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Home RUG Museum of the University History Prominent professors from Groningen
Prominent professors from
Groningen

Sibrandus Stratingh (1785-1841)
Professor of Chemistry and Technology
Sibrandus Stratingh was born in 1785 in the village of Adorp, where his father was a preacher. He
grew up with his uncle, who was a pharmacist in Groningen and went to Latin school there.
He was only 14 when he went to the Academy in Groningen. He took classes in the expectation
that he would become a pharmacist like his uncle. He showed an interest in other sciences like
chemistry and physics and took classes in them.
In 1801 he founded the Society for the stimulation of natural sciences in Groningen with his
friend Theodorus van Swinderen. In 1824 he was made professor of general, applied and
pharmaceutical chemistry.

Stratingh carried out valuable work in the field of motion during his professorship. He
experimented with a steam-driven vehicle, which he had designed himself, on the streets of
Groningen.The Provincial Groninger Courant reported the following, 25 March 1834:
In the early hours of this morning, 22 March, the first test journey was made by messrs Stratingh
and Becker on their steam vehicle, which made a journey through the citys undulating and
curving streets with a positive result. The designers were so happy with the test that they feel
that some small improvements will enable the vehicle to not only travel over new stone and rock
roads, but also the bumpier cobbled streets, without problem[]


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Pgina 1 de 4 Sibrandus Stratingh (1785-1841) <Museum of the University <University of Groningen
30/01/2011 http://www.rug.nl/museum/geschiedenis/hoogleraren/stratingh
Even King Willem I wanted to be kept fully
informed of Stratinghs experiment. Stratingh
sent him regular reports on his results and
when Willem I spent two days on a royal visit
to Groningen in 1837 he spent some time at
Stratinghs lab, behind his house on the
Ossemarkt 5.

Stratingh worked not just with steam vehicles,
but also with electromagnetism. Using the
physical principles developed by the Brit
Michael Faraday, Stratingh and his instrument
maker Becker constructed an electric cart
which can be seen as the forerunner of the
electric car. Stratingh was unable to continue
his research into electromagnetic vehicles, as
he died on 15 February 1841. The University
had lost an important and learned figure who
was well known both nationally and
internationally.

Last modified: December 20, 2010 10:47
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Article on Stratingh's steam vehicle by C. Oijmans, drawing by
N. Scholten
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