Leiden Observatory Papers
Archives of the Leiden Observatory and its successive directors, 1829-1992
Old Observatory Universiteit Leiden
Leiden Observatory Papers
The Observatory of Leiden University was founded in 1633, but it was Frederik Kaiser (1808-1872) who laid the foundations for the institute in its modern incarnation. He came to Leiden in the 1820s, and in 1860 founded the new Observatory next to the botanical gardens in Leiden. His work was continued by his successor Hendrikus van de Sande Bakhuyzen, who was eventually succeeded by his younger brother Ernst. By that time, the Observatory was in decline. In 1918, Willem de Sitter succeeded the younger Bakhuyzen as director of the Observatory. He had already been professor of astronomy since 1908. Together with professor and deputy professor Ejnar Hertzsprung, he started a reorganisation, expanding the institute and introducing new research and education programmes. In 1924 they contracted young Jan Oort. Over the following decades, the Observatory became a prominent astronomical institute with a renowned education programme. After the Second World War, the Observatory expanded further. Especially radio astronomy became an important subject. In 1974, the institute moved to a new location elsewhere in Leiden.
The archive was created by the successive directors of the Observatory. The papers were preserved in Leiden Observatory until they were transferred to Leiden University Library in 2010.
- Leiden Observatory Archives, General Observatory
- Leiden Observatory Archives, directorate F. Kaiser
- Leiden Observatory Archives, directorate H.G. van de Sande Bakhuyzen
- Leiden Observatory Archives, directorate E.F. van de Sande Bakhuyzen
- Leiden Observatory Archives, directorate W. de Sitter
- Leiden Observatory Archives, directorate E. Hertzsprung
- Leiden Observatory Archives, Liber Amicorum H.G. van de Sande Bakhuyzen
- Scans of the papers of F. Kaiser from the archive of the Marine Elektronisch en Optisch Bedrijf, Netherlands Institute of Military History
- Scans of the papers of F. Kaiser and H.G. van de Sande Bakhuyzen from the archive of the Nederlandse Commissie voor Geodesie (Netherlands Geodetic Commission), Delft.