LEIDEN – What is a university without its students? In 2025, Leiden University, the oldest in the Netherlands, celebrates its 450th anniversary with a special exhibition: The Eternal Student. Amid the ancient greenery of the Hortus botanicus, visitors are invited on a journey through four and a half centuries of student life.
Beneath towering trees and along lush paths, panels are displayed that bring key moments in student history vividly to life. The setting breathes a quiet harmony between nature and knowledge, as if the centuries whisper their stories among the leaves.
Learning Across the Ages
The exhibition beautifully illustrates the evolving world of students. In a recreated historical lecture hall, figures from the Golden Age sit side by side with modern-day students, connected by their shared thirst for knowledge. Students who once fought duels for their honor now fight for social change and inclusion.
World events have left their mark on the university too. During World War II, Leiden closed its doors in an act of defiant protest. Today, leaders like Mandela and Zelensky call on students to look beyond their own lives and engage with the world around them.
The Hortus as a Living History Book
A walk along the panels feels like traveling through time. Black-and-white images of student protests alternate with colorful scenes of modern student life. Carefully placed among the flora, the panels highlight the university’s rich history without disturbing the tranquil beauty of the gardens.
Until October 26, The Eternal Student offers an intimate glimpse into the heart of Leiden’s academic spirit, blending centuries of ambition, curiosity, and idealism.
