The Archives of the University of Leuven (1425-1797): University Heritage of Global Significance
Documentary heritage submitted by Belgium and recommended for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in 2013.
© Prof. Dr. Karel Velle, National Archivist, State Archives in Belgium
Election of the administration of the Antwerp law students society (Congregatio Praenobilium ac Doctissimorum DD. Juristarum Antverpiensium in Universitate Lovaniensi) (27 July 1755).
In the 16th century, Leuven (Louvain) was the largest university after Paris, north of the Alps. Leuven also played a major international role in the earliest developments of typography and cartography, and in the introduction of Catholic reformation. The almost 200 linear metres of university records are one of the most homogenous university archives from the Ancien Régime. They provide an insight into the reality of an early modern university, its functioning and the interactions between students, professors and the broader society.