State University of Leuven

• Name — State University of Leuven • Native Name — * Université d'État de Louvain • Established — 1817 • Closed — 1835 • City — Leuven • Province — Province of Brabant • Country — United Kingdom of the Netherlands • Illustration — Jean-Baptiste Van Mons, professor at the State University of Leuven. • Illustration — Baron Frédéric de Reiffenberg, member of the Academic Senate and professor at the State University of Leuven. The State University of Leuven (Rijksuniversiteit Leuven) was a university founded in 1817 in Leuven in Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was distinct from the Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) and from the Catholic University of Leuven, founded in 1834, which moved from Mechlin to Leuven after the State University had been closed in 1835.

The State University of Leuven was founded by King William I of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1817 in Leuven. This continued the history of having a major university in Leuven, with the Old University of Leuven having been active from 1425 to 1797, and the State University used the same campus and facilities. A dozen professors that had taught at the Old University taught at the State University, including: • Xavier Jacquelart, professor at the Old University of Louvain • Jean Philippe Debruyn, professor at the Old University of Louvain starting 1794. • Guillaume Joseph van Gobbelschroy, medical graduate, professor at the Old University of Louvain starting 1783. • Joseph Josse Vandertaelen, medical graduate, professor at the Old University of Louvain • Jean Ferdinand Sentelet, theology graduate, professor of philosophy at the Pédagogie du Lys and president of the College of Craenendonck, at the Old University of Louvain • Jan Baptist Liebaert, doctor at the Faculty of Arts of the Old University of Louvain • Étienne Heuschling, who had been professor of Hebrew at the Old University of Louvain. Belgium's independence from the Netherlands in 1830/31 plunged the universities into disorder. Attempting to prevent university education from being fragmented, the new government closed Leuven's faculties of law and natural science but backed down due to protests. A proposal to concentrate university education at Leuven was rejected by parliament on 4 August 1835. On 27 September 1835, the state university was officially closed, with most professors moving to the state universities of Ghent and Liège. Meanwhile, the bishops of Belgium had founded a new university, the Catholic University of Mechlin, in 1834. This provoked serious riots in the cities of Ghent, Leuven and Liège by liberals, who feared the Church encroaching on state education. After the State University had been closed, the Catholic University moved its headquarters to Leuven on 1 December 1835 and then took the name of Catholic University of Leuven, again leading to protests by liberals, particularly due to its efforts to usurp the heritage and identity of the historical Old University of Leuven.

The university was housed in former colleges of the former University; St Donatian's, the Premonstratensian College, Maria-Theresia College and the Veteran's College, and King's College, Leuven.

A professor was named to be the rector magnificus every year. • 1817–1819: François Joseph Harbauer • 1819–1820: Jean Ferdinand Sentelet • 1820–1821: Henri-Ferdinand Decoster • 1821–1822: Georg Joseph Bekker • 1822–1823: Charles Jacmart • 1823–1824: Franz Jacob Goebel • 1824–1825: Jean-François-Michel Birnbaum • 1825–1827: Franz-Joseph Dumbeck • 1827–1828: Jean Marie Baud • 1828–1829: Franz-Joseph Adelmann • 1830–1832: Charles Jacmart

• Illustration — Karl Bernhardi (1799-1874), librarian of the State University of Leuven. • Illustration — Joseph Jacotot, professor at the State University of Leuven. • Illustration — A famous old student of the State University of Leuven: Sylvain Van de Weyer. • Gerard Jean Meyer, 1825–1826

• Frédéric de Reiffenberg (1795–1850), historian and philosopher, secretary of the Academic Senate.

• Karl Bernhardi • P. Namur

• Alexandre Gendebien (1789–1869), liberal politician • André Dieudonné Trumper (1794–1874), doctor in medicine and Venerable Master of the respectable lodge of the "True Friends of the Union and Progress" at the Orient of Brussels. • Ferdinand de Meeûs (1798–1861), banker • Jules René Guérin (1801–1886), physician • Sylvain van de Weyer (1802–1874), liberal politician • Augustus Van Dievoet (1803-1865), jurist and historian of the law • Bernard du Bus de Gisignies (1808–1874), studied law, politician, ornithologist and paleontologist • Hippoliet Van Peene (1811–1864), physician and playwright, wrote the lyrics of the Flemish anthem "De Vlaamse Leeuw"