The Society of Sciences, Arts and Letters of Hainaut () was a

learned society A learned society ( ; also scholarly, intellectual, or academic society) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and sciences. Membership may be open to al ...

for Belgian

intellectuals An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...

in the

1830s The 1830s (pronounced "eighteen-thirties") was a decade of the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1, 1830, and ended on December 31, 1839. In this decade, the world saw a rapid rise of imperialism and colonialism, particularly in Asia and ...

. It was established to advance intellectual pursuits within the

province of Hainaut A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provin ...

History

The Society of Sciences, Arts and Letters of Hainaut was founded on 14 March 1833 in

Mons Mons commonly refers to: * Mons, Belgium, a city in Belgium * Mons pubis (mons Venus or mons veneris), in mammalian anatomy, the adipose tissue lying above the pubic bone * Mons (planetary nomenclature), a sizable extraterrestrial mountain * Batt ...

Hainaut Province Hainaut ( , also , ; ; ; ; ), historically also known as Heynault in English, is the westernmost province of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. To its south lies the French department of Nord, while within Belgium it borders ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. In the early 1840s, the society's leadership included Nicolas Defuisseaux as president, Camille Wins and Camille Joseph Castiaux as vice presidents, Adolphe Mathieu as General Secretary, and Augustin Lacroix as Librarian and Archivist. On April 17, 1843, the society's tenth anniversary was celebrated with a public session that attracted members, foreign scholars, and a large, select audience.Mémoires et publications de la Société des sciences, des arts et des lettres du Hainaut. (1843). Belgium: Maison Léon Lasseau.

Publication

In 1840, the first volume of the society's journal ''Mémoires et publications de la Société des sciences, des arts et des lettres du Hainaut'' was released. By 1842–1843, it was published in

by Belgian printer Emmanuel Hoyois. In 1877, the publication of the society was featured in the library of the

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1812, by many of the leading natur ...

.Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. (1877). United States: Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. In 1878, the Library of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, And Letters held the memoirs published throughout the 1870s.Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. (1878). United States: Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. As early as January 1878, the society was a Foreign Correspondent of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

References

{{authority control 1833 establishments in Belgium Learned societies of Belgium Clubs and societies in Belgium Organizations established in 1833