Akademydei
The new academic year begins for the Fryske Akademy with the celebration of the dies natalis, the day of the institute's foundation. Every year - on the Friday of, before or after the 10th of September - the Fryske Akademy invites members, donors and relations to look back on the past year with each other, but above all to look forward together to beautiful collaborations, projects and scientific challenges. On the Akademydei, the new members of the Fryske Akademy are traditionally appointed.
Akademydei 2026
On Friday afternoon, 11 September 2026, everyone is warmly welcome at BOEL (formerly Zalen Schaaf) in Leeuwarden from 1.30 pm. The keynote speakers are archaeologist and palaeobotanist Mans Schepers (University of Groningen) and scent researcher Eveline de Smalen (Meertens Institute), who will talk about nature in the time of King Redbad and the scents of Fryslân. In addition, new members of the Fryske Akademy will be appointed and the winner of the Skripsjepriis will be announced.
Programme
You are welcome to arrive from 1.30 pm (with coffee, tea and refreshments). We will start at 2.00 pm; the programme will run until just before 4.00 pm, with a short break at 3.00 pm. From 4.00 pm, it’s time for a toast, a chat and a game of boules! You can register via the form below (if the form fails to load, you can click on this link).
About the Akademydei
With the support of the Queen's Commissioner Harinxma thoe Slooten, the official opening meeting of the Fryske Akademy took place on 10 September 1938. The first board was formed by P. Sipma (chairman), J.H. Brouwer (secretary), Prof J.F. Koksma (treasurer), Prof G. Gosses, Prof J.M.N. Kapteyn, Prof G.S. Overdiep and Dr G.A. Wumkes. Honorary chairman was mr P.A.V. Baron van Harinxma thoe Slooten, honorary members were N. Ottema, Prof Sir William Craigie (University of Oxford) and Prof Theodor Siebs (University of Breslau).
The Fryske Akademy found accommodation in the Coulon House in Leeuwarden, which had been built in 1713. An ‘exceptionally cool little monument’, according to notary Nanne Ottema. To emphasise its scientific character, at the suggestion of Father Titus Brandsma, it was decided to use the seal of the Franeker Library as the logo. You can read more in the overview '85 years Fryske Akademy.'
Akademydei 2025
At BOEL in Leeuwarden, Akademydei was traditionally opened by Prof. Nelleke IJssennagger-van der Pluijm, director of the Fryske Akademy. Jantine van der West, Citizen Science and Knowledge Utilisation Officer, spoke about “Citizen Science and wurkmienskip”. Martine Jansen, research assistant at the Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning, which is part of the Fryske Akademy, spoke about the international project “Read with Multilingual Early Education”. Martijn Kingma, PhD candidate in Linguistics, spoke about “Perceptual dialectology: Frisian accents on the map”.
In between, mini-lectures were shown on video with Han Nijdam (“What was the role of women in Old Frisian law”), Anne Merkuur (“Is Frisian gradually changing into Dutch?”) and Nelleke IJssennagger-van der Pluijm (“Did the Vikings also speak Frisian?”). Of course, new members were also appointed. Liuwe Westra gave laudatory speeches for Syds Wiersma and Piter Tjeerdsma.
Akademydei 2024
Surrounded by centuries-old trees and buildings, in the historic courtyard garden of the Coulonhuis in Leeuwarden, the Fryske Akademy celebrated the end of its 85th anniversary year on Friday 13 September 2024. Guests included King's Commissioner Arno Brok, Mayor of Leeuwarden Sybrand Buma and poet of Fryslân Arjen Hut. with the appointment of members Eppie Dam and Ammerins Moss-de Boer, with the presentation of the thesis prize to Sannah Debreczeni (and an honourable mention for Herman van Vliet), with a lecture by Henk Wolf, and with music by Hot & Toasty, we can look back on a successful event. The photos were taken by Marieke Balk.