KNCV appoints Sonnenborgh as the third National Chemical Heritage Site

The Hague, June 10, 2020 – On June 9, 2020, the Royal Dutch Chemical Society (KNCV) declared the chemical laboratory in the Sonnenborgh bastion in Utrecht a National Chemical Heritage Site. This laboratory marked the beginning of the practice of experimental chemistry at Utrecht University in 1695.

The German pharmacist and chemist Johann Conrad Barchusen (1666-1723) was the first professor of chemistry in Utrecht in 1703. He took the initiative to establish this laboratory at the then Hortus Botanicus. It is the oldest university laboratory in the Netherlands of which remains have been preserved. The bastion is currently part of the Sonnenborgh Museum & Observatory. On the inside, the vaults of the old laboratory can still be found and visited, including preserved distillation equipment.

The laboratory was in use from 1695 to 1725, after which it was moved elsewhere together with the Hortus under Barchusen's successor. Barchusen prepared chemical medicines from medicinal herbs in the laboratory. He had a broad view of the profession and also studied the causes of chemical processes scientifically. In addition to books on pharmacy and medicine, he wrote a chemical textbook, which was published in 1698 under the title Pyrosophia appeared – which could loosely be translated as 'The science of (chemical) fire art'. The second edition appeared in 1718 on the title Elementa Chemiae (Elements of Chemistry).

Barchusen was one of the first to see chemistry not merely as an auxiliary medical science, but as a full-fledged part of the natural sciences. During the practical sessions, he had his students not only make medicines, but also carry out technical operations. He was an interesting transitional figure who also delved deeply into alchemical symbols, from which he expected a deeper understanding of chemical processes.

The KNCV has awarded the National Chemical Heritage annually since 2018. The Netherlands has a rich chemical history, with well-known Nobel Prize winners, a large industry and high-quality research. The KNCV is committed to cherishing this past and annually designates a location as National Chemical Heritage. In 2018, this title was awarded to the Teylers Museum in Haarlem and in 2019 to the Grote Kantoor of Gist-Brocades in Delft. For more information, go to www.kncv.nl/nce

The KNCV is the Dutch professional association for chemists, life scientists and process technologists. The association aims to make the importance of chemistry and chemists visible to society.