Osiris
Science magazine founded in 1936 by Georges Sarton.
History
Osiris was founded in 1936 by the emigrant science historian Georges Sarton, originally from Ghent, as a supplement to the science magazine Isis, which he also had founded. In contrast to Isis, each volume of Osiris explored a specific theme. For a long time, Sarton headed the editorial board of the journal from his new home in Washington, while its publication took place in Bruges. He maintained regular contacts with his Belgian friends and colleagues. As a result, for a time Belgian History of Science featured prominently in both journals: several Belgian authors submitted articles and sent their overseas colleague new books and information on events in Belgium.
Sarton dedicated the sixth volume of Osiris (1939) to his teacher Joseph Bidez from Ghent and the eighth (1948) to the Antwerp engineer and translator of Greek mathematics Paul Ver Eecke (1867 -1959).
After the Second World War, Sarton increasingly - and finally definitively - left the editorial work to the Belgian historians of science Adolphe Rome and Joseph Mogenet.
The two were assisted by their colleagues Albert Lejeune, Georges Lemaître, Armand Louis, Charles Manneback, Maurice Michaux, Gaston Polspoel and Franz Sondervorst.
From the 1950s onwards, they edited a new volume every two years, while the History of Science Society probably took over the management of the journal. In the 1960s Osiris declined, with only two volumes remaining (in 1962 and 1968). In 1968 the curtain fell over the enterprise of the now deceased Sarton.
In 1985, the History of Science Society breathed new life into Osiris. From that moment on, the science magazine was reissued annually. Each time, it highlights a different interesting theme in the history of science, such as science and the politics of war, science and the city or science and society. It is published by the University of Chicago Press.
Website
Bibliography
- Vanpaemel, Geert, “Versnippering of diversiteit? De Belgische wetenschapsgeschiedenis na de tweede wereldoorlog”, in: Studium, 6(3-4), 149–158. DOI:http://doi.org/10.18352/studium.9271.
- Vanpaemel, Geert,"Bijlage Wetenschapsgeschiedenis in België", in: Halleux, Robert, Opsomer, Carmélia en Vandersmissen, Jan, Geschiedenis van de wetenschappen in België van de Oudheid tot 1815, Brussel 1998, 429.
