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Art and culture
Art and culture
Art and science intersect in many ways: through literature, music, theatre, and the visual arts.
tijdlijn
actueel

How Amstelveen became an important center of Jewish life

11 juni 2026 - 13:24
Swastika flag in Amstelveen, circa 1944. Image from the book Hope and Despair
Not Amsterdam, but Amstelveen as a major Jewish community: over the course of roughly a century, Amsterdam’s smaller neighbour developed into a unique suburb with a distinctive Jewish history. Jewish Studies professor Bart Wallet has written a book about it.
actueel

UvA has to reverse modifications to Kartinizaal: university had no permit

26 mei 2026 - 16:29
UvA has to reverse modifications to Kartinizaal: university had no permit
The UvA must reverse major modifications to the Kartinizaal in the Oost-Indisch Huis following an order from the municipality of Amsterdam. The university appears not to have had the required permits. As a result, the fireplace mantel in the hall, among other elements, must be restored to its origin...
actueel

Should Museum Vrolik change its name?

28 april 2026 - 07:45
Display case with 46 skull stands
The new exhibition in Museum Vrolik is about the future of human remains with a colonial background. Part of the collection consists of stolen and racialised skulls. The museum is now also asking itself a question: can the name Museum Vrolik remain? “Keeping the name at all costs is, with today’...
actueel

Video | UvA’er Luna is finding her place in the music world

17 april 2026 - 15:00
Video | UvA’er Luna is finding her place in the music world
Luna de Veer has been singing her whole life, but her debut single was released less than a year ago. While combining her part-time job at the UvA with a emerging music career, she is balancing ambition and uncertainty. In the studio, she is currently working hard on new singles set to be released i...
actueel

This UvA student created an exhibition about the Iranian women’s resistance

26 maart 2026 - 11:00
This UvA student created an exhibition about the Iranian women’s resistance
The Resistance Museum is currently hosting an exhibition on the Iranian women’s resistance movement. Lou Steiner (28), a Master’s student in Public History at the University of Amsterdam, was the project leader for the exhibition and talks about the importance of their stories and when current e...
actueel

Can the new Russian criminal case against the Allard Pierson succeed?

16 maart 2026 - 16:08
Can the new Russian criminal case against the Allard Pierson succeed?
Russia suspects the Allard Pierson of stealing Ukrainian loan items that Russia is now claiming as its own. The UvA’s cultural heritage institution returned the items to Ukraine, but Russia intends to prosecute the individuals involved in the loans. According to legal expert André Nollkaemper, th...
actueel

Heritage group urges city to Intervene over UvA Changes to Kartini Hall

11 maart 2026 - 13:21
Heritage group urges city to Intervene over UvA Changes to Kartini Hall
The Association of Friends of the Amsterdam City Centre (VVAB) has submitted an enforcement request regarding the renovation of the Kartinizaal. According to the VVAB, changes were carried out without the necessary permit, and the university must restore the fireplace in the room. However, the reque...
actueel

“A literary book shows your vision of your role in society”

10 maart 2026 - 14:31
“A literary book shows your vision of your role in society”
Book Week starts again tomorrow: ten days in which bookshops and publishers put Dutch literature in the spotlight. The perfect opportunity to show off that one classic. But do students still read literature? “A culture of pride in reading is gradually emerging in the lecture halls.”
actueel

“I want to amplify the voices of the people in Iran”

23 februari 2026 - 07:45
Mina Etemad
Journalist, UvA alumna and former Foliant reporter Mina Etemad (38) describes in her new book, De Zangvogel (The Songbird), how her past as an Iranian refugee gives rise to feelings of guilt, displacement and responsibility. 
actueel

75 years of Esperanto at the UvA: a language of peace “that is more relevant than ever”

30 januari 2026 - 08:00
Esperanto
Nowhere else in Europe is Esperanto as popular as at the UvA. The language was originally devised to promote peace and break down borders. In the current climate, marked by geopolitical tensions and growing nationalism, the language is therefore more relevant than ever, says Federico Gobbo, Professo...
actueel

