Damasi Lindanus (1525–1588), Bishop of Roermond and Gent, author *

John Dee John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divinatio ...

(1527–1608 or 9), mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occult philosopher, imperialist and adviser to Queen Elizabeth I * Petrus Peckius the Elder (1529–1589),

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Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

Diarmaid Ó hUrthuile, or Dermot O'Hurley (c. 1530–1584), Archbishop of Cashel, Roman Catholic martyr * Willem Hessels van Est (1542–1613), biblical scholar *

Justus Lipsius Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips; 18 October 1547 – 23 March 1606) was a Flemish Catholic philologist, philosopher, and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatible w ...

(1547–1606),

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

Leonardus Lessius Leonardus Lessius ( nl, Lenaert Leys; 1 October 1554, in Brecht – 15 January 1623, in Leuven) was a Flemish moral theologian from the Jesuit order. Life At the age of thirteen the young Leonard won the Brecht scholarship to the University of ...

(1554–1623), Jesuit moral theologian *

(1562–1625), diplomat and

of Brabant * Aubert Miraeus (1573–1640), ecclesiastical historian *

Jacobus Boonen Jacobus Boonen (1573–1655) was the sixth Bishop of Ghent (1617–1620) and the fourth Archbishop of Mechelen (1621–1655). Life Born at Antwerp on 11 October 1573, Boonen studied at the University of Leuven from 1587 to 1595 and began a leg ...

(1573–1655),

Archbishop of Mechelen In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

Adriaan van den Spiegel Adriaan van den Spiegel (or Spieghel), name sometimes written as Adrianus Spigelius (1578 – 7 April 1625), was a Flemish anatomist born in Brussels. For much of his career he practiced medicine in Padua, and is considered one of the great physici ...

(1578–1625), anatomist and botanist * Lawrence Beyerlinck (1578–1627), encyclopedist * Nicolaus Vernulaeus (1583–1649), Latin playwright * Abbé de Saint-Cyran (1583–1643), French ecclesiastic * Cornelius Otto Jansen (1585–1638), father of

* St Robert Bellarmine (1569–1576), Cardinal, Jesuit theologian. *

John of St. Thomas John of St. Thomas, O.P., born João Poinsot (also called John Poinsot in English; 9 July 1589 – 15 June 1644), was a Portuguese Dominican friar, Thomist theologian, and professor of philosophy. He is known for being an early theorist in the ...

(1589–1644),

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

* John Sinnich (1603-1666), Irish born, professor of theology *

Marcin Kalinowski Marcin Kalinowski (c. 1605 – 1652) was a Polish magnate and nobleman ( szlachcic), Kalinowa coat of arms, Field Crown Hetman. He was the son of Walenty Aleksander Kalinowski who fell at the Battle of Cecora (1620). He began his studies in ...

(c. 1605–1652), Polish nobleman * Łukasz Opaliński (1612–1666), political writer *

Franciscus Deurweerders Franciscus Deurweerders (c. 1616–1666) was a Dominican spiritual writer in the Spanish Netherlands, and the founder of the Confraternity of the Cord of Saint Thomas. Life Deurweerders was born in Antwerp around 1616 and entered the Antwerp ho ...

(c. 1616–1666), founder of the Confraternity of the Cord of Saint Thomas *

René-François de Sluse René-François Walter de Sluse (; also Renatius Franciscus Slusius or Walther de Sluze; 2 July 1622 – 19 March 1685) was a Walloon mathematician and churchman, who served as the canon of Liège and abbot of Amay. Biography He was born in Vis ...

(1622-1685), mathematician *

Cornelis de Bie Cornelis de Bie (10 February 1627 – ) was a Flemish ''rederijker'', poet, jurist and minor politician from Lier. He is the author of about 64 works, mostly comedies. He is known internationally today for his biographical sketches of Flemish a ...

(1627 – c.1715), Flemish rhetorician * Joannes Roucourt (1636–1676), parish priest and

* Francis Martin (1652–1722), Irish controversialist *

Edward Ambrose Burgis Edward Ambrose Burgis was an English Dominican historian and theologian. Biography He was born in England 1673. When a young man he left the Church of England, of which his father was a minister, and became a Catholic, joining the Dominican Order ...

