{"id":113514,"date":"2020-05-14T11:55:25","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T09:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=113514"},"modified":"2026-02-10T16:36:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T15:36:48","slug":"cora-boeles-departure-from-eur-will-cause-the-university-to-suffer-memory-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/05\/14\/cora-boeles-departure-from-eur-will-cause-the-university-to-suffer-memory-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Cora Boele\u2019s departure from EUR will cause the university to suffer \u2018memory loss’"},"content":{"rendered":"

You won\u2019t notice it unless you\u2019re aware of it, but every time you walk to a lecture room in the Theil Building, you\u2019re walking right over her. The basement immediately underneath the atrium houses the office of Cora Boele, Erasmus University\u2019s academic heritage project manager. Boele performs her duties surrounded by artefacts representing Erasmus University\u2019s history. She will keep on doing so until Thursday, 14 May, the date on which she will retire.<\/p>\n

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Cora Boele with her beloved professor portraits.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

When Boele leaves, EUR will lose a walking encyclopaedia. So will EM. Over the years, Boele has contacted EM\u2019s editors many times to share tips on long-lost portraits of professors that were found<\/a>, interesting titbits on Nobel laureate Jan Tinbergen<\/a> or the commemorative stone for those who lost their lives in World War II<\/a>, which can currently be found inside the Theil Building.<\/p>\n

Windowless office<\/h2>

Despite the coronavirus crisis, Boele is working in her office as usual. An ever-buzzing air conditioner keeps her basement at an 18-degree temperature year round. \u201cDuring the summer months, the buzz will grow into a roar, which means I have to get out of here,\u201d she tells us. From an occupational health and safety point of view, the windowless depot doesn\u2019t make for the greatest workplace, but since Boele wasn\u2019t happy in the University Library\u2019s open-plan office, she chose to exile herself to the basement of her own accord. \u201cI\u2019ve always considered this a fairly pleasant workplace. It\u2019s a fact that you need a quiet environment to conduct historical research. Open-plan offices aren\u2019t always the most suitable environment for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the fact that Boele will be retiring soon, she is still busy sorting out the photo archive, while surrounded by photo frames, university anniversary books and a piece of one of the concrete eggs created by Hans Petri that used to sit on the campus. One desk in the basement is covered in black-and-white photos, seemingly in complete disarray. \u201cI\u2019ve come up with descriptions of all the photos taken prior to 1973. I\u2019m currently looking into all the photos taken prior to 2000. Yes, I hope to get it all done by the 14th.\u201d Since her successor will not start in his or her new position until 17 August, someone else will have to familiarise him or her with the job.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Een lijst van afbeeldingen<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t
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