In the area between the Schelde and Eems rivers, now known as the Netherlands, there were no universities in the Middle Ages. It was only at the time of the revolt of the Dutch provinces against Spanish rule, which began around 1570, that new universities were founded north of the big rivers: first in Leiden (1575), later in Franeker (1585), and then in Groningen in 1614. This was followed by Utrecht (1636) and Harderwijk (1648). It is interesting to note that these universities almost immediately gained international renown for the high quality of their education and the fame of the scholars they attracted. Dutch science and scholarship, both inside and outside university walls, greatly contributed to the Golden Age of the newly formed Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. The University of Groningen played an important role in this context.

What came before

The University of Groningen may boast a long and respectable history, but it is not one of Europe's oldest universities. By the time it was founded in 1614, other countries had already had universities for a few centuries, and the standard model of the university had been fully formed. The first universities (Bologna, Paris and Oxford) had all begun in their own way – some as corporations of students who hired teachers, others as corporations of teachers who attracted students. But by the 15th century, it was more or less clear what a university was: an institution of higher education with the right to bestow certain degrees having a civil effect (namely a license to practice law or medicine). This civil effect was guaranteed by a sovereign: the Pope as head of the Catholic Church, the German Emperor, or the sovereign of a specific country. For example, the oldest university of the Low Countries, the University of Leuven, was founded in 1425 thanks to a papal bull issued by Pope Martin V. The highest degree a student could obtain was that of ‘doctor’, but the degrees of ‘master’ (magister) and ‘licentiate’ were also prized. Students moved from university to university, and teachers were also surprisingly mobile, which was partially facilitated by the fact that classes were taught in Latin everywhere.