The Astronomic Cabinet of Paulus and Ghiesbregt
A spectacular astronomical cabinet from 1771 by Jean Paulus and Prof. Ghiesbregt is currently set up in the temporary exhibition space. After long wanderings, this Belgian instrument came into possession of Bert Degenaar, a famous Dutch antique collector. On his behalf, the instruments were completely restored and made functional again by horologist Pieter de Ruiter.
The 3 meter wide and over 2.5 meter high cabinet is equipped with various globes, planetariums (including an unprecedented representation of the 5th-century worldview of Martianus Capella) and the 16th-century heliocentric worldview of Copernicus. A number of dials provide information about various time indications, calendars, the position of the planets, the phases of the moon, the orbit of Jupiter's four largest moons and much more. The exposition also includes a large collection of original drawings of the various instruments.