Franeker was once a renowned university town, attracting professors and students from across Europe. In the university hall, the atmosphere of that era has been carefully recreated. Here you can view portraits of professors, one of the three remaining xylotheques in the Netherlands, and a miniature planetarium, the orrery.
Anna Maria van Schurman was the first woman in the seventeenth century to study at the university. A beautiful room is dedicated to her many talents. On display are her paintings, her tiny self-portraits and the many letters she wrote to René Descartes, Jacob Cats, Christina of Sweden and numerous other scholars, philosophers and theologians.
On the bel étage you can see how the Martena residence was inhabited from the sixteenth century onwards. Wander through the corridors, sample delicacies in the ceremonial kitchen, enjoy a cup of tea in the garden room and discover the many faces of Franeker connected to the Martena house.
In the attic you will find the exhibition Buitenbeentjes, The Judgement of Solomon and Kooistra’s Fairground. Children can delight in the fairground installation. Insert a coin and the lights switch on, the rides start turning and fairground music fills the space. The Buitenbeentjes exhibition highlights nine remarkable individuals and shares their stories. It also explores the history of psychiatry in Franeker.
