Propria Cures subscription rises by thirty percent following conflict with UvA

After the satirical magazine Propria Cures (PC) was banned from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in May 2024, the number of subscribers actually rose by 30 percent. The increase was particularly noticeable after articles in January 2025 in Het Parool and Folia about the conflict with the UvA. Last July, the magazine had 3,040 subscribers. In July 2025, that number stands at 3,981.

The student magazine has been at odds with the UvA since February 2024. The university is angry about an article in which a team leader from the University Library appeared with his photo and name. Above the article, PC ran the headline “Wanted: Newspaper thief”. According to the article, the UvA employee had thrown copies of PC in the bin on several occasions. In response to the article, the UvA announced in May 2024 that it would ban the magazine from its premises. The UvA board did so because of alleged “accusations and threats (even death threats)” against UvA employees.

Media attention

“We still disagree with the UvA’s accusations and the decision to ban us. It’s a shame that the magazine will now be less accessible to students,” says Willem Fintelman, member of the four-person editorial team. “Yet the media attention for the dispute has raised awareness of Propria Cures. And that means a lot more subscribers.”

Copies of the 135-year-old student magazine are no longer available on campus, although the editorial team is secretly distributing copies here and there. The magazine can be purchased separately for €2.50 at Athenaeum bookshops and is also available every week at the Kriterion cinema, Café De Spuyt and at the VU University Amsterdam.

This afternoon, Folia will publish an interview with the Propria Cures editorial team about the UvA conflict and its consequences.