While having good ideas is not uncommon, their spread and evolution require a
community. In premodern Europe, approximately 200 universities and 150 academies
of sciences employed thousands of scholars, shaping an extensive network of intel-
lectual exchange. By reconstructing inter-personal connections through institutional
affiliations, we demonstrate how the European academic landscape facilitated the dif-
fusion of ideas and led cities to develop – examples include botanic gardens, observato-
ries, and Protestantism. Counterfactual simulations reveal that both universities and
academies played crucial roles – alongside serendipity and more traditional channels
such as books – with academies being particularly effective in connecting distant parts
of the network. Moreover, we show that idea diffusion through the network remains
remarkably resilient, even after the removal of key regions such as England or France.
In Europe, ideas gain significance being effectively channelled by powerful institutions