History of the Leopoldina
On the 1st January 1652, four physicians founded the Academia Naturae Curiosorum in the Free Imperial City of Schweinfurt. The Academy Statutes or leges, which were first printed in Latin in 1662, comprise 18 articles. The purpose of the Academia is presented in a preamble: “The glory of God, the enlightenment of the art of healing and the benefit resulting from this for our fellow men be the goal and the only guide of the Academy of Sciences.”
The printing of the first complete monograph by Leopoldina member Philipp Jakob Sachs von Lewenhaimb (1627–1672) led to the founding of the Ephemeriden, the world’s first medical and natural science journal, in 1670. The journal was dedicated to Emperor Leopold I (1640–1705), who guided the fortunes of the Holy Empire of German Nations for more than 40 years. He was well-known for his lively interest in the arts and sciences of his era.
The increasing importance of the Schweinfurt Academy, which explicitly regarded itself as a national institution, was ultimately recognised by Leopold I in 1677 when he awarded it the title of Sacri Romani Imperii Academia Naturae Curiosorum. By then, the number of registered members had already grown to 73, and in addition to practising physicians they also comprised distinguished university professors and scientists from abroad.
For more than 200 years, the seat of the Academy shifted to the places the respective presidents were working at, and the library also had to move several times. These were the most varied stages in its history. Following the founding city of Schweinfurt, the following towns were able to decorate themselves with the seat of the Academy in chronological order: Nuremberg, Augsburg, Altdorf, Erfurt, Halle (1745–1769), Nuremberg, Erlangen, Bonn, Breslau, Jena, Dresden, and, since 1878, Halle again.
During the decades of the National Socialist dictatorship in Germany and throughout the era of the communist regime in the GDR, the Academy was largely, to the extent that it was possible, able to maintain its political and academic independence.
It was given the legal status of a registered association in May 1991. With more that 1300 members in more than 30 countries Leopoldina is the oldest and biggest academy in Germany. Since 2008 the Leopoldina has been the first national academy of sciences in Germany. This was confirmed by Germany's state and federal science and research ministries on February 18, 2008.
Download the Leopoldina booklet "History Structure Tasks" (pdf-file)
Contact
Academy Office
Phone: +49 - 345 - 4 72 39 - 0
Fax: +49 - 345 - 4 72 39 - 19
leopoldina@leopoldina-halle.de
