The medal commemorates “everyone who has put Maastricht on the map as a student city for the past fifty years”, the society says on its website. Complaints about badly parked bicycles and noisy parties aside, De Tempeleers adds with a wink, “Maastricht wouldn’t be Maastricht without students.”
Tans was chosen “for historical reasons as well as to emphasise the connection with the city. He was a true Maastrichtenaar”, explains spokesperson Armand Perenboom. The portrait, drawn in pen by artist Wendy Wasbauer, will also appear on the side of the prinsenwagen, the Prince’s float. On Sunday 18 January, the float will take Prince Carnaval – then known as the Groeten Oonbekinde – from the train station to Vrijthof Square, where he will be officially revealed.
The celebrations on 18 January will also mark the university’s 50-year milestone, says Perenboom. “During the procession, the Prince will wear a professor’s mask. The Tempeleers members walking in front of the float will also dress according to the theme.”
Each year, the carnival society picks a theme based on major events in the city. “We look at which organisations are celebrating anniversaries that year.” Last year, the honour went to the paper factory Sappi, marking its 175th anniversary.