{"id":3942,"date":"2016-05-03T14:43:27","date_gmt":"2016-05-03T13:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=52166"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:13","slug":"does-rotterdam-carry-the-name-of-erasmus-with-pride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/05\/03\/does-rotterdam-carry-the-name-of-erasmus-with-pride\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Rotterdam carry the name of Erasmus with pride?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s been seven years ago already when I walked around the Erasmus University campus as a student. The campus is called Woudestein<\/em>. I considered this a missed opportunity: \u2018Campus Erasmus\u2019 has a much better rhyme. I did not have any more thoughts about Erasmus, I really did not know much about him. Of course, you could see his elegant handwriting here and there, and there was a statue of Erasmus at the campus. And there was one in the city. But that was it.<\/p>\n

During my studies I visited the city of Leuven, a classical university city in Flemish Brabant. I actually learned to be proud of Erasmus there. A city guide explained that Desiderius meant a lot to Leuven. He wrote most and the best of his works there. He thought it inappropriate that Rotterdam called its university after him: \u201cHe was only born there.\u201d My fellow students and I remained silent: we didn\u2019t know how to respond. Since that visit, I know that Erasmus is a name people can be proud of.<\/p>\n

On my way!<\/h3>

I did not consider Erasmus a lot after I graduated. My brain got reactivated only recently. I saw the adages at Rotterdam Central Station as a celebration of his 550th<\/sup> birthday. I only then realised how strongly Erasmus and his name are intertwined with the city. What else had been called after him? Would I be able to find some pride of \u2018our\u2019 Erasmus in this city of rawness and concrete? I went on my way, out to find the companies that carry the name Erasmus (the university and hospital excepted).<\/p>\n

I found: Eetcaf\u00e9 Erasmus [Diner Erasmus], Erasmus Advocatenkantoor [Erasmus Law firm], Erasmus Apotheek [Erasmus apothecary], Erasmus Consultancy, Erasmus Drive, Erasmus Koeriers [Erasmus Couriers], Erasmus Leven [Erasmus Life], Erasmus Logistics, Erasmus Partyservice, Erasmus Trading, Hotel Erasmus. I was somewhat disappointed. In my mind, I already saw myself making pictures of shabby caf\u00e9s and garages that had been called after the humanist without much thought. Alas.<\/p>\n