In May 1951, the Dutch succeeded in detecting the 21-cm hydrogen line

. This detection was instrumental in obtaining a grant from the Dutch Organisation
for Pure Scientific Research for the construction of a large radio telescope with a
dish of 25 m. When it came to choosing a location, there were many difficulties to
overcome. First of all, it took a long time to find a suitable location. When the
‘Kraloër veld’ near the village of Dwingeloo
(Drenthe) was finally chosen, the astronomers met with strong resistance from the
village council of Dwingeloo and the Society of the Preservation of Nature
Monuments. However, other parties involved were positive, so in the end permission
was given to build the telescope. The opposition indicates that in the early 1950s,
radio astronomy had not yet won the acceptance of the general public, despite the
efforts of the astronomers to bring their science closer to them. Early radio
astronomy was also a highly competitive field that crossed national and
disciplinary boundaries. The latter meant that not only astronomers, but also
engineers made vital contributions to it. Often, the role of the engineer has
remained practically invisible. This was also the case in the Netherlands, where
the engineers had a crucial, though subordinate role. Last but not least, Dutch
radio astronomy in the 1950s shows that the supposed dominance of the USA in the
sciences during the early Cold War did not extend to all fields.. Elbers, Astrid.
(2017). The Making of the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope. 10.1007/978-3-319-49079-3_3.
In May 1951, the Dutch succeeded in detecting the 21-cm hydrogen line
. This detection was instrumental in obtaining a grant from the Dutch Organisation
for Pure Scientific Research for the construction of a large radio telescope with a
dish of 25 m. When it came to choosing a location, there were many difficulties to
overcome. First of all, it took a long time to find a suitable location. When the
‘Kraloër veld’ near the village of Dwingeloo
(Drenthe) was finally chosen, the astronomers met with strong resistance from the
village council of Dwingeloo and the Society of the Preservation of Nature
Monuments. However, other parties involved were positive, so in the end permission
was given to build the telescope. The opposition indicates that in the early 1950s,
radio astronomy had not yet won the acceptance of the general public, despite the
efforts of the astronomers to bring their science closer to them. Early radio
astronomy was also a highly competitive field that crossed national and
disciplinary boundaries. The latter meant that not only astronomers, but also
engineers made vital contributions to it. Often, the role of the engineer has
remained practically invisible. This was also the case in the Netherlands, where
the engineers had a crucial, though subordinate role. Last but not least, Dutch
radio astronomy in the 1950s shows that the supposed dominance of the USA in the
sciences during the early Cold War did not extend to all fields.