Michiel 2005's photos with the keyword: Academy Building

Garden Room of the Academy Building

The Senate Room was full of dark portraits of old bearded professors of the olden days. This was considered old-fashioned and some people thought you could only become professor if you had a beard and wore a ruff. Now there are modern portraits, which are light and even have women on them who don't wear ruffs.

The University was 438 years old today (February 8, 2013).

Procession from the Academy Building to the St. Peter's Church. In front the Beadle of the University Willem van Beelen, behind with chain the outgoing Rector prof. Paul van der Heijden, next to him the new Rector prof. Carel Stolker. Between the two Rectors prof. Michael Cook of Princeton University who together with prof. Patricia Crone (visible to the left of Paul van der Heijden) received an honourary doctorate for their work on early Islamic history. Behind Crone in evening dress Rien Verhoef, who also received an honourary doctorate for his literary translations.

The Academy Building has been in use by Leiden University since 1581. Before that it was the church of a cloister. The tower was added to the building in the 17th century. The Academy Building is used for graduations (MAs, PhDs), inaugurations of new professors and also for some lectures. On September 26, 1940, professor Cleveringa held a speech in this building, to protest against the Nazi's measure to fire all the Jewish staff from the University. He held the speech at the time the Jewish professor Meijers was suppose to give his lecture. After the speech the national anthem was sung, prof. Cleveringa was interned and shortly afterwards Leiden University was closed for the duration of the war. Meijers survived the war to rewrite large part of the civil code in the Netherlands. After the war, on May 10, 1946, Churchill received an honourary doctorate from Leiden University. According to tradition he put his signature on the wall of the so called Sweat Room in the Academy Building. For pictures of the ceremony