{"id":81765,"date":"2017-11-24T12:30:21","date_gmt":"2017-11-24T11:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=81765"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:53","slug":"drs-ps-bequest-has-come-to-eur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2017\/11\/24\/drs-ps-bequest-has-come-to-eur\/","title":{"rendered":"Drs P\u2019s bequest has come to EUR"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Suitcase containing a part of Drs P\u2019s bequest<\/span><\/p>

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Although Drs P (BSc), who passed away in 2015, was born in Switzerland and spent the great majority of his life in Amsterdam, his legacy will end up in Rotterdam, the city where he lived during the prime of his life. \u201cRotterdam is the city to which he owes his title. Without Rotterdam, he would simply be \u2018P\u2019,\u201d says Roman Koot, a librarian at the Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet (\u2018Rotterdam Reading Room\u2019).<\/p>\n

At the festive event at the Erasmus Pavilion during which his private book collection was handed over to the Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet, there were live performances of Drs P\u2019s songs about Rotterdam, from a newly compiled CD. Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb attended the event and spoke of how crucial Drs P\u2019s oeuvre is to Dutch culture.<\/p>\n

Rejected by Amsterdam<\/h3>
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Vic van de Reijt (left) and Roman Koot (right).<\/span><\/p>

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When Drs P was still alive, he donated his collection, which comprises postcards he sent to his wife from far-away places as well as first editions of books, to the Heen- en Weerschap, the foundation that manages Drs P\u2019s copyrights. \u201cWe then wanted to donate the bequest to an organisation that was able to open it to the general public,\u201d said foundation representative Vic van de Reijt. \u201cBut the University of Amsterdam\u2019s Special Collections committee rejected the donation because \u2018they didn\u2019t have enough room for it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

The foundation then contacted the Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet, which was only too happy to accept the donation. \u201cIn terms of Dutch linguistic heritage, what could be better than Drs P?\u201d Koot said. And they did more than just accept the donation. \u201cWe have organised an exhibition at the University Library where people can go and see the collection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drs P\u2019s Rotterdams Pass\u00e9<\/h3>

Rotterdam Mayor Aboutaleb is another Rotterdam resident who, just like Drs P himself, \u2018came from the outside\u2019 but was completely assimilated into Dutch culture. He praised Drs P\u2019s way with words and provided a small canon of the Dutch language: \u201cAs a foreigner, it is not until you understand Drs P, Carmiggelt, Vader Abraham and Van Kooten en De Bie and think they\u2019re hilarious that you realise you have become completely assimilated into the Dutch language.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the festive hand-over of the collection, artists Fay Lovsky and Pierre van Duijl played songs from Drs P\u2019s new CD in Drs P\u2019s own cabaret-like manner. While some of Drs P\u2019s song are set in Siberia (such as his famous song \u2018Dodenrit\u2019), others are set in Rotterdam. The CD, compiled by Roland Vonk, contains twelve Drs P songs about our city, including classics such as \u2018De Commencaal\u2019 (set in Rotterdam South) and \u2018Dijklied\u2019 (about the Schiedam Dyke).<\/p>\n

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Pierre van Duyl and his band perform songs from a new CD entitled \u2018Het Rotterdams Pass\u00e9 van Drs. P\u2019.<\/span><\/p>

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The exhibition can be viewed from 23 November to late March 2018 during UL opening hours.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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