Mastering the art of poetry? UvA alumna Hannah van Binsbergen teaches at Crea

26 januari 2026 - 08:00
Students at work
The annual Poetry Week is just around the corner, this time with the theme: metamorphosis. Connoisseurs can indulge themselves starting this Thursday, but for the layperson, the main question that remains is: how do you actually write a good poem? To find out, Folia spent an evening learning from po...
actueel

Dance grandmaster Hans van Manen: “I am not worried at all about the future of my ballets”

18 december 2025 - 10:12
Dance grandmaster Hans van Manen: “I am not worried at all about the future of my ballets”
Ballet dancer and choreographer Hans van Manen, who died on December 17 at the age of 93, spoke last year to UvA students about dance, choreography, and the future of his ballets, which have now been declared to be a Dutch cultural heritage. “If we are going to talk about dance, we must see dance,...
actueel

Why do we look down on having fun?

13 november 2025 - 09:10
Why do we look down on having fun?
The new book by Linda Duits (48) – a social scientist at the University of Amsterdam – is a plea for fun. But how does “fun” actually work? In Leuk! the author sets out seven basic principles. “Fun is not a scarce resource.”
actueel

UvA law lecturer writes biography of an Amsterdam Hip-Hop legend

29 oktober 2025 - 08:00
Niels Graaf.
During their many walks together through Oosterpark and their conversations in the studio or backstage after performances, UvA law lecturer Niels Graaf was drawn into rapper Sjaak’s world. Now there is the biography Sjaakmat (Dutch only) that Graaf wrote about the Amsterdam artist. “He used to...
actueel

Medicinal garden returns to the Allard Pierson courtyard garden

28 oktober 2025 - 13:01
The courtyard garden of the Allard Pierson.
The Allard Pierson is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the redesign of the heritage institution’s historic courtyard garden. The aim is to restore it to its 17th-century state as a Hortus Medicus.
wetenschap

Music | PhD candidate rescues music by persecuted composers from oblivion

24 oktober 2025 - 12:00
Drawing by Bob Hanf, depicting a violinist during a house concert at the home of Alexander Schmuller.
For decades, the music of Dutch Jewish composers lay gathering dust in attics, sheds, and forgotten orange crates. Music historian and UvA PhD candidate Carine Alders investigated why this music was forgotten for so long. “It is a misconception that good music will automatically rise to the to...
actueel

Open Monument Day: five buildings you should see according to this UvA professor

12 september 2025 - 11:16
Gabri van Tussenbroek
Heritage Open Days are just around the corner, and once again this year there’s plenty to discover in historic Amsterdam. With so many treasures on show, enthusiasts will be spoilt for choice this weekend, and the wealth of architectural gems can make it hard to know where to start. That’s why P...
actueel

Rapper Faberyayo made his breakthrough during his student days at UvA

25 augustus 2025 - 09:47
Rapper Faberyayo made his breakthrough during his student days at UvA
Rapper and writer Pepijn Lanen – better known as Faberyayo from rap group De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig – was a student at the UvA when, twenty years ago, he scored a number one hit out of nowhere with Watskeburt. He tells Folia about his student days and what it means to be a true Amsterdammer: ...
actueel

Language has an image problem. Writer Marjolein Voogel wants to change that

30 juni 2025 - 11:06
Marjolijn Voogel
Language is in a precarious position, according to writer, sociologist and UvA alumna Marjolijn Voogel. Language studies are rapidly dying out at universities, and in secondary schools, language courses are invariably referred to as “fun subjects”. In her book, Met andere woorden (In other words...
actueel

Theatre studies under threat as budget cuts loom

24 juni 2025 - 13:48
Theatre studies under threat as budget cuts loom
The Action Group Save Theatre Studies gathered yesterday at Spui to protest against cuts in higher education. They arrived at the Maagdenhuis building with banners and loudspeakers. They fear that their programmes will be discontinued as a result of government policy.
opinie

