Academic remembrance of professor Henk Vroom

Yesterday the academic remembrance of professor Henk Vroom (1945-2014) took place at the Auditorium of the VU University, exactly a day after this passing. I was asked to take photographs of the occasion but I declined thinking I'd be too busy with the coordination. I took my camera with me anyways, thinking that there might be an opportunity to take some shots.

Covering up the painting of H. Vroom by and with Rein Pol (right)

I took shots right from the beginning when the painting was covered with a cloth for the audience. After that I couldn't put my camera down again, I was hooked on capturing the remembrance.

The audience of the remembrance with on the far right professor Willie van der Merwe who succeeded Henk Vroom on the chair and in the middle the wife of the dean.

Professor Wim Janse, dean of the faculty of Theology at the VU University, performed the opening speech.

audience of the academic remembrance

We reserved the front row chairs of the Auditorium, the left of the alley are a few prominent men amongst whom the rector magnificus of the VU University and Jan Peter Balkenende former prime minister of the Netherlands, the speakers, the dean and Rein Pol, the painter of the portrait.

Frank van der Duyn-Schouten and Jan Peter Balkende

professor Willie van der Merwe

I didn't know the man personally, but apparently Professor Henk Vroom contributed largely to the debate on the social terrains of church, culture and politics by his studies on the role of religion in the public domain and the inter religious dialogue. He put his mark on and partly determined our multi ideologically dialogue of the faculty of Theology.

Reflection in glass of Martien Brinkman, friend and colleague

Since the pressure on me was really low, after all someone else was taking the official photographs of the remembrance, I was relaxed about the whole event. I noticed my Miksang eye was handy and when I uploaded the pictures on my computer I realized I could do this, I don't have to be so modest about my capacity! Coincidentally, I talked to a former colleague of mine who gave me a huge commission to fill their database with photographs. Maybe this is the start of something beautiful...