In the early 1970s Dutch universities were reformed, while scientific research was faced with new social and political demands. A decade later science and university policy changed again, with increasing roles for market pressure and competition. These developments might seem opposed, but in this paper David Baneke will argue that in fact there was great continuity, both concerning the backgrounds of the policy and the practical consequences. Their goal was to cope with the rapid increase in scale and the costs of science, to open up closed elitist networks, and to counter inefficiency and arbitrary spending. The pressure to reform came both from policy makers and from within the universities themselves. In all cases the changes resulted in professional management structures and an increase in bureaucracy. In this paper, Baneke will analyse these developments from the perspective of the internationally prominent Dutch astronomical community, which experienced a serious crisis in 1970 in which every part of the disciplinary infrastructure was reconsidered.

When Anton Pannekoek left Dutch astronomy in 1905, he left a stagnating, uninspiring research community. When he returned a decade later, things started to change in the Dutch astronomical community. By the mid-1920s, De Sitter, Hertzsprung, Oort, Minnaert, and Pannekoek had built a flourishing discipline. Through their work and students, they shaped Dutch astronomy for the rest of the twentieth century. This paper focuses on Pannekoek’s return to astronomy and his role in Dutch astronomy in the Interwar period. First, I will provide a detailed reconstruction of his failed appointment at Leiden Observatory in 1918-1919. After that, I will analyse how he could play an influential role, even though he had little staff, students, or facilities at the University of Amsterdam.