The Brantijser on Sint-Jacobsmarkt is one of those historic Antwerp buildings that the general public might not know. UAntwerp wants to change that, with an expo on the sixteenth-century building.
From norbertines to a warehouse
The building has had several uses over the centuries. For example, in the eighteenth century, it was owned by the norbertines of Tongerlo Abbey. Under French rule, it first housed a military hospital and then it became home to the gendarmerie. Afterwards, the building became property of the city of Antwerp. Between 1885 and 1968, the conservatory was ‘temporarily’ housed here. For a while, the complex also served as a city warehouse. In 1988, the University of Antwerp became the new owner and the Antwerp Management School settled there. When AMS moved to the Boogkeers several years ago, the Faculty of Arts moved there.
When a history student writes a dissertation on the building, we want to incorporate that new knowledge.
Growing expo
‘Our faculty also includes the Department of History’, Dean Luc Herman says. ‘The compelling past of the Brantijser naturally fascinates them a lot. Our historians studied the building in-depth, which resulted in a new expo: through info boards, our students, as well as visitors, get to experience the history of the building. We want to make it a “growing” expo: for example, when a history student writes a dissertation on the building, we want to incorporate that new knowledge. There is definitely room for new archive materials.’