The Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The centuries-old planetarium is the oldest working planetarium in the world and a popular attraction.
The Frisian wool manufacturer and businessman Eise Eisinga built the planetarium independently in his own home in Franeker. As a result, he became best known as a mathematician and astronomer. Construction in the center of the Frisian town lasted from 1774 to 1781.
An astronomical clock has been built in the living room, powered by a pendulum clock. The construction provides an up-to-date picture of the positions of the sun, moon, earth and the five other planets known at the time.
The house in Franeker became a national monument in 1967. Eisinga himself is included in the Canon of the Netherlands and that of Fryslân.
Since 2011, the planetarium has been on the provisional list of future applications for the World Heritage List.
In 2021, the Netherlands nominated the planetarium to the UN organization UNESCO for a place on the World Heritage List. A year ago, a UNESCO committee visited the house in Franeker.
Historic center of Lviv
The UN organization met this year in the Saudi capital Riyadh for the annual convention. The Tunisian island of Djerba and the historic center of the Ukrainian city of Lviv, among others, were designated World Heritage Sites this year.
The Netherlands now has thirteen places on the list. For example, the Wadden Sea, the windmills of Kinderdijk-Elshout, the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam and the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht were previously declared World Heritage sites.
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