But first, a question: why does Maastricht University, a secular institution, own books about saints? The answer lies in the university’s origins, Essers explains. Its first building was the former Jesuit monastery on Tongersestraat, now home to the School of Business and Economics. The library that came with it laid the foundation for what is now Maastricht University’s Special Collections. And the Jesuit Collection didn’t just contain religious texts, notes Essers – it also included “anatomical atlases, medical and economics manuals, travel books and a legal history collection.”
Poetry
Essers believes these books, some of them centuries old, deserve to be seen – or better yet, used – by students, staff and anyone else interested. “This isn’t some locked-away collection of interest only to a handful of historians. It’s part of the city’s heritage.” So it came as no surprise when the organisers of the Pilgrimage of the Relics got in touch. “We’re always looking for opportunities to collaborate, with external parties as well. That’s something we’ve really invested in.”
But the organisers’ first question wasn’t about books – it was about poetry. “For years, we organised a spoken word event for students at the Dominicanen bookshop during Museum Night. The cultural coordinator of the Pilgrimage of the Relics asked if we’d be interested in doing something like that again. We’ve put together a two-hour programme featuring three students exploring this year’s Pilgrimage theme: ‘Be a Bridge Builder’. Three secondary school students from the United World College will also be performing.”
"Fascinating polemics"
Essers’ guided tours will take place on 17, 18 and 19 June. He gestures to the biography of Saint Servatius. “I think it’s truly special that we own this – the first real biography of the city’s patron saint. It’ll be the centrepiece of my story, along with the heated Protestant response it provoked in the form of the book by the pastor Van Hamerstede, who thought it contained leugenaghtige vertellingen [lying tales]. All this happened in the seventeenth century when tensions between Protestants and Catholics were running high, leading to fascinating polemics.” And some people even found ways to profit from the situation, he laughs. “There were books printed in different versions with different title pages – one aimed at Catholics, the other at Protestants. But the contents were exactly the same! That was a printer with a keen business sense.”
The spoken word event is taking place on Monday 16 June at 8 p.m. at the Dominicanen bookshop. Entry is free and there’s no need to sign up. The guided tour Lying Tales is also free, but availability is limited – sign up here.