Blog Post #1

The site that I found to be the most compelling and significant to the advancement of scientific knowledge was the Biblioteca Thysiana. Although this site did not contain elaborate instruments and inventions, it still contained valuable historical pieces, which were simply knowledge itself. Thysiana's collection allowed others to better themselves and allowed them to process scientific concepts. Giving the untrianed public access to books lead to more discoveries in science. Therefore, a mind can wonder and be talented without being taught. This was the beginning of sharing skills, resources, and knowledge, which were previously just given to scholars. This concept would later be affiliated with music. Masters in the classical era would teach the middle class simple melodies. Lastly, I was amazed by the condition of the book collection. It is a truly irraplacable artifact showcasing the methods of recording knowledge in 17th century Europe.

Biblioteca Thysiana

I really enjoyed the tour of Biblioteca Thysiana.  I thought it was so interesting to see the architecture and learn the background of this library. What I found most intriguing was the fact that all of the books and all of the money had been donated in order to share the knowledge and pleasure that books bring to the readers. It is so fascinating that even when Thysiana wrote his name in his books, he also added "and friends" because he already knew he'd share his books with other people interested in them. He must have been such a selfless man; although it came about due to sad circumstances, he was very wealthy and it seems he didn't take that for granted or boast about it, instead he tried including the less fortunate by sharing his abundance of books. I can't even imagine all of the kinds of books in that library and what joy and studies they provided for the lucky users of them. It is incredible the way it came about, how it was constructed, and how today people still visit and read there. 

Blog Post #1: Biblioteca Thysiana

Hello everyone. From our trip this far, I have really enjoyed the Biblioteca Thysiana. Typically, I am not one to frequent libraries today, so I was surprised how much I enjoyed this site. Our guide, Paul, was so passionate about the history of the books in the library, and that made the tour much more enjoyable. I thought it was incredible how much thought went into the library site itself. The library executors really had the best interest of the books and of the visitors in mind. Today, libraries are just placed wherever a community can find a plot of land or a vacant building, but the Biblioteca Thysiana was not such a project. The immaculate attention to the light was astounding. However, when Paul explained about the indirect light and compared to direct light and its effect on reading and on the books, it is surprising that more institutions haven't considered this lighting in their constructions. Additionally, I really connected with the books and their history when we were able to feel the pages. There is so much more of an intimate connection with its history because you can feel the impressions that the printing press left on the pages. My favorite book was the old Bible. I thought it was absolutely incredible that someone hand painted all of the images and illustrations in the story. I also appreciated that they had images at all. Seemingly insignificant, but these images could have helped spread the word of Christianity and of the Bible to those who would have otherwise been unable to read about it. Visiting the Biblioteca Thysiana has made me appreciate the history that books have to offer and the attention to detail of each individual book.  

To whom it may concern:

My favorite activity of the first three days was the Museum in Leiden. Even though we did not get to see the exhibits as they are displayed, it was still cool to see so many historical scientific instruments and learning the stories that went with each of them. It was interesting to actually see Leeuwenhoek’s microscopes after reading about them in our book. They were much smaller then I thought and I can’t imagine using them for actual scientific research. Being able to see all of the other microscopes throughout the ages lined up on the shelves was also really neat. I liked being able to see the different improvements, design changes and ascetic flourishes of each device. The museum was especially cool because we were led by Tiemen and his coworker who were able to give us the exclusive and behind the scenes tour. 

National maritime museum - Amsterdam

Dear blog,

My favorite exhibit was the national maritime museum in Amsterdam. I especially enjoyed going aboard the historic East Indian company ship. We were able to see the living quarters of the captain, crew members, and soldiers. Our tour guide was a wealth of information and explained to us how powerful the Dutch rebublic was in the golden era and also how important the shipping company was to the country at that time. We learned the various meanings of the flags that were being flown on the ship, and also how the crew members would go about daily life while on the seas. It was interesting to see the immaculate detail and color put into the back of the ship, showing how successful the company was at that time. It's also crazy that they were able to fit 350 people aboard the ship, although having to spend 6-8 months at a time would no doubtebly get old after awhile. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the maritime museum and I'm excited to see the tours we have planned for the future. Until next time!

Jake Wetsch 

Dear fellow travelers,
My favorite site that we saw this far was the National Maritime Museum. I liked the visualization of Amsterdam growing as the golden age started on the map that was behind the glass on our guided tour. It showed how people built cities before, and how that changed after a huge influx of people entered Amsterdam when the golden age started.
 I also enjoyed the big projected map that was also on our guided tour that showed where the Dutch made the dykes and drained the lakes of the county to have more land for farms. After the guided tour ended I went back to the big map of the Netherlands to see if options were given to see a step by step of how the Netherlands grew over the past centuries.
 I also thought the boat was also a cool experience because it showed the craftsmen that went into the ships. Then I realize they spent all this time on the decorations and sometimes the ships would never make it back to the Netherlands. I also thought that some of the rooms where ridiculously small like the galley and the captains bedroom.

until next time fellow travelers have a safe trip

German Bible at Biblioteca Thessiana

The bible at the Bibliotheca Thysiana is fascinating because it is a centuries old bible that was translated from Latin into a dialect of German well before Martin Luther would officially translate the bible into the vernacular. Also, the book's text is printed to look like a manuscript while the illustrations and formatting symbols are beautifully hand painted in a variety of colors. The binding and exterior of the book was also interesting, because of how the front and rear covers are made from oak, which is very rare. In addition, there are brass latches and feet fixed to both covers to protect the book from getting dirty or damaged. Thus, physically and metaphorically protecting the book from corruption.