{"id":150357,"date":"2023-02-13T15:00:06","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T14:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=150357"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:38","slug":"love-is-in-the-eur-jan-and-tilly-have-been-together-for-over-50-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/02\/13\/love-is-in-the-eur-jan-and-tilly-have-been-together-for-over-50-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Jan and Tilly have been together for over 50 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

The love story of former EUR employees Jan and Tilly Schildt began when they were both working at the Student Administration department. They have now been together for more than 50 years. \u201cThe EUR Dies Natalis was our first night out.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jan and Tilly in the Gallery, the location of their former office.<\/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\tThanh Nguyen<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The 1st of November 1972 is etched in Jan\u2019s memory: that was the day Tilly first started working at the office. Jan was immediately head over heels about his new coworker. It took exactly a week for him to ask Tilly out to attend the university\u2019s anniversary festivities with him. There was a staff party after the official ceremony. \u201cSo that was our first night out\u201d, says Tilly.<\/p>\n

That night marked the start of many more enjoyable nights spent in each other\u2019s company. \u201cWe\u2019d usually go to the pub, since I knew a lot of great pubs in Rotterdam\u201d, says Tilly. Jan jokingly interjects, \u201cI wasn\u2019t familiar with any of those places \u2013 but I knew a thing or two about the drinks.\u201d<\/p>\n

A year later, on 8 November, which coincided with the Dies Natalis, Jan and Tilly got engaged, and on 15 August 1974, they tied the knot at Rotterdam City Hall.<\/p>\n

Different personalities<\/h2>
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Jan and Tilly on their wedding day.<\/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\tPersonal collection<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

The couple are clearly in love, and their sense of humour and joie de vivre are palpable. They tease each other and make one another laugh. \u201cI fell in love with Jan\u2019s personality as well as his looks. He was charming and handsome \u2013 and I loved his long dark hair\u201d, Tilly replies when asked why she fell for Jan. She turns to her husband. \u201cYou were very handsome \u2013 back then!\u201d He laughs. \u201cToo right I was \u2013 I looked like Elvis Presley!\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple say they have very different personalities. Tilly, for example, is more enterprising, whereas Jan enjoys life at a slower pace. She enjoys rambling and is currently tackling the Pieterpad<\/a>, a 500-kilometre hiking trail that runs from Groningen to Maastricht and is divided into several stages. \u201cI don\u2019t even want to think about walking all that way\u201d, says Jan, laughing. He adds, \u201cThat\u2019s what I have a car for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Separating work from home <\/h2>

Jan and Tilly worked at the University for over 40 years.\u00a0Jan was head of the central Student Administration Department, while Tilly continued her career at the Office of Student Counsellors<\/a> and the Wetenschapknooppunt after several years at Student Administration.<\/p>\n

Yet they were able to keep their work and home life separate. \u201cWe would always leave the house together in the morning, but once we arrived on campus, we\u2019d have our own work to do. And we wouldn\u2019t always go home together\u201d, says Jan. \u201cWe also had an agreement that we wouldn\u2019t discuss work before eight o\u2019clock or after five\u201d, Tilly adds, \u201cwhich means you get to have a home life, and that works really well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u201cIt\u2019s about learning how to grow closer to one another and being willing to admit that you\u2019re in the wrong every now and then\u201d\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRelationship advice from Jan and Tilly\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Working out differences<\/h2>

Next year, Jan and Tilly will be celebrating their 50-year anniversary. However, they emphasise that their love story has not always been plain sailing. \u201cHaving rows and getting annoyed with one another \u2013 usually due to a difference of opinion \u2013 it\u2019s all part of it. But we make sure that never lasts very long. You should always have worked out the problem before you go to sleep\u201d, says Tilly. Jan agrees, \u201cThat\u2019s right \u2013 and that might be a little nugget of wisdom we can pass on. It\u2019s about learning how to grow closer to one another and being willing to admit that you\u2019re in the wrong every now and then\u2026 after all, Tilly\u2019s always right, isn\u2019t she?\u201d, he adds with a playful wink.<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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