Bibliotheca Thysiana Fellowship

The Bibliotheca Thysiana Fellowship keeps alive the memory of the young lawyer and book collector and bibliophile Joannes Thysius (1622-1653).

The Bibliotheca Thysiana was founded in 1653 by will. It is the sole library in the Netherlands from the seventeenth century that has been preserved in its original location. The late humanistic collection comprises approximately 2,500 printed books, thousands of pamphlets on all areas of science, a collection of engravings and a small number of manuscripts, including the world-famous Lute Book.

Objective

The Bibliotheca Thysiana Fellow conducts research into the source material in the library located on Rapenburg in Leiden and the Thysius archive held by Leiden University Libraries, supplemented with material from the rich Special Collections of Leiden University Library.

The grant/scholarship is awarded to one person for a period of one or a maximum of two months. The maximum amount awarded is €1,500 per month.

The deadline for submitting research proposals is 1 April 2026.

Profile

Applications for a Bibliotheca Thysiana Fellowship must meet a number of conditions:

• If necessary, the applicant must arrange for a valid visa for the period of stay in the Netherlands.
• The fellow is responsible for finding accommodation in the Netherlands (through Leiden University's Housing Department) and paying for it from the fellowship grant.
• When submitting a research proposal, the relationship between the proposed research and the primary sources that will be researched and consulted within the Bibliotheca Thysiana and the University Library must be specifically indicated.
• A list of prints, manuscripts or other material that will be consulted in the library, with signatures.
• A start and end date for the proposed research.
• A curriculum vitae;
• A list of relevant publications written by the applicant;
• Two letters of recommendation from two academic referees. The referees should send the letters directly to the coordinator of the Scaliger Institute by email or post to: K. van Ommen, Scaliger Institute, PO Box 9501, 2300 RA Leiden;
• Researchers who have not yet obtained their PhD must enclose a letter of recommendation from their supervisor(s).

Assessment committee

Applications for a Bibliotheca Thysiana Fellowship will be assessed by a committee consisting of Prof. R. Honings, Dr M. Keblusek and Dr A. Dlabacova (the curators of the Bibliotheca Thysiana), the curator of Western Printed Rare Books at the UBL /the coordinator of the Scaliger Institute, Dr K. van Ommen.

Application form

Applications for the Bibliotheca Thysiana Fellowship can be sent using the application form (see right) to the coordinator of the Scaliger Institute, Dr K. van Ommen, Leiden University Library, PO Box 9501, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands. Or by email to: k.van.ommen@library.leidenuniv.nl.