Charles de Cuyper
After a military career that ended in 1842 with the rank of captain, Antoine de Cuyper turned to teaching science. At the age of 35, he was appointed professor at the University of Liège, where he later became Inspector of Studies for the Special Schools. During his rectorship (1867-1870), the University of Liège commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation and published a Liber Memorialis.
L’humanité, qui tire de l’intelligence toute sa grandeur, ne peut assurer sa marche ascendante que par le concours de toutes ses facultés. L’histoire, la philosophie, la poésie, à l’égal des sciences concrètes et des arts, sont appelés à concourir à la grandeur, à la puissance des nations. Il ne suffit pas d’arracher à la nature le secret des forces qu’elle peut mettre à notre service, de les faire travailler à notre bien-être, à l’agrandissement de notre énergie, pour s’élever à cette noblesse qui doit être notre principal caractère.
Born in Brussels in 1811 and died in Liège in 1892, mathematician Antoine Charles de Cuyper began his military career after obtaining a doctorate in Science from the University of Bologna. Appointed to the General Staff of the Engineers, he was in charge of surveying strongholds, then, from 1837 onwards, served as Inspector of Studies and Professor of Descriptive Geometry and Mechanics at the École Centrale in Brussels. The following year, he was appointed Professor Extraordinaire at the University of Ghent, in charge of courses in hydraulics, applied mechanics, builder's technology, astronomy and social arithmetic.
In 1846, he obtained a transfer to Liège - Ghent's climate was not good for his health! -He began by teaching astronomy, celestial mechanics and analytical mechanics. When he was admitted to the ordinariate in 1854, he was put in charge of courses in rational mechanics, analytical geometry and astronomy. A member of numerous learned societies, in 1857 he founded the famous Revue universelle des Mines, de la métallurgie, des travaux publics, des sciences et des arts appliqués à l'industrie... which he directed until 1876.
In addition to publishing his lectures, we also owe him a report on Le régime des fleuves et des rivières et sur les moyens pour prévenir les inondations, published in 1852 - when the merits of creating the Liège diversion were being debated - and a popular science book published for the 1867 Universal Exhibition (Paris).
In the same year, he was appointed Rector and presided over the 50th anniversary ceremonies of the University of Liège. The speech he delivered on this occasion reflects the attachment of a scientist at the cutting edge of progress to the humanist values of the Republic of Letters. He spoke of this again on October 11, 1870, when classes were reopened (L'organisation de l'enseignement supérieur), considering as essential "the connectedness and unity of the sciences", whether mathematical and physical, philosophical or historical.
Le culte des lettres, la splendeur des beaux-arts semblent être momentanément éclipsés par l’éclat des sciences et les production de l’industrie […]Tout en applaudissant aux triomphes de l’expérience et du savoir, nous devons nous garder de négliger les génies antiques, nos maîtres encore et nos éternels modèles.
Backt to the list of rector
Illustration : Joseph Schubert, À Monsieur A.C. De Cuyper, Inspecteur à l'École des Mines de Liège et Professeur à l'Université, lithographie, 1863, Musée
Wittert ULiège, inv. 2608.