Review | Scientific caretaking at the professor’s home

20 juni 2025 - 08:00
J.J. Viottastraat 13 in the Concertgebouw neighbourhood.
How long has it been since students could take exams at their professor’s home or a student assistant was a personal assistant at the lecturer’s or professor’s home? Sociologist and writer Ad van Iterson looks back in a book on the time when he was the home assistant of the venerable sociologi...
actueel

Joke Hermes on her new chair: ‘Television brings people together’

19 juni 2025 - 09:23
Joke Hermes on her new chair: ‘Television brings people together’
Many Dutch people feel that polarization is increasing in politics and the media. Talking about television can make the world a bit more friendly, believes Joke Hermes, who since June holds the chair in the history of Dutch radio and television.
actueel

The similarities between Rembrandt and Gen Z: “He would have been a fan of vaping”

13 juni 2025 - 11:09
Gen Z Rembrandt
Rembrandt as a pioneer of Gen Z? In his book Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll in Rembrandt’s Time, UvA historian Benjamin B. Roberts paints a picture of the early seventeenth century, when Rembrandt and his contemporaries wore earrings and mullets, dressed in gender-neutral clothing, and experimen...
actueel

Affordable sports for students will stay, but cultural institutions face uncertainty

15 mei 2025 - 11:32
The entrance of cultural centre Crea.
Student sports will remain affordable for students. This was made clear by Education Minister Bruins on Wednesday afternoon during a debate in the House of Representatives. The situation remains unclear for cultural institutions such as Crea.
actueel

UvA University Library employee writes feminist novel about toxic relationship

12 mei 2025 - 08:00
UvA University Library employee writes feminist novel about toxic relationship
The fifth novel by Diana Tjin (63) – an employee at the UvA University Library – is centred on women’s emancipation. With Scènes uit een giftige relatie (Scenes from a Toxic Relationship) she aims to express her concerns about women who are oppressed by their partners. “I have used my own...
actueel

Can UvA really use the name Kartini Room? This symposium gives UvA the benefit of the doubt

23 april 2025 - 14:56
Can UvA really use the name Kartini Room? This symposium gives UvA the benefit of the doubt
Still no white smoke for the Kartini Room. During a symposium on the name change of the VOC Room, the main discussion was whether the UvA can live up to the name Kartini Room. Pro-Palestine demonstrators, who arrived unannounced in the middle of the afternoon, certainly did not think so.
actueel

UvA students sue city of Amsterdam in a play

30 januari 2025 - 13:21
The set of the play
Two UvA law students are starring in the interactive play Edgelanders: Amsterdam on Trial. In this theatrical performance, a fictional lawsuit is initiated against Amsterdam for allegedly not doing enough for the shelter of undocumented migrants.
actueel

The rhythm of rhymes and ranges: what does poetry have in common with mathematics?

13 november 2024 - 13:28
The rhythm of rhymes and ranges: what does poetry have in common with mathematics?
It feels as though poetry and science are miles apart, but according to poet and UvA scientist Piet Gerbrandy, it is not like that at all. For three whole evenings, he explores the overlaps between the two. “There is a certain rhythm in mathematics. Poetry has such a rhythm too.”
actueel

Medical interns perform their discomforts on stage in DeLaMar

22 oktober 2024 - 13:05
Medical interns perform their discomforts on stage in DeLaMar
Last week, medical interns from the UvA stood in a sold-out DeLaMar theatre. They gave an insight into their – sometimes uncomfortable – experiences and held up a mirror to the field. “I hope that everyone who visits the play will also see how things can be done.”
actueel

Kartini Room or Busstop? What will be the new name for the VOC Room?

