The Waalpainting is a gift from Radboud University and its Faculty of Arts to the city of Nijmegen. The Waalpaintings project, set up by historians of the Radboud Institute for Culture and History (RICH) makes Nijmegen's city history visible in a series of street art murals in the city centre.
Important people and special books
The artwork shows the connection between city and university and depicts developments and people important to the history of Nijmegen's university that are barely or not at all visible in the streetscape. The people depicted include Jos Schrijnen, the first Rector Magnificus, and Christine Mohrmann, the first woman to become a Full Professor.
The painting is located at the place where the University Library was situated from 1923. The mural shows the complex's original façade (up till 1944) and gives an impression of the special books that can be found in the library's collection. “The Waalpainting is a tribute, in a quirky way, to the immense amount of pioneering work that professors, library staff and students carried out here, at this spot, during the first decades of the university's existence,” says university historian Jan Brabers.
Just as the other Waalpaintings that have already appeared in the city centre, this mural reveals a little bit of Nijmegen city history that was previously invisible.
Radboud University 100 years
On 17 October 1923, the Catholic University Nijmegen officially opened its doors. This is an important day in the history of Nijmegen, due to the position the university has taken in the city. The university offered young people a chance to get scientific education in a Catholic environment.
From that moment, the university has been a vibrant location for education and research, emancipation and protest. This year, both Radboud University and the Faculty of Arts celebrate their 100th anniversaries.
Waalpaintings
The mural of the history of Radboud University is one of the eleven Waalpaintings. The series of artworks represents the hidden history of the city of Nijmegen, from Roman times to the present day. The paintings are made by regional artists and placed in locations that are directly linked to the historic event(s) depicted. You can find information about all the Waalpaintings at www.waalpaintings.nl.
On Wednesday 25 October, at 15:00, Daniël Wigboldus, Chair of the Executive Board of Radboud University and Mayor Hubert Bruls will officially open this new Nijmegen mural. Come and have a look!