The University of Nijmegen (Kwartierlijke Academie van Nijmegen) was the first university

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 in Nijmegen, Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 and existed between 1655 and ±1680.

It was founded as a Illustre school in 1655 and became a university in 1656. The local government supported the university and it became competitor for the University of Harderwijk

University of Harderwijk

The University of Harderwijk , also named the Guelders Academy , was located in the town of Harderwijk, in the Republic of the United Provinces...

 as main university in the Gelders

Gelderland

Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...

 district. The Commanderie St. Jan became its accommodation and the university had professors like Petrus de Greve, Christopher Wittich

Christopher Wittich

Christopher Wittich or Christophorus Wittichius was a Silesian-born Dutch theologian. He is known for attempting to reconcile Descartes' philosophy with the Scriptures.-Life:...

, Johan Teyler

Johan Teyler

Johannes or Johan Teyler , was a Dutch Golden Age painter, engraver, mathematics teacher, and inventor of the color print.-Biography:...

 and Gerhard Noodt

Gerhard Noodt

Gerhard Noodt was a Dutch jurist, born in Nijmegen. Educated at Leiden, Utrecht and Franeker, he became a professor of law at Nijmegen and Franeker. As a writer on jurisprudence he acquired a wide reputation. His Latin style was modelled after the best writers, and his numerous works soon rose to...

. The university was in conflict with the universities in Holland because the ideas of René Descartes

René Descartes

René Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...

 were spread. In 1672 the university was closed because of the French

French people

The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

 occupation. It reopened in 1674 but never recovered. The university was closed between 1678 and 1682. Attempts were made to reopen a university in Nijmegen which finally succeeded with the opening of the Catholic University

Radboud University Nijmegen

Radboud University Nijmegen is a public university with a strong focus on research in Nijmegen, the Netherlands...

in 1923.

Reference

• Nijmegen, Geschiedenis van de oudste stad van Nederland, deel 2 Middeleeuwen en Nieuwe tijd, p451-459, Redactie Jan Kuys en Hans Bots, 2005