Exhibition ‘The eternal student’: A journey through 450 years of studying
What would a university be without its students? In 2025, we will celebrate 450 years of studying with an exhibition showcasing our students from the past centuries. How did they study in the past? And how do they study now? This outdoor exhibition was on display at the Hortus botanicus until 29 October and can now be explored online.
Over the centuries, painters, illustrators and photographers have portrayed how students study in Leiden. Travel with us through time and discover the differences and the many similarities with students today. Peek behind the scenes at our teaching: from lessons in the anatomical theatre to lectures with VR headsets. See how students learn in lectures, study in libraries and observe in the Hortus or the lab. And, for centuries, how they’ve sweated over exams and concluded their studies with beloved rituals.
Visual cohesion
Students do not spend all their time studying. The exhibition also features images of 450 years of student life, houses and protests over the years. ‘The eternal student: A journey through 450 years of studying' provides a kaleidoscopic view but does not pretend to be exhaustive. The university’s history is too rich for that and every single one of us would select something different. The curators of this exhibition combine an eye for visual cohesion, familiarity with university collections and a nod to the generations of students who have studied at Leiden University.
Ode
This outdoor exhibition is a tribute to all students, teachers and others who make education possible. What’s your favourite image of 450 years of studying at Leiden University? It could even be a photo from your own student days! Send your suggestion to 450@leidenuniv.nl, and you might see it featured in the Top 450.
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1609 Lesson in the anatomical theatre. Print (possibly) Dolendo, after a drawing by Woudanus Rijksmuseum -
1948 Surgery lesson with patient in the lecture hall. A. van Vliet/Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken -
2019 Virtual reality helps students learn all about the human body. Image Archive Leiden University
Exhibition curated by: editor Linda van Putten, collections specialist Corrie van Maris, university historian Pieter Slaman, editor Dagmar Aarts and visual editors Danique ter Horst and Rob Dorresteijn. Design by: Koen van Engelen and Nina de Vrind. More information will follow on this website.
Visit the exhibition
The exhibition was on view from April 22 to October 29 at the Hortus Botanicus. View 'The Eternal Student' now online.