But why that name, Maffius? Its founders had come up with a story to go with it. Maastricht’s university-to-be began its conquest of historic city buildings at Tongersestraat 53, the former Jesuit monastery. The building came complete with a library of 250,000 volumes, a gardener, a handyman and – according to the Maffius editors – a small creature representing the “bad conscience” or “critical spirit” of the Jesuits: Maffius. This chubby little monk with a halo around his bald head was now free to play tricks on the emerging university community as its mischievous mascot.
That was the story behind the name. Its true origin was more straightforward. The new institution was a medical faculty, MF for short. Say it aloud and you’re halfway to “Maffius”.
Rebellious spirit
To be fair, the faculty was characterised by a rebellious spirit in those early days. Teaching had started before the national government had even given official approval. In other words, the first staff and students were pioneers, not easily intimidated by authority and willing to challenge it if necessary. But how? At the very least, you need your own communication platform, a medium of your own. Every self-respecting university had its own paper, and staff decided that Maastricht couldn’t lag behind, even if the university was still in its early stages. Sjeng Tans – the university’s founding president and somewhat of an authoritarian – wasn’t pleased, but he didn’t interfere either. “And he never did, even later”, says Gerard Majoor, one of Maffius’s founding staff members. “There was no censorship.”
Former priest
That said, Joep Offermans – the newly appointed university information officer and a former priest – was added to the editorial team as an “advisor” in the first year. But his presence didn’t have many consequences; he was kind rather than commanding. Besides, says Majoor, the editors probably wouldn’t have listened to any commands anyway, even if just because “we badly needed an outlet. We didn’t even have anything like a faculty council back then – Tans saw it as a vote of no confidence.”
There were plenty of sacred cows back then, and amusingly, most of them needed defending against attacks from within. After all, the faculty’s experimental setup attracted a lot of progressive idealists with its brand-new teaching method, its emphasis on primary health care rather than being a full-blown academic hospital, and its flat organisational structure designed to prevent departments (let alone faculties) from turning into their own little fiefdoms. And what happened? Just look around Randwyck today, where what Majoor calls “megalomaniac ideas” have since been set in stone, despite the “rather scathing pieces” he levelled against them in Maffius at the time.
Satirical attitude
In 1980, Maffius ceased to be. The university was growing, the school-newspaper days were over, and the satirical attitude had had its time. The State University of Limburg deserved a higher-quality, more professional journalistic outlet. And that’s the publication you’re reading today.