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As a student you sometimes do crazy things that you later regret. This also applies to an alumnus of the University of Groningen who demolished a cast iron ornament from the Academy Building twenty years ago.
The former student hung on the decoration, causing the object to break. Then he decided to take it with him. Now, twenty years later, the alumnus regrets and sends the ornament back to the university. Includes a handwritten card in which he confesses everything.
Guilt
“When I was studying at the RUG around 2000, I did something stupid,” the former student begins his letter. “The Academy Building was under scaffolding and at night I climbed it (after a friend I wanted to save from a certain fall death).”
Once at the top, the alumnus thought it would be a good idea to hang from a cast iron ornament. But on closer inspection it turned out not to be such a good idea. “The thing broke off: I was shocked and took it with me. The next morning I found it next to my pillow. Filled with guilt, I kept it for twenty years. Now I am sending it back. ”
Honesty is the best policy
Thank you anonymous@univgroningenalumnus. Honesty is the best policy! pic.twitter.com/YR3kWSE0e7
– Cisca Wijmenga (@wijmenga_cisca) August 19, 2020
The map and the stolen ornament arrived safely at Rector Magnificus Cisca Wijmenga. She posted a photo of the object and the note on Twitter. Wijmenga appreciates that the former student has returned the ornament. “Honesty is the best policy,” she responds.
The special post also gave the RUG an idea, says director Arjen Dijkstra of the university museum to Dagblad van het Noorden. “We are going to turn it into an exhibition that we call snatched heritage for the time being. This will be in the shop window next to the university museum in the Oude Kijk in Het Jatstraat in the autumn. ”
Broomstick
Historical parts are stolen more often and every now and then something comes back. Dijkstra cites the spear that the Roman goddess of wisdom and science holds as an example. “We found out that it had been replaced by a broomstick.”
Dijkstra can also see the humor in it. “It’s part of a student city. But apart from the fact that it costs a lot of money to repair the damage, it is of course very dangerous to climb on something. And especially when you’re drunk. ”
Source: Metro Netherlands
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