Dangerous Books

More than twenty influential scientific publications from 1500 onwards that were seen by Church and State as too critical, innovative, or confrontational, take center stage in Dangerous Books. Authors from Copernicus to Einstein invite you to reflect on the history of censorship and the role of scientific freedom.

Books are essential for the transmission of knowledge and new ideas in the world: they explore the future. For those in power, books can therefore be dangerous; they can lead to major change. Today, freedom of information is essential in a democratic society. But how free is knowledge today? Is scientific censorship truly a thing of the past?

Cover image: The most famous page from Copernicus’ (1472-1543) On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, Nuremberg, 1543, Collection Tresoar | photography: Marieke Balk