Album of the Dutch Nation in Angers

In the past, foreign students were united in so-called nationes, the predecessors of student associations. Dutch and Scandinavian students found shelter in the Natio Germanica, the German nation. Due to the misconduct of the students, nationes were restricted and sometimes even banned by the university authorities.

It was therefore surprising when an album of a Dutch nation from the period 1614-1617 surfaced at an auction. It was probably an informal group, but its importance is no less, because almost all the archives of the university in Angers have been lost. Thanks to this album, we get an impression of the number of Dutch students who studied there at that time. And there were many more than was always assumed.

The inscription below by Lieven Kievit gives us a glimpse of the international environment in which students from the Netherlands moved. He put the most effort into his contribution. Latin, French and English tumble over each other, with some frivolity not shunned: ‘Argent, femme et le vin / ont leur bien et leur venin.’ ('Money, women and wine / have their good and their poison') And that is just the way it is.

Album van de Nederlandse Natie te Angers. 33 bijdr., 1614-1617, Angers. Request number: 77 K 5