Pieter Teyler

Pieter Teyler van der Hulst
The Museum was named after Pieter Teyler van der Hulst (1702-1778), a wealthy Haarlem cloth merchant and financier. A typical representative of the Enlightenment, Teyler shared its conviction that knowledge enriches humanity. He demonstrated a lively interest in the arts and sciences and built up collections in both fields. Pieter Teyler van der Hulst stipulated in his will that his capital (comparable to 80 million euros nowadays) should be placed in a foundation under the management of five Directors, and that it should be used to stimulate, amongst other things, the arts and sciences.