Top 450 continues to grow: lawyer and feminist Lizzy van Dorp is the 100th entry
Lawyer, economist, politician and women’s rights activist Lizzy van Dorp is the 100th entry in our Top 450. We are compiling this special list in the run-up to our 450th anniversary. Who or what is your favourite?
One of our great traditions is celebrating our anniversary every five years (lustrum) and the one in 2025 will be extra special. To kick the celebration off, on 16 November last year – 450 days before our 450th anniversary – we launched a website with our favourite things about the university from all those years. We are compiling this top 450 as a community: anyone can send in their most special or favourite thing about the university, from the past or the present.
The 100th entry
The 100th contributor is Sanderien de Jong, the Alumni Relations Officer at the Faculty of Humanities. Her favourite Leiden University story is that of her distant aunt Lizzy van Dorp (1872-1945). She was the first woman in the Netherlands to earn a law degree at Leiden University.
Van Dorp grew up in a time when women’s options were limited, but that did not prevent her from enjoying an impressive career as a lawyer, economist, politician and feminist. At the start of the 1920s, she was nominated for a chair at what is now Wageningen University & Research. The then Minister of Agriculture, Hendrik Albert van IJsselsteyn, blocked her appointment because he did not want a ‘truculent young lady’ as professor. De Jong says the following about her distant aunt: ‘As a member of the liberal Vrijheidsbond party she was also politically active. She later gained a name as the first female economist. It is high time she was rescued from oblivion.’
Looking back and ahead
Annetje Ottow, President of the Executive Board, is pleased so many members of the university community are sharing their stories, ‘Celebrating our 450th anniversary is a chance to look not just back at our history but also ahead to the future. The Top 450 is a wonderful way to bring together the stories of today and memories of the past that have been shared by our university community. Everyone is welcome to contribute to this unique collection and share what they cherish about our university.’
'The Top 450 is a wonderful way to bring together the stories of today and memories of the past that have been shared by our university community.'
'A remarkable milestone'
De Jong responded enthusiastically to her submission as the 100th publication in the series: '450 years of Leiden University, a remarkable milestone and a great reason for a Top 450. What appeals to me are the people who, over the centuries, had a connection with the university—people who made a difference, like my aunt Lizzy. There are many more stories to tell. I look forward to submissions about the Dousa Room, the Arsenal, the old department libraries, the Bak (the former student refectory), and so on. Hopefully, many more alumni, students, and staff will send in their favourites!'
Sanderien de Jong follows in the footsteps of 99 other contributors. The Top 450 is already wide-ranging, with entries varying from personal memories and inspiring professors to beautiful artworks and groundbreaking inventions.
An unexpected graduation party
Alumnus Frans Spaanstra, for example, shared his story about an unexpected graduation celebration on 2 July 1993, when he received his degree certificate in the Academy Building. He wanted to celebrate in Barrera but to his surprise, the bar had closed early. ‘We had seen Prince Willem-Alexander walking towards the Academy Building to receive his degree certificate earlier that day, just like I did. And Barrera was his favourite bar...’ writes Spaanstra. When asked why Spaanstra shared his memory in the Top 450, he replies, ‘Luckily we soon found another bar. And I now think it’s a great story. A story that actually is a great illustration of my fantastic time at Leiden University, where apparent problems were always solved in no time.’
The Foobar
The entry with the most likes so far (572) is that of René Pannekoek, who sent in The FooBar in the Snellius building as his favourite. ‘During my PhD, this was the place to be on Thursday afternoons at 17.00 for drinks, which we never failed to attend.’ About the likes, Pannekoek says, ‘That’s really funny that my entry about the FooBar has got so many likes. Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels that way.’
Share your favourite and like other people’s
Visit our Top 450 website and find out who or what from Leiden University’s rich history has inspired our contributors the most. And if you see an interesting entry, don’t forget to click on the heart to like it. And if your own favourites spring to mind, feel free to submit them! Share your favourite and it may just end up in the Top 450.
Top 450Text: Jip de Bloois
Banner photo: Atria, institute for gender equality and women's history, Amsterdam (IAV Collection)