Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker | World Heritage Explorer

World Heritage Identification Number: 1683

World Heritage since: 2023

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇳🇱 Netherlands (Kingdom of the)

Continent: Europe

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

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A Journey Through Time: The Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker

The Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker, located in the province of Friesland, Netherlands, stands as a testament to human curiosity and ingenuity. This unique astronomical marvel, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, offers a captivating glimpse into the past, providing visitors with an opportunity to witness the celestial movements as they were understood during the 18th century.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Built between 1774 and 1781, this property is a moving mechanical scale model of the solar system as it was known at the time. Conceived and built by an ordinary citizen – the wool manufacturer Eise Eisinga – the model is built into the ceiling and south wall of the former living room/bedroom of its creator. Powered by one single pendulum clock, it provides a realistic image of the positions of the Sun, the Moon, the Earth and five other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). The planets revolve around the Sun in real time and the distance between the planets is at scale. The model fills the entire ceiling of the room, making it one of the earliest predecessors of the ceiling and projection planetariums of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Encyclopedia Record: Eise Eisinga Planetarium

The Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium is an 18th-century orrery in Franeker, Friesland, Netherlands. It is currently a museum and open to the public. The orrery has been on the top 100 Dutch heritage sites list since 1990. In September 2023, it received the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the oldest working orrery in the world.

Additional Site Details

Area: 0.009 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 53.187375 , 5.5437527778

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Country Information: Netherlands (Kingdom of the)

Official Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Capital: Amsterdam

Continent: Europe

Population (2024): 17,994,237

Population (2023): 17,877,117

Population (2022): 17,700,982

Land Area: 33,670 sq km

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Country Data Sources

Links

UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker
Wikipedia: Eise Eisinga Planetarium

Portions of the page Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Eise Eisinga Planetarium, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.