Unveiling of plaque and mural at Antoni van Leeuwenhoek's birthplace

2023 marked the 300th anniversary of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek's death at the age of 91. This was widely commemorated in Delft and beyond last year. TU Delft also remembered the father of microbiology in many ways, including the podcast “A world full of secrets”. Of course, the story of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek deserves a wide audience. That is why last year the Royal Dutch Society for Microbiology (KNVM) commissioned a mural and a plaque on the site of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek's birthplace, now De Oostpoort primary school.

On 13 February, the mural will be officially unveiled at Oosteinde 6 in Delft, with a speech by Professor Jack Pronk, who, as Professor of Industrial Microbiology, follows in Van Leeuwenhoek's footsteps on a daily basis. The artwork is by Tim Rodermans, who wanted it to express wonder and curiosity. Exactly the qualities that must have driven Van Leeuwenhoek to make the observations and discoveries that sparked a scientific revolution.