18 oktober 2024 - 08:29
Kartini Room or Busstop? What will be the new name for the VOC Room?
The VOC Room in the Bushuis needs a new name. A meeting this week brainstormed what name would be appropriate. The UvA community will soon be able to vote on five of the considered options. 
actueel

UvA student Billie Slagboom visited 39 film locations for book: “This is where Rex met his killer”

23 augustus 2024 - 10:40
UvA student Billie Slagboom visited 39 film locations for book: “This is where Rex met his killer”
UvA history student Billie Slagboom (23) wrote a book about 39 film locations with her father. To do so, she travelled all over the world, from Japan to the US, in search of a particular road, bus stop or house. “It still feels like you give a little extra credit to a place like that,” she says.
actueel

Raimke Groothuizen wrote a book of fairy tales for students: “Once upon a time... a troll with performance pressure”

26 juni 2024 - 12:59
Raimke Groothuizen wrote a book of fairy tales for students: “Once upon a time... a troll with performance pressure”
Teacher Raimke Groothuizen recently published a book of fairy tales for students. Through stories about wizards, witches, and giants, she wants to provide insight into the problems of this target group. “'Students are often written about negatively, while fairy tales, on the other hand, are hopefu...
actueel

Who is the boy with the butterflies on the mural at REC?

25 juni 2024 - 10:35
Who is the boy with the butterflies on the mural at REC?
His son was the model for the huge mural between the Roeterseiland campus and Sarphatistraat: artist Tim Rodermans put the finishing touches to the work last week. ‘I hope for moments of peace and quiet, just turning the gaze upwards instead of on those phone calls’
actueel

Independent, bon vivant and frivolous: Frans Hals makes “simply happy”

12 april 2024 - 11:48
Independent, bon vivant and frivolous: Frans Hals makes “simply happy”
Until June 9th, the Rijksmuseum is hosting an exhibition of no less than 50 works by “the most heartwarming” painter of the sixteenth century: Frans Hals. Emeritus professor Frans Grijzenhout, who teaches a course in Spui25 about his favourite artist, has been to the exhibition six times. He giv...
actueel

Does Joost Klein stand a chance of winning the Song Contest? ‘‘He should make Top 10’’

1 maart 2024 - 14:55
Does Joost Klein stand a chance of winning the Song Contest? ‘‘He should make Top 10’’
Last night, Joost Klein presented his song for the Eurovision Song Contest: Europapa. UvA’s Ashley Burgoyne researches what makes a song catchy. He discusses with us the chances of the Dutch entry every year. ‘‘Not sing-along enough for top five’’.
actueel

Arnon Grunberg and Adbelkader Benali on Libris Literature Award: ‘A good book isn’t finished’

16 februari 2024 - 17:22
Arnon Grunberg and Adbelkader Benali on Libris Literature Award: ‘A good book isn’t finished’
Last Thursday, four UvA students interviewed former winners about the Libris Literature Prize longlist. How does a prize-winning author like Arnon Grunberg think about literature? ‘I am anti-romantic!’
actueel

Spui25 launches Madame de Staël fund for creative talent

7 februari 2024 - 12:00
Spui25 launches Madame de Staël fund for creative talent
Yesterday afternoon, in the academic-cultural debate center Spui25, the Madame de Staël Fund was launched with the specific goal of developing creative talent. The fund supports literary, musical, theatrical, visual, and other creative contributions.
actueel

31 januari 2024 - 16:10
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12 januari 2024 - 13:00
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15 december 2023 - 09:08
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13 december 2023 - 14:14
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6 december 2023 - 13:53
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6 december 2023 - 09:54
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5 december 2023 - 12:50
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27 november 2023 - 12:23
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14 november 2023 - 14:45
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24 oktober 2023 - 09:57
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12 oktober 2023 - 15:01
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6 oktober 2023 - 15:00
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1 september 2023 - 15:45
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31 mei 2023 - 16:23
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31 mei 2023 - 12:01
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22 mei 2023 - 17:05
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15 mei 2023 - 14:34
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10 mei 2023 - 09:51
wetenschap

21 april 2023 - 13:00
actueel

17 maart 2023 - 13:30
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14 maart 2023 - 14:02
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24 februari 2023 - 14:30
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24 februari 2023 - 14:15
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