6.7 Natural Sciences Society
117
stars; Kapteyn soon became an honorary member because he was considered
one of the regular speakers.
In 1886 Kapteyn was invited to become a member of the board. This must
have had something to do with the fact that his good friend Dirk Huizinga
(see Fig. 6.14), who had allowed him to use rooms in his laboratory to measure
the CPD plates, was a member of the board. Kapteyn kept lecturing regularly.
In 1897, the Society reorganized itself and established, among other things, a
‘Central Bureau’ that would collect and discuss knowledge about Groningen
and its environs. It was chaired by Pieter Roelf (Roelof ) Bos (1847–1904),
geography teacher at the HBS in Groningen. He is best known from his ‘School
Atlas of the Whole World’, popularly known as the Bosatlas. Kapteyn also
became a member of the board of this department. In addition, a ‘Scientific
Department’ was set up on the initiative of Johan Frederik Eijkman (1851–
1915), a professor of chemistry. However, when the statutes of this division
had to be formally adopted in 1900, Eijkman withdrew, because in his opinion
the division did not get enough autonomy from the board. The new chairman
of the department was Arnold Frederik Holleman (1859–1953), chemist and
director of the National Agricultural Laboratory; Willem de Sitter acted as
secretary. Kapteyn also became a member of the board of this department.
In 1904 Holleman went to Amsterdam, where he was appointed professor;
Kapteyn took his place as chairman of the Scientific Department. He remained
at this post until his retirement in 1921! Because he was also a member of the
board of the Central Bureau, he did resign as a member of the overarching
board of the Society. Together with secretary Willem de Sitter he organized
a program of scientific lectures. After Willem de Sitter had left for Leiden in
1908, his place was taken by Joost Hudig (1880–1967), chemical engineer,
mainly interested in biology and connected to the National Agricultural Testing
Station. Joost Hudig and Kapteyn were neighbors in the Oosterhaven for
some time, between 1908 and 1910 (see Fig. 4.7, 5). In 1929 he moved to
the Agricultural University in Wageningen. He became a widower in 1924.
Kapteyn’s daughter Henriette, author of the Kapteyn biography from which
often is quoted in this book, and since 1923 living separated from her husband,
Ejnar Hertzsprung, married Joost Hudig in 1937, a few months after she
formally divorced from the Danish astronomer.
The Natural Sciences Society, and especially the Scientific Department,
flourished under Kapteyn’s leadership. One of the founders of the Society,
Theodorus van Swinderen (1784–1851), had donated the building Poelestraat
30, the ‘Concerthuis’ (see Fig. 6.15), to the Society, on the condition that he and
his wife were allowed to live there until their deaths. The meetings took place
there. In 1928 one of the rooms was renamed ‘Kapteyn Hall’. The speakers are
117
stars; Kapteyn soon became an honorary member because he was considered
one of the regular speakers.
In 1886 Kapteyn was invited to become a member of the board. This must
have had something to do with the fact that his good friend Dirk Huizinga
(see Fig. 6.14), who had allowed him to use rooms in his laboratory to measure
the CPD plates, was a member of the board. Kapteyn kept lecturing regularly.
In 1897, the Society reorganized itself and established, among other things, a
‘Central Bureau’ that would collect and discuss knowledge about Groningen
and its environs. It was chaired by Pieter Roelf (Roelof ) Bos (1847–1904),
geography teacher at the HBS in Groningen. He is best known from his ‘School
Atlas of the Whole World’, popularly known as the Bosatlas. Kapteyn also
became a member of the board of this department. In addition, a ‘Scientific
Department’ was set up on the initiative of Johan Frederik Eijkman (1851–
1915), a professor of chemistry. However, when the statutes of this division
had to be formally adopted in 1900, Eijkman withdrew, because in his opinion
the division did not get enough autonomy from the board. The new chairman
of the department was Arnold Frederik Holleman (1859–1953), chemist and
director of the National Agricultural Laboratory; Willem de Sitter acted as
secretary. Kapteyn also became a member of the board of this department.
In 1904 Holleman went to Amsterdam, where he was appointed professor;
Kapteyn took his place as chairman of the Scientific Department. He remained
at this post until his retirement in 1921! Because he was also a member of the
board of the Central Bureau, he did resign as a member of the overarching
board of the Society. Together with secretary Willem de Sitter he organized
a program of scientific lectures. After Willem de Sitter had left for Leiden in
1908, his place was taken by Joost Hudig (1880–1967), chemical engineer,
mainly interested in biology and connected to the National Agricultural Testing
Station. Joost Hudig and Kapteyn were neighbors in the Oosterhaven for
some time, between 1908 and 1910 (see Fig. 4.7, 5). In 1929 he moved to
the Agricultural University in Wageningen. He became a widower in 1924.
Kapteyn’s daughter Henriette, author of the Kapteyn biography from which
often is quoted in this book, and since 1923 living separated from her husband,
Ejnar Hertzsprung, married Joost Hudig in 1937, a few months after she
formally divorced from the Danish astronomer.
The Natural Sciences Society, and especially the Scientific Department,
flourished under Kapteyn’s leadership. One of the founders of the Society,
Theodorus van Swinderen (1784–1851), had donated the building Poelestraat
30, the ‘Concerthuis’ (see Fig. 6.15), to the Society, on the condition that he and
his wife were allowed to live there until their deaths. The meetings took place
there. In 1928 one of the rooms was renamed ‘Kapteyn Hall’. The speakers are