Leiden University celebrates Dies Natalis: ‘Ahead of the times for 450 years’
An extra-long cortège, three honorary doctorates, a quiz about 450 years of university history, a Dies Natalis rap and a call to defend academic freedom: these all featured in Leiden University’s 450th Dies Natalis celebration and the official start of its jubilee year.
Drums banged and trumpets sounded to mark the start of the university’s foundation day celebration. For this special jubilee, an extra-long procession of professors, rectors and students was led by the JongK&G marching band from the Academy Building to the Pieterskerk church. And two school classes from Leiden and The Hague who had had a lesson from a professor earlier that day also joined the procession. Princess Beatrix, herself a Leiden graduate and the recipient of an honorary doctorate in 2005, was one of the many guests at the Pieterskerk ceremony.
But this day of celebration did not mean the drastic cuts to higher education were out of mind. The red protest flag hung from university buildings and many staff members wore the red symbol to protest the drastic cuts. And around 15 demonstrators were waiting at the entrance to Pieterskerk to protest the university’s ties with Israeli universities.
Meet the professor
The Dies Natalis ceremony was special from the very start, with children from the De Arcade and De Spiegel primary schools in Leiden and The Hague taking to the stage. Earlier that day Professor Fijs van Leeuwen had come to teach a class about radiology and Professor Ton Liefaard had discussed children’s rights with ‘his’ pupils. In this edition of Meet the Professor, 50 professors had given a lesson at a primary school.
President of the Board Annetje Ottow and Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl asked the children what they had learned. ‘We made light visible that we couldn’t see at first’, said one of the pupils from The Hague. Another said children’s rights are really important, ‘because we’re all people’. After a round of applause, the children left the church for a tour of the Hortus botanicus, where the Plants & Planets exhibition opened on the same day.
Dies lecture
In her speech, Bijl took the audience back to that cold winter’s day in a war-torn Leiden on 8 February 1575 when Leiden University took its first breath. She drew parallels between then and now, and how the university’s core values – freedom and service – still inform all that we do. The planned cuts were extremely concerning, she added, as is the new legislation that puts pressure on academic freedom, but she was ready to fight. Using the image of a ray of light shining through the church window as a symbol of hope, she called on the university community to face the challenges together and remain true to the university’s mission. ‘Because this university is more than an institution. Now, as in 1575, it is a promise.’
Oath of allegiance
In his Dies Natalis Lecture, Egbert Koops, Professor of Legal History, reflected on knotty problems from the 450-year history that offer inspiration for today. Such as the strict oath students had to take in 1575. ‘I swear to (...) obey the rector and professors and not to adhere to any doctrine than that proclaimed at the university.’ The oath meant Catholic students were not welcome at the Protestant Leiden University in its early days. But just a few years later, the university and city council asked the States of Holland to be released from this strict oath. Because Catholic students opted en masse for Heidelberg and Leuven, where the beer was cheaper too, said Koops.
Protect academics
The lobby succeeded and the strict oath was rescinded, which was rather unique for the time. It took quite some time before students in other university towns no longer had to take a strict oath. ‘As a sanctuary of the mind, Leiden University was ahead of the times’, said Koops. ‘Or was it Leiden’s city council?’ Koops also mentioned the affair surrounding Leiden legal scholar Willem van Assendelft, who started a Catholic school at the end of the 16th century. The States of Holland wanted to mete out a harsh punishment on him but he was almost entirely vindicated by the Leiden academic court. ‘The past can inspire how academic freedom is interpreted in the here and now’, he concluded.
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Pieter Slaman took the audience on a journey through Leiden history in his 450 Quiz. -
The honorary doctors (with blue sash): Kelly Chibale, Bonnie Honig and Eliot Higgins. -
Egbert Koops gave the Dies Lecture.
450 Quiz
Although the theme of the jubilee is ‘Ahead of the Times’, an anniversary is also a time to reflect. In the 450 Quiz, university historian Pieter Slaman took the audience back to some special moments in Leiden University’s history. On their phones, the audience in Pieterskerk answered questions such as: Who was awarded the only honorary doctorate in 1925? The answer was Queen Wilhelmina, the grandmother of Princess Beatrix, herself present at the ceremony.
Honorary doctorates
Not one, not two, but three honorary doctorates were awarded this Dies Natalis. Hester Bijl gave an eulogy for each of the three honorary doctors. Professor of Organic Chemistry Kelly Chibale has dedicated himself to fighting endemic diseases, such as malaria. He also trains talented African researchers. ‘You continue to inspire new academic talent and support the next generation of African scientists’, said Bijl.
Feminist and legal theorist Bonnie Honig received her doctorate for her groundbreaking work in democratic theory, which combines law and political theory with literature, film and popular culture. ‘Your work offers continued inspiration to researchers from a wide range of disciplines on how to fight intolerance, breathe new life into democratic theory and defend our hope for a shared democratic future’, said Bijl.
Eliot Higgins, founder of the Bellingcat research journalism collective, received his honorary doctorate for defending justice and democracy. ‘You started a revolution in the way we use open-source investigation and digital forensic research to reveal the truth’, said Bjil.
Science rapper
Hip-hop beats sounded through the church as science rapper Jon Chase performed a special Dies Natalis rap together with singer Celesta da Vinci. The piece was composed especially for this Dies Natalis ceremony and describes the history of the university. The performance met with resounding applause.
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Annetje Ottow: ‘We are proud of what we have all achieved.’ -
Reinier Gratama awards the Gratama Anniversary Award to Johannes Müller, Claire Weeda and Krijn Trimbos. -
Singer Celesta da Vinci and science rapper Jon Chase.
Historic moment
In her speech, Annetje Ottow emphasised what a privilege it was to be President of the Executive Board at this historic moment in time. A bastion of freedom for 450 years and thus 450 years of academic freedom, she said. ‘We are proud of what we have all achieved.’ Then Ottow called the winners of the Gratama Anniversary Award onto the stage.
Gratama Anniversary Award
This is an incentive award for talented young researchers. As the Gratama Foundation is also celebrating a jubilee – its centenary – it had EUR 100,000 in prize money to award. The prize went to the interdisciplinary Claire Weeda, Johannes Müller and Krijn Trimbos and their interdisciplinary project. Their team of ecologists, historians and agribotanists are studying ecological change in the 19th-century Netherlands. How did people respond to and keep track of these changes?
Ottow then launched a special anniversary campaign by the Leiden University Fund (LUF): the LUF Children’s Fund. Over the coming year, the two funds will provide extra support to research projects that help create a better future for vulnerable children. The launch was also a call for donations to the LUF and LUF Children’s Fund.
Turbulent times
Ottow continued with a word of thanks to the staff who have worked on the year-long jubilee programme. ‘Personally, I’m really looking forward to the The Eternal Student exhibition, a journey through 450 years of studying.’
Ottow also reflected on the planned government cuts and the profound effect they will have, also on Leiden University. ‘This is a celebration with a tear and a smile.’ She would continue to fight the plans, she said. But she ended on a positive note. ‘These are turbulent times, but we will weather the storm. We are ahead of the times, and we have been for 450 years.’
In her closing words, Hester Bijl thanked everyone present for their dedication and support. ‘Let’s celebrate our special anniversary this year and face the future together.’
Watch the ceremony again
With English subtitles