2019/08/09 by David Baneke · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Physics and Astronomy · #Historical Astronomy and Related Studies #History #History and Developments in Astronomy #History of Science and Natural History
paper · doi:10.2307/j.ctvp7d57c.7
openalex publication_date 2019/08/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
When Anton Pannekoek left Dutch astronomy in 1905, he left a stagnating, uninspiring research community. When he returned a decade later, things started to change in the Dutch astronomical community. By the mid-1920s, De Sitter, Hertzsprung, Oort, Minnaert, and Pannekoek had built a flourishing discipline. Through their work and students, they shaped Dutch astronomy for the rest of the twentieth century. This paper focuses on Pannekoek’s return to astronomy and his role in Dutch astronomy in the Interwar period. First, I will provide a detailed reconstruction of his failed appointment at Leiden Observatory in 1918-1919. After that, I will analyse how he could play an influential role, even though he had little staff, students, or facilities at the University of Amsterdam.