"The interesting thing about Bronbeek is, of course, that it’s a military museum. However, in the exhibition, you can see that they bring in broader discussions about our colonial past by also paying attention to resistance against colonial war. They really want to show that complexity."
New Interpretation
Jeffrey started his Master’s with an internship at the Jewish Cultural Quarter. "There, I categorised video testimonies to make them accessible for future researchers. In the second part of that internship, I was also able to explore the archives myself, and I realised that I really enjoy searching for things, that I want to keep looking for more content and connections. That curiosity is, in my opinion, something typical of history students. You’re constantly searching for a new interpretation."
The Matter of Pleasure
After his internship, Jeffrey decided to take a few courses on completely different subjects. "I took the tutorial The Matter of Pleasure. This course focused on how lust, sexuality, and pleasure have a serious place in historiography. Topics ranged from contraception in antiquity to colonial ideas about sexuality. The tutorials are very small-scale, which gives you close contact with the lecturer."
Jeffrey also took the course Knowing by Sensing. "It was about smell and other senses, and I found it surprisingly interesting. There were also students from other programmes, which made it even more enjoyable."
Freedom
What does Jeffrey like most about the Master's programme at VU? “Of course, the beautiful city of Amsterdam. There’s always something going on. Besides that, you can almost completely shape your study pathway, right from the start, both the courses and the topics. The lecturers all have their specialisations and they think along with you.”
Future
What does Jeffrey see for his future? "That’s a difficult question. I think it would be interesting to do research at a museum, to continue what I’m doing now, and maybe later create exhibitions. But I might become a policymaker in government. I can go in all directions."
