Prof. Michael Rossal (1672–1744)

Also professor of Greek and philosophy. Michael Rossal was born in France and in 1688 fled to the Netherlands by way of England because of his religious convictions. He succeeded in convincing the States Provincial of Groningen to provide the library with an annual sum of 100 ‘rijksdaalders’ to be used for the expansion of the library collection. For the first time, the library now had a regular income allowing it to purchase (and bind!) necessary new publications. No portrait of Michael Rossal is known to exist.