Winners of DUB's lustrum quiz announced

To celebrate UU's special birthday, DUB published a quiz about the university in June, based on the exhibition Heel Utrecht Loopt Uit (All of Utrecht Blooms, Ed), to be seen until November 30 at the Utrecht Archives, and the historic walking tour offered by the Utrecht Time Machine.

The quiz comprised fifteen questions about the university's history in the city, including some about the remarkable lustrum parades organised by the Utrecht Student Corps on behalf of the university until 1961.

Tough questions
The tips underneath the questions made things easier, but two questions were particularly tough, so much so that 25 percent of the respondents got them wrong. Germanicus, the theme of the 1906 lustrum, was not the leader of the Germans, but rather a Roman general who was Nero's grandfather. Respondents also had trouble guessing what the Paardenkathedral (Horse Cathedral) was. It was not the room where surgeries were performed, but rather the place where sick horses were kept and students could ride them at the riding school. 

The winners
The quiz winners are policy officer Claudia Heres, Medicine student Benjamin Verboeket and Biomedical Sciences Master's student Casper van Hugten. Each of them got to choose a photograph from the Utrecht Archives and will receive a framed print of it. 

Casper chose a picture of the former provincial house, because of De Sterren, the student housing complex where he lives. "It used to be located at the provincial house, so it's nice to see what it used to look like."

Benjamin went for a picture of the houses at Laan van Soestbergen avenue. "I would like to have this photo because you can see the house where I used to live."

Claudia chose a drawing of the Janskerkhof, a square that is close to her heart. Not only because of the Anne Frank statue paying hommage to the victims of May 4th, but also because Claudia met her husband at that square, when she was a student. Now she's pursuing the Master's in Management of Public Issues, whose classes also take place at Janskerkhof 3a, so Janskerkhof is Claudia's bus stop whenever she goes to class."The conviviality, the organised chaos, the amazing history... This place just feels like home."

The answers
For the enthusiasts, here is the answer key to the quiz.

1. How did the city board attract extra students in 1636?
Answer b: students and employees were exempt from taxes on beer and wine.

2. Why was the philosopher René Descartes, who lived in Utrecht, never connected to the university?
Answer c: Professor Voetsius did not want anything to do with the ideas of Descartes.

3. In 1786, the lustrum was celebrated on the Munsterkerkhof. How is that square called now?
Answer a: the Domplein.

4. At the Burgermeester Reigerstraat, there is a mural about the Doppler Effect, discovered by professor Buys Ballot. What is the Doppler Effect?
Answer a: It describes the effect that motion has on the pitch of sound.

5. What is a ginkgo, which was visible in the old Hortus Botanicus?
Answer a: a centenary tree from Asia.

6. What was the function of the University Library's book hall, on Drift, during King Lodewijk Napoleon's era?
Answer b: it was a ballroom.

7. The theme of the 1906 lustrum was Germanicus. Who was he?
Answer b: a Roman general.

8. Why do people leave flowers by the statue of Anne Frank, at Janskerkhof square?
Answer b: It is a tradition of student association UVSV. Members place flowers by the Anne Frank statue when they graduate. 

9. What does the old Academic Hospital, situated at the Catharijnesingel, currently house?
Answer c: an apartment complex.

10. Why is there a statue of Jan van Nassau on the Domplein square?
Answer b: He signed the Union of Utrecht in 1579 in the Academy Building.

11. What is in the time capsule put in the attic of the new Education building of the Faculty of Law, as part of its inauguration? 
Answer c: Typicalbelongings of a law student in 2016, such as a Dopper water bottle, a bef (collar piece typical of lawyer's gowns), and a selfie-stick.

12. How does student association Veritas celebrate their anniversary, on November 21?
Answer b: The association sets the bar on fire and watches it burn while eating oliebollen and drinking champagne.

13. What used to happen at the building best known as the Paardenkathedraal (Horse Cathedral, Ed)? Answer b: TIt used to be a riding school where sick horses were kept and students could ride them.

14. What was the message of the Skyscraper, the giant whale sculpture placed on the Vredenburg square in 2019?
Answer a: the art piece aims to raise awareness to plastic pollution.

15. The theme of this year’s masquerade is Casanova. What does this theme represent, according to the chair of the USC masquerade committee?
Answer b: Casanova was an intellectual and epicurean with an urge for freedom just like today's students.