Page:The study of history in Holland and Belgium (IA studyofhistoryin00frrich).pdf/16

8 L. Muller at Leyden; Hecker and P. J. Blak at Groningen; but at Utrecht there is only one chair for all the branches of national and universal history, including ancient history, and that chair is occupied by Prof. J. A. Wijnne.

The fourth university of Holland, that of Amsterdam, is not a State university, but a communal establishment. Its professors are chosen by ballot at the communal council, and the town of Amsterdam has exclusive charge of its budget. The curriculum is, with a few exceptions, the same as in the three State universities. Aside from the course in history and classical antiquities given by one of the professors of ancient philology, M. Valeton, Amsterdam, like Utrecht, has only one chair for national and universal history. This position is held by Prof. Th. Jorissen; but a course is given by Dr. Rogge, librarian of the university, as lector, a title equivalent to that of assistant professor in Belgium.

On the other hand, the teaching of geography is more complete at Amsterdam than at the other Dutch universities. This science has even a special chair, held by Prof. C. M. Kan, of European reputation.

Formerly, students of law and of theology had to take the historical course at the Faculty of Arts, and obtain the testimonium, before taking the examinations in their own department. The law of 1876 remitted this, so that now the auditory of the history professors is composed of those students alone who are in the course for a doctor's degree in the Faculty of Arts. The doctor's degree is in Holland divided into five sections: doctor of philosophy, of classical literature, of Netherlandic literature (embracing Germanic philology), of Semitic literature, and of the literature of the Netherlandic Indies. But, strange to say, the Dutch legislature refused in 1876 to