(c.1673-1747), historian and theologian * Febronius (1701–1790), historian and theologian * Henri-Jacques Le Grelle (1753-1826), politician, one of three authors of the 1790

Belgian Constitution The Constitution of Belgium ( nl, Belgische Grondwet, french: Constitution belge, german: Verfassung Belgiens) dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility ...

. * Charles Nerinckx (1761–1824), founder of the

Sisters of Loretto The Sisters of Loretto or the Loretto Community is a Catholic religious institute that strives "to bring the healing Spirit of God into our world." Founded in the United States in 1812 and based in the rural community of Nerinx, Kentucky, the ...

* Jean-Baptiste van Dievoet (1775-1862), Licentiatus in both laws

Notes

Bibliography

* 1627: Nicolaus Vernulaeus, ''Academia Lovaniensis. Ejus origo, incrementum, viri illustres, res gestae'', Louvain, 1627. * 1635:

Valerius Andreas Wouter Dries or Walter Driessens (1588–1655), Latinized Valerius Andreas, was an academic jurist, Hebraist, and historian from the Duchy of Brabant in the Habsburg Netherlands. Life Valerius was born in Dessel on 27 November 1588, the eldest so ...

, ''Fasti academici Lovanienses'', Louvain, edited by Jean Olivier et Corneille Coenesteyn, 1635. * 1829: Baron

Frédéric de Reiffenberg Frédéric Auguste Ferdinand Thomas de Reiffenberg (14 November 1795 — 18 April 1850) was a baron, Belgian writer, historian-medievalist, and linguist. He was also a member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium, as w ...

, ''Mémoires sur les deux premiers siècles de l'Université de Louvain'', Brussels, 1829-35. * 1838: P. De Ram, Laforêt et Namêche, "Analectes pour servir à l'histoire de l'Université de Louvain", in, ''Annuaire de l'Université de Louvain'', 1838-65. * 1856: F. Nève. ''Mémoire historique et littéraire sur le collège des Trois-langues à l'Université de Louvain'', Brussels, 1856. * 1881: Edmond Reusens, ''Documents relatifs à l'histoire de l'Université de Louvain (1425-1797)'', in ''Analectes pour servir à l'histoire ecclésiastique'', t. XVII and sequents, 1881-92. * 1881: P. De Ram, ''Codex veterum statutorum Academiae Lovaniensis'', Brussels, 1881. * 1884: Arthur Verhaeghen, ''Les cinquante dernières années de l'ancienne Université de Louvain'', Liège, 1884. * 1945: Léon van der Essen, ''L'université de Louvain'', Brussels, 1945. * F. Claeys Boúúaert, ''L'Ancienne Université de Louvain, Études et Documents'', Louvain 1956. * 1959: F. Claeys Boúúaert, ''Contribution à l'histoire économique de l'Ancienne Université de Louvain'',1959. * 1977: Claude Bruneel, ''Répertoire des thèses de l'Ancienne Université'', Louvain,1977. * 1990: Emiel Lamberts et Jan Roegiers, ''Leuven University'', 1425-1985, Louvain, University Press, 1990. * 1990: Jan Roegiers, "Was de oude Universiteit Leuven een Rijksuniversiteit? ", in ''Archief-en bibliotheekwezen in België'', 1990, p. 545. * 2007: Toon Quaghebeur, "Quelques caractéristiques de la querelle entre l’Université de Louvain et le Saint-Office sur le Jansénisme louvaniste du XVIIe siècle", in: ''Controverse et polémiques religieuses. Antiquité-Temps Modernes'', Paris, l’Harmattan, 2007, p. 87-96.

External links

Online exhibition
of the university's history
Scholars and Literati at the Universitas Lovaniensis (1425–1797)Repertorium Eruditorum Totius Europae – RETE
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leuven University de:Geschichte der Universität Löwen