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ePaper created 2014-09-15, 12:31:02 | version 1.32.01
Leiden University Medical Center Rein Willemze with contributions by Maarten H. Vermeer, Jan Gerrit van der Schroeff, Wilma Bergman, Nelleke A. Gruis, Jan Nico Bouwes Bavinck, Frank R. de Gruijl, Abdoel El Ghalbzouri and Sjan P.M. Lavrijsen Introduction Leiden has historically been associated with the Roman outpost Lugdunum Batavorum. Leiden was founded on an artificial hill (today called “the Burcht van Leiden”) at the confluence of the rivers Oude and Nieuwe Rijn (Old and New Rhine). In the oldest reference to this, from circa 860, the settlement was called Leithon. The municipality of Leiden has a population of about 120,000, but the city forms one densely connected urban area with a few suburbs. The larger Leiden agglomeration counts 332,000 inhabitants which makes it the sixth major agglomeration in the Netherlands. In 1572, the city sided with the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule and played an important role in the Eighty Years’ War. Besieged from May until October 1574 by the Spanish, Leiden was relieved by the cutting of the dikes, thus enabling ships to carry provisions to the inhabitants of the flooded town. As a reward for the heroic defence of the previous year, the University of Leiden was founded by William I of Orange in 1575. 79 Main building of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUmc). 6 BWEADVSMGFINCORR:Opmaak 1 21-07-2014 17:40 Pagina 79