Dispuutgezelschap Christiaan Huygens
The debating society "Christiaan Huygens" was founded in 1895 by students in the natural sciences. (It existed informally since 1888.) When Paul Ehrenfest arrived in Leiden 1912 he took an active interest in the society, as a means to engage students more intensively in recent scientific developments. It would count several distinguished scientists among its members. The society met every two weeks for seminars on a broad range of topics. The students would write out their text in a booklet, some 200 of these are preserved in the archives of the society (now at the University Library). Here is a collection of pointers to the history of the "Dispuut Christiaan Huygens" (in Dutch).
Invitation for the 1919 annual meeting.
- inventory of the archive of the society
- search for the archive
- booklet from 1963, with the full list of members
- web site from 2010
- Paul Ehrenfest as a teacher
After a period of inactivity between 2004 and 2023, except for the 110th and 115th anniversary in 2005 respectively 2010, the society restarted in 2023. The spirit and the goal of the society is still the same, even after more than 125 years.
For contact it is possible to reach the current Board of Christiaan Huygens by sending an email to dgchristiaanhuygens@gmail.com
Invitation for the 1920 annual meeting. Ehrenfest guides Huygens.
