The State University of Leuven was founded by King William I of the UnitedKingdom of the Netherlands in 1817 in Leuven. This continued the history of having a major university in Leuven, with the Old University of Leuven having been active from 1425-1797, and the State University used the same campus and facilities and a dozen of professors of the Old University taught there and have resumed the courses they had given in the venerable medieval Alma Mater, as : :fr:Xavier Jacquelart|Xavier Jacquelart, who was also a professor in the former University of Leuven, Jean Philippe Debruyn, of Louvain, licensed in both rights, born December 12, 1766, professor in the old University of Louvain since the year 1794 ; :nl:Guillaume Joseph van Gobbelschroy|Guillaume Joseph van Gobbelschroy, of Louvain, born August 28, 1767, medical graduate, already before, since the year 1783, professor in the old university of Louvain ; :nl:Joseph Josse Vandertaelen|Joseph Josse Vandertaelen, extraordinary professor, born April 5, 1766, Tirlemont, medical graduate of the former University of Louvain where he was also a professor ; :nl:Jean Ferdinand Sentelet|Ferdinand Sentelet, of Overwinde-Landen, born on July 17, 1754 and died in Louvain on November 26, 1829, graduated in theology, former professor of philosophy at the Pédagogie du Lys and president of the college of Craenendonck, at the former University of Louvain ; Jean-Baptiste Liebaert, from Messines, doctor at the Faculty of Arts of the former University of Louvain, born February 4, 1757 ; :fr:Étienne Heuschling|Étienne Heuschling, of Luxembourg, born in 1760, who had been professor of Hebrew in the old University of Louvain. Belgium's independence from the Netherlands in 1830/31, plunged the universities into disorder. Attempting to prevent university education from being fragmented, the new government closed Leuven's faculties of law and natural science but backed down due to protests. A proposal to concentrate university education at Leuven was rejected by parliament on 4 August 1835. On 27 September 1835, the state university was officially closed, with most professors moving to the state universities of Ghent and Liège. Meanwhile, the bishops of Belgium had founded a new Catholic University at Mechlin. This provoked serious riots in the cities of Ghent, Leuven and Liège by liberals, who feared the Church encroaching on state education. After the State University had been closed, the Catholic University moved its headquarters to Leuven on 1 December 1835 and then took the name of Catholic University of Leuven, again leading to protests by liberals, particularly due to its efforts to usurp the heritage and identity of the historical Old University of Leuven.
Buildings
The University was housed in former colleges of the former University: College of St. Donat, the Premonstratensian college, the Veterans college and the King college.
Faculties
The State University of Leuven counted upon the creation the Faculties of Law, Medicine, Science and Mathematics and of the Natural Philosophy and Letters.
Rectors
Harbaur Francis Joseph, , an Alsatian, Court physician, a former pupil of the philosopher Fichte at the University of Jena, had been in Paris, Fulda, St. Petersburg finally arrive in the Netherlands. Unusual character, he spent lavishly to boost the University.
Jacmart Charles, Rector in 1822-1823, 1830–1831 and 1831-1832.
Dumbeck Francis Joseph, 1825-1826.
Jean-François-Michel Birnbaum, rector until October 1827.
