The Atheneum Illustre in Amsterdam

The Athenaeum Illustre, or Amsterdamse Atheneum, was a city-sponsored "illustrous school" founded 1631 in a former chapel. Though it is considered the predecessor to the University of Amsterdam, it was not recognised as a degree-awarding institution until 1815. Doctorates were first awarded in 1877, when the name was changed to Gemeentelijke Universiteit van Amsterdam.

Cornelis Springer (1817–1891), Het Atheneum Illustre aan de Oudezijds Voorburgwal te Amsterdam, oil on canvas, 1879, Teylers Museum, Haarlem, photographer: Alf van Beem; source: Wikimedia Commons, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cornelis_Springer_%281817-1891%29,_Het_Atheneum_Illustre_aan_de_Oudezijds_Voorburgwal_te_Amsterdam,_1879,_Olieverf_op_doek.JPG, CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.