The Danish Society for the History of Science

Aim

The aim of the society is to foster interest in and propagate knowledge of the history of science and its philosophical, social, and cultural relations. Until recently the emphasis of the society was on the history of the exact sciences, i.e., the history of mathematics, astronomy, physics, and to a less extent the history of chemistry and even the history of technology. However, since October 1, 2002, the scope of subjects covered has been broadened somewhat to comprise the history of all the natural sciences, mathematics, and technology.

Activities

The primary activity of the society is its regular meetings with lectures by invited speakers. Visits to museums, etc., are also arranged now and then. The number of meetings ranges from four to eight annually, usually at the H. C. Ørsted Institute, Universitetsparken 5, in Copenhagen. Check the list of arrangements to get an idea of the variety of meetings.

Members

Anyone may join the Danish Society for the History of Science. It currently has about 90 members in universities, high schools, museums, archives, and libraries, from scientific and engineering professions, and from among interested amateurs. In principle the society serves the whole country, but the majority of members are local.

History

Our precursor, The Danish Society for the History of the Exact Sciences, was founded in 1949 primarily on the initiative of professor of physics Mogens Pihl after he and his colleagues— professor of Iranian philology Kaj Barr, professor of mathematics Harald Bohr and the later professor of history of Science Olaf Schmidt—posted the following letter to about 25 individuals:

For some time we have felt the need for a meeting place in which interest in the history of the exact sciences can be cultivated, and it is with this concern that we approach you! Our idea is to create a circle in which humanists and researchers in the exact sciences will be able to meet within this common sphere of interest, and we hope that you will support our efforts by participating in the meetings and perhaps even contribute to them. The meetings will take place in the library of the Mathematical Institute, Blegdamsvej 15, and for the time being it is our plan to arrange a couple of meetings each semester, though to some extent this number will depend on the possibility of procuring suitable speakers; in this connection we ask you moreover to pay attention also to the participation of foreign visitors.
     Prof. Hjelmslev has promised to give the first lecture entitled:

Eudoxos' aksiom and Archimedes' lemma.

     Further information about the time of the meeting will be posted later. As far as this matter has your interest please contact one of us [Mødeprotokol for Selskabet for de eksakte Videnskabers Historie 1949-, s. 1]

This letter was as close as the society came to written regulations for more than 50 years. At its foundation the board consisted of Kaj Barr (president), Mogens Pihl (vice-president) and Olaf Schmidt (treasurer and secretary). Later the presidency was taken over by the classical philologist and historian of technology A. G. Drachmann (1971), by Mogens Pihl (1980), by the mathematician Thøger Bang (1983). and the historian of mathematics Jesper Lützen (1995). Since 2006 the president has been the historian of physics and chemistry Anja Skaar Jacobsen.

In 1980 The vice-presidency fell to curator H. D. Schepelern, in 1989 to the classical philologist C. M. Taisbak, in 2001 to Anja Skaar Jacobsen, and in 2006 to the historian of science Karin Tybjerg. Thus in accordance with the wish of the founders to bridge the "two cultures," there have been representatives from both the humanities and the sciences (including mathematics) in these two posts.

Traditionally, all the hard work has been done by the treasurer and secretary. Olaf Schmidt held these posts until 1983, after which the historian of physics August Ziggelar held the posts until 1995. Since 1995 the physicist Bente Winstrøm-Olsen has been treasurer, while the position as secretary was held until 2001 by the historian of mathematics Torkil Heiede, 2001-2004 by the historian of mathematics Kurt Ramskov, 2004-2008 by Donald B. Wagner, and from 2008 by Jesper Lützen.

On the initiative of the current board, the first general assembly of the society was held on October 1, 2002. On that occasion the society changed its name to The Danish Society for the History of Science and its scope was broadened to comprise the history of all the natural sciences, mathematics, and technology.

This page was last changed 9 April 2008 by Don Wagner