Planetarium fan Frjentsjer: In astronomysk model út de 18de iuw, boud troch in wolhanneler
August 24, 2026 · Frisian News
Wool merchant Eise Eisinga built a mechanical planetarium in his Franeker home starting in 1774 to show his neighbors how the planets orbit the sun. Today, nearly 250 years later, the model still works, making it one of the world's oldest functioning astronomical devices.
FryskYn it stedsje Frjentsjer stiet in hûs fol koperen tsjillen, houten balken en in yngewikkelde meganiske dûns fan 'e himel. Eise Eisinga, in wolsteld wolhanneler, boude dit planetariummodel fanôf 1774 en bestege sân jier oan it perfeksjonearjen fan elk detail. Hjoed de dei bliuwt it Planetarium fan Eisinga ien fan 'e âldste wurkjende astronomyske apparaten fan 'e wrâld, in tsjûgenis fan it fernimstich ferstân fan in 18de-iuwske Fryske sakeman.
Eisinga boude syn planetarium op in momint dat eangst folle minsken yn Fryslân griep. Panyk ferspraat him troch stêden en doarpen oer de eangst foar in astronomyske ramp. Guon ynwenners leauden dat sa'n ramp alles ferneatigje soe. Eisinga, dy't wiskunde en astronomie studearre hie, koe de wierheid. Hy besleat dat de bêste manier om de soargen fan minsken fuort te nimmen it bouwen fan in wurkjend model wie dat elkenien sjen en begripe koe.
It planetarium is in meganisk masterwurk. Oan it plafond hongen en de foarkeamer foljend, lit it de sinne yn it midden sjen mei alle bekende planeten dy't deromhinne draaie yn harren juste banen. Tûzenen koperen tandtsjillen en tsjillen passe perfekt op elkoar om elke planeet mei de juste snelheid te bewegen.
Eisinga waard net ferneamd om it planetarium yn syn libben, mar besikers kamen út hiel Europa om syn skepping te sjen. Wittenskippers en nijsgjirrige reizgers makken de reis nei Frjentsjer om it meganiske model te bestudearjen. Eisinga rûn syn wolbedriuw en ûnderhâlde syn leave planetarium foar de rest fan syn libben.
It Planetarium fan Eisinga stiet hjoed de dei noch altyd yn Frjentsjer, no in museum yn it âlde hûs fan 'e keapman. It meganisme dat Eisinga mei syn eigen hannen mear as 250 jier lyn boude wurket noch altyd en lit besikers deselde planetêre paden sjen dy't de eangsten fan in hiele provinsje bedarre hawwe. It stiet as oantinken dat de bêste oplossing foar eangst kennis is, en dat in persoan mei feardigens en geduld eat skeppe kin dat iuwen meigiet.
In the town of Franeker sits a house filled with brass wheels, wooden beams, and an intricate mechanical dance of the heavens. Eise Eisinga, a wealthy wool merchant, built this planetary model starting in 1774 and spent seven years perfecting every detail. Today, the Eisinga Planetarium remains one of the oldest working astronomical devices in the world, a testament to the ingenuity of an 18th-century Frisian businessman.
Eisinga built his planetarium at a time when fear gripped many people across Friesland. Panic spread through towns and villages over fears of astronomical catastrophe. Some townspeople believed such a catastrophe would destroy everything they knew. Eisinga, who studied mathematics and astronomy, understood the truth. He decided the best way to ease people's worries was to build a working model that anyone could see and understand.
The planetarium is a mechanical marvel. Suspended from the ceiling and filling much of the front room, it shows the sun at its center with all the known planets orbiting around it in their proper paths. Thousands of brass gears and wheels mesh together with perfect precision to move each planet at the correct speed.
Eisinga never grew famous for the planetarium during his lifetime, yet visitors came from across Europe to see his creation. Scientists and curious travelers made the journey to Franeker to study the mechanical model. Eisinga ran his wool business and maintained his beloved planetarium for the rest of his life.
The Eisinga Planetarium still stands in Franeker today, now a museum in the old merchant's house. The mechanism that Eisinga built with his own hands more than 250 years ago continues to work, showing visitors the same paths of the planets that calmed the fears of an entire province. It stands as a reminder that sometimes the best answer to fear is knowledge, and that a single person with skill and patience can create something that endures for centuries.
Published August 24, 2026 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân