Visitor information

You will find the answer in this fascinating exhibition about The Creation of Science (from 22 February to 2 June 2024) in Museum Catharijneconvent. In close collaboration with Teylers Museum and Rijksmuseum Boerhaave we will be demonstrating that the history of the natural sciences in Western Europe cannot be explained without understanding the influence of Christianity. This is the very first exhibition in the Netherlands to shine a spotlight on the dynamic relationship between religion and science.

In The creation of science you will be taken on a journey through time with the aid of scientific instruments, rare manuscripts and modern art. You will be invited to view the past and the present with a different gaze each time. For instance, did you know that Descartes (1596-1650), the founding father of rationalism, was a pious man, and that Christianity was the prime source of inspiration for scientific research far longer than we often realised? And what is the relationship between religion and science today? You will discover that in the exhibition too.

Shifting world views

The creation of science centres around four viewpoints from which mankind looks at itself and the world: the view above (the universe), the view inside (the human body), the view outside (nature), and the view below (the earth). In each case the interaction between religion and science is examined under a magnifying glass. One object will show that Christianity was a driving force behind scientific research, while another makes it clear that the Christian view of the world was turned upside down by fresh insights.

Museum Catharijneconvent occupies a characteristic building in the old city centre of Utrecht. The building has a long history going back to the fourteenth century. Originally, it was the site of a shelter for the homeless. In the fifteenth century the Carmelites acquired the land and built a convent. Later, the knights of St John turned it into a hospital, which it remained until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Subsequently it served various other functions until becoming a museum in 1979.

Visiting address

Lange Nieuwstraat 38
3512 PH Utrecht
The Netherlands

Contact

P.O. box 8518
3503 RM Utrecht
The Netherlands
Telephone: + 31 (0)30 231 38 35
E-mail: info@catharijneconvent.nl

Directions

• Only a 15-minute walk from Utrecht Central station
• Only a 5-minute walk from the tourist office
• Bus line 2 stops at the door

Accessibility

Accessible for wheelchairs. Not accessible for larger motorised scooters. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are allowed.

You can find more information about accessibility on this website: https://www.goldencrossdata.com/en/adress/museum-catharijne-convent