Big names, big deeds distract attention from the basis on which all that wonderful stuff could come about. De Vrije Universiteit is not just Kuyper, Colijn, Dooyeweerd, Van der Molen, Stellingwerff, Diepenhorst, Rijnsdorp or Armstrong. A great many private individuals also contributed.
Private contributions
The establishment of what started as a theological education in the attics of what is now the Kleine Comedie would have been impossible without the money of private individuals. OK, brewer Hovy took a large share, but from the founding of de Vrije Universiteit, contributions from private individuals have been of great importance. With one kind of highlight, of course, being the "VU van" that became so famous that many people think the university could have been founded with that van.
Fundraising actions
But there have also been fundraising actions before, during and after the 'van'. An investigation into the nature, extent and success of those actions could be very interesting because it would allow an even better profile of the people behind de Vrije Universiteit to emerge. There is ample material for such a study. Apart from the official financial documents that can be found in de Vrije Universiteit's 'company archive', there is a collection of propaganda material from almost the entire period of its existence.
Fill in that authorisation
An example of that propaganda material is the brochure 'Gulden woorden van 't edel voorgeslacht over de Vrije Universiteit'. The brochure is undated. Opposite the authorisation to be completed is the text 'The Heroes have fallen. The best have passed away.... But their word remains sound, and We want to be so too. Their sons not degenerate.' Inside are drawings by Groen van Prinsterer, Kuyper, Bavinck, Lindeboom, Rutgers, Fabius, Woltjer, Idenburg, Knap and Colijn, a kind of sample of the Reformed, scholarly column. Each drawing is accompanied by a quotation, with the ultimate aim: fill in that authorisation.
'For the preservation of our university'
But there are more brochures with resounding titles. For example, 'Waves roll on...' where the words 'cultural destruction', 'religious persecution', 'communism' and 'disbelief' are drawn on the waves. Or 'For the preservation of our university' with the first chapter: 'Why it must and why it must so' on the looming budget deficit for 1947 and 'A talk and a picture' following an article by Prof J. Waterink.
All this ultimately with only one aim: to raise money for de Vrije Universiteit. Nice material, research worthy.