Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen - Spaarne 17

Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities

The Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities was established in 1752 by seven distinguished burghers of the city of Haarlem, in the then Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, in order to promote science (in the broadest sense, including the ‘arts’). It is the oldest learned society in the country today and is constituted as a dual body comprising approximately 380 science promoters (known as directors) and about 480 scholars (known as members), drawn from the natural sciences, the humanities and the social sciences. Links with institutions outside the Netherlands are maintained - on a personal basis - by the appointment of foreign members, currently numbering about 40 persons.

Thanks to its unusual structure, the Society can act as an effective meeting place for leading persons from within and outside academia. It is also in a unique position to provide independent judgement in many fields and does this by serving in the review process for a number of prestigious awards and fellowships. The awards and scholarships are financed by donations from companies, foundations, funds and societies.

Within the Royal Holland Society, exchange of thoughts takes place through lectures and informal interactions. Recurring lectures are held three times a year: the Winter Lecture - by one of the directors, the Haarlem Presentation - by one of the members, and the Autumn Lecture - two short lectures by a director and a member. A large number of these lectures have been published.

The 2-yearly Spaarne Lecture, introduced in 2015, is an initiative of the Royal Holland Society together with its good neighbor Teylers Museum, to share scientific topics with a broad audience. In addition, incidental scientific lectures and debates are organized, often in collaboration with connected organizations.

In 1841 the Society acquired the palatial Hodshon House on the river Spaarne in Haarlem. It was built in 1795 in the eclectic style of that period and has served as its seat ever since.