{"id":2388,"date":"2016-09-28T10:00:07","date_gmt":"2016-09-28T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/09\/28\/chatten-met-desiderius-erasmus-in-de-nieuwe-experience\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:09","slug":"chatten-met-desiderius-erasmus-in-de-nieuwe-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/09\/28\/chatten-met-desiderius-erasmus-in-de-nieuwe-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Chatting with Desiderius Erasmus in the new Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ming Sin Ho.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

In 2016, it is 550 years since Erasmus was born in Rotterdam, and 500 years since he translated the New Testament into Latin. The Erasmus Bridge was built twenty years ago and Erasmus Medical Centre fifty years ago. Furthermore, the library\u2019s Erasmus collection is the biggest in the world and the themes addressed by Erasmus are still very topical today.<\/p>\n

Not a museum<\/h3>

Although the present collection was one of the reasons for the exhibition, the library did not want to present books in display cases accompanied by information cards, like in a museum. \u201cErasmus was primarily a teacher,\u201d says curator of the Heritage Collection, Adrie van der Laan. \u201cHe wanted to get people thinking and that role reflects the task of a public library. We also have an educational task. That\u2019s why we chose to get people thinking by letting them look at themselves and the world through Erasmus\u2019 eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

But some classics needed to be included, so the library is displaying some of Erasmus\u2019 best known works in display cases next to contemporary counterparts. For example, the book Taalrijkdom<\/em> dating from 1512 is displayed next to the book Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding<\/em> by Paulien Cornelisse and the influential The Elements of Style<\/em> by Strunk & White. Lof der Zotheid <\/em>is a bit further up, next to modern satire Mind=Blown<\/em> by Matthew Santoro and Gifjes<\/em> by Daan Windhorst. \u201cThis means we can show the current relevance and timelessness of certain themes like language and satire,\u201d says Van der Laan.<\/p>\n

Whetstone for the mind<\/h3>

The Erasmus Experience is based on the ideas of the humanist and philosopher and stimulates you to think about the themes that he frequently addressed: language, behaviour and faith. Through nine statements like \u201cA good society starts with language\u201d, \u201dI can say what I like\u201d and \u201cWar is inevitable\u201d, you give your opinion, after which you talk to Erasmus via the chat. \u201cThere are no right or wrong answers and we don\u2019t intend to impose an opinion on anybody,\u201d says Van der Laan. \u201cYou need to see it more as a whetstone for the mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collecting ideas<\/h3>

The exhibition is interactive and starts and ends with a yellow wristband which visitors activate in front of a large screen. \u201cWith that wristband, you then load your opinion and you start collecting your own ideas,\u201d says a proud Van der Laan, who has worked with colleagues on the exhibition for over a year. There are three levels that you can reach: thinker, forward thinker and philosopher and when you\u2019ve finished, you add your ideas virtually to the library\u2019s Erasmus collection. Fun fact: the actual collection is behind the wall where you hand in your wristband and add your ideas. Check out www.erasmushoudtjescherp.nl<\/a>\u00a0(English).<\/p>\n\n\t

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