The Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy ( nl, Bataafsch Genootschap voor Proefondervindelijke Wijsbegeerte) is a Dutch

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership ...

residing in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

History

The society was founded on June 3, 1769 after

Steven Hoogendijk Steven Hoogendijk (1 April 1698 – 3 July 1788) was a Rotterdam watch and instrument maker and physicist. His portrait to the right, shows him pointing to an early pyrometer from Pieter van Musschenbroeck with pumps in the background. In 1769, S ...

declared in his last will that after his death a foundation for the furtherance of

experimental philosophy Experimental philosophy is an emerging field of philosophical inquiry Edmonds, David and Warburton, NigelPhilosophy’s great experiment, ''Prospect'', March 1, 2009 that makes use of empirical data—often gathered through surveys which probe ...

(a term now called 'Science') would inherit his fortune. His fortune would be more than sufficient to secure the foundation's financial future for a long time. The society met as a gentlemen's club of amateur scientists. The initial directors were:Steven Hogendijk
in

A.J. van der Aa Abraham Jacob van der Aa (7 December 1792, Amsterdam – 21 March 1857, Gorinchem) was a Dutch writer best known for his dictionaries, one of notable people and the other of notable places in the Netherlands. He was born in Amsterdam in 1792. ...

* dr. Salomon de Monchy, professor of health * dr. Leonard Patyn, professor of health * dr.

Lambert Bicker Lambert may refer to People * Lambert (name), a given name and surname * Lambert, Bishop of Ostia (c. 1036–1130), became Pope Honorius II * Lambert, Margrave of Tuscany (fl. 929–931), also count and duke of Lucca * Lambert (pianist), stage-n ...

Remonstrant The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that had split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his ...

minister *

Cornelis Nozeman Cornelius Nozeman or Cornelis (15 August 1720– 22 July 1786) was a Dutch people, Dutch Remonstrant Minister (Christianity), churchman and naturalist. Biography He was born in Amsterdam as the son of the composer Jacobus Nozeman. He was trai ...

, Remonstrant minister *

Martinus Schouten Martinus may refer to: * Martin (magister militum per Armeniam), 6th-century Byzantine/East Roman general * Martinus (son of Heraclius), 7th-century Byzantine/East Roman co-emperor * Martinus of Arles, doctor of theology, priest, and author on de ...

, physician They asked for permission from stadtholder

Willem V William V (Willem Batavus; 8 March 1748 – 9 April 1806) was a prince of Orange and the last stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. He went into exile to London in 1795. He was furthermore ruler of the Principality of Orange-Nassau until his death i ...

to award medals for answers to prize questions, as so many other societies did in those days. After obtaining his permission, they again needed to ask permission from the States of Holland and West Friesland, because the Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen had heard of their intention and protested. They felt that having two such societies in one province (the province of Holland) was in violation of their own privilege. The directors were able to convince the States of their case for a society in Rotterdam, however, and they obtained their privilege in 1770 and produced a program of prize questions the same year. Their first edition of their society magazine with the winning prize answers was published in 1774. It was called ''Verhandelingen van het Bataafsch Genootschap der Proefondervindelijke Wijsbegeerte'' and awarded a prize medal of 30 ducats in gold to winners. The medal was first designed by G. van Moelingen probably in 1769 and improved by

Johann Georg Holtzhey Johann Georg Holtzhey (1729, Amsterdam – 1808, Amsterdam), was an 18th-century Dutch medallist and mint master. Biography According to the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD) he was the son of Martin Holtzhey, master of the mint ...

after 1772.the medals of the society
on the society website Later the prize medal was redesigned in 1866 by

Johan Philip Menger Johan * Johan (given name) * Johan (film), ''Johan'' (film), a 1921 Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** Johan (album), ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunav ...

. Hoogendijk himself lived to a great age and saw the society flourish. He also published a piece on a

pyrometer A pyrometer is a type of remote-sensing thermometer used to measure the temperature of distant objects. Various forms of pyrometers have historically existed. In the modern usage, it is a device that from a distance determines the temperature of ...

in the first edition of the magazine in 1774. The Society suffered during the French occupation of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in the late 18th and early 19th century, due to the

tiercering The Tiercering (from the French word ''tierce'', meaning a third) refers to a historical event in the Netherlands on July 9, 1810, when Emperor Napoleon imposed a reduction of interest to one third of the norm on Dutch government bonds. Because of e ...

. In 1917, a major part of the Society's capital was lost during the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

as the Russian bonds owned by the Society became worthless. The Batavian Society suffered an even heavier blow during the

bombardment A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire or by dropping bombs from aircraft on fortifications, combatants, or towns and buildings. Prior to World War I, the term was only applied to the bombardment of defenseless or undefended object ...

of Rotterdam in May 1940, when essentially all archival material and historic artifacts were lost. Currently, the Society, with around 400 members, is a forum for scientists living in the vicinity of Rotterdam. Six scientific meetings per annum, mostly dedicated to

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, and Health promotion ...

and

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

sciences, are held plus a one-day convention, where the Steven Hoogendijk Premiums are awarded to young scientists.

References

External links

Website
{{authority control Scientific societies based in the Netherlands Organisations based in Rotterdam Organizations established in 1769 History of Rotterdam