UG buildings: the Ubbo Emmius monument

The University of Groningen as we know it now is more than the Academy Building alone. In this series, based on the podwalk and the Dutch booklet In the footsteps of the Academy , we will put the spotlight on various buildings—and a work of art—of the UG and their history. In this episode: the Ubbo Emmius monument.

Near the Academy Building at Broerstraat 5, there is a beech tree encircled by a low brick wall. The tree is part of a work of art dedicated to Ubbo Emmius, the founder and first Rector Magnificus of the Groningen University. He was born in 1547 in Greetsiel in German [MK1] East Frisia. In Groningen, he became Professor of Greek and History. He died in 1625 and was buried in the former graveyard opposite the Academy Building. His gravestone is located in the hall of the current Academy Building.

The work of art, made by Herbert Janse, consists of a concrete ‘plant pot’ in which a beech tree has been planted—symbolic for the University and all of its branches of science. The tree stands on the bottom of an archeological well, rooted in the past. The crown points up into the sky, referring to the future. The hexagonal concrete bench has statements by Ubbo Emmius etched into it:

• Distrust your sources, even when they seem reliable In the academy of science, everyone belongs to the grateful progeny
• The truth of knowledge is rooted in the freedom of research and criticism
• Striving for truth is the life of science
• The reflection of the content in the shape touches the reader in head and heart
• All that is untrue, contaminates that which is true

The ascending shape of the bench depicts the direction a clock turns. Next to it, twenty stones have been laid in the ground, marking the years 1994–2014. The first stone, from 1994, has the information about the work of art chiselled into it. The other nineteen stones mention other works of art. They form part of the art project Kennis jaren 1994–2014 [Knowledge years 1994–2014].

Want to find out more?

Check out the previous article on the Academy Building.

Are you interested in the buildings and history of the UG? You can download the podwalk ‘In the footsteps of the Academy’ for free. Go to the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android) and search for ‘Op stap met Aletta’. The walking route is also available as a book from the I-Shop (University shop) for €9.95.