After 37 Years at the University, Marijke Nitsche Retires: ‘I Won’t Lose Anything’

After 37 years and four faculties, she is about to begin her new life. But before that moment arrives, secretarial assistant Marijke Nitsche (1961) looks back one last time at her years in an ever-changing academic environment. ‘I feel gratitude and emotion.’

Originally from Limburg, she came to Tilburg in the early 1980s to study at the then Akademie Mens-Arbeid on Sint Josephstraat. Marijke: ‘I grew up in Heerlen, and in our family, it was very normal to leave home to study. It didn’t matter where in the Netherlands, so I went to Tilburg.’

Marijke quickly felt at home there. ‘Maybe that’s because Brabanders speak the same way as Limburgers. They have a similar sound and also the same sense of conviviality.’ She adds: ‘There are also a lot of Limburgers walking around here on campus, you know.’

We speak to Marijke in a meeting room at the library. She likes coming here because her daughter Rikkie works as a library assistant. ‘That way, I can see her workplace again as well.’

Underground Bar
Marijke’s career at Tilburg University began on January 1, 1987. ‘I was hired at the secretariat of the Faculty of Theology. It was a very small faculty. The advantage of that was that you really knew your colleagues well. And we knew all the students, and they knew us.’

She still remembers the building on Academielaan clearly: ‘It was a very manageable faculty. We had a large canteen, with two dedicated canteen ladies. There was also a huge library and an underground bar. The bar committee did their best to offer a fine collection of beers.’

Not That Neat and Proper
‘The Faculty of Theology was an environment where mainly progressive people worked. You could feel it everywhere: there was an atmosphere of liberation and inclusivity, among both students and lecturers. For instance, during the feminist wave, you had “liberated” women there.

‘It was all just a little different. Not that neat and proper feeling that you encounter all day here now. Even though I was there at the tail end of this rebellious time, I could still feel it. It was a place where I always felt deeply inspired.’

Our Dear Lord
‘The Faculty of Theology was, of course, part of the university, but we were always a bit of an odd duck. If we had to ask something elsewhere on campus, people would often make jokes like: ‘What a beautiful day, huh? Our Dear Lord granted us this.’ We’d get teased with comments like that.’

It was not only a clear-cut time but also a relatively simple one. ‘We worked with computers, of course, but much was still done on paper. I loved that because it was tangible. For example, I had a small cash box on my desk for when students came to pay for their syllabi. Comparing that time to now is like the difference between a small grocer and a supermarket.’

Digital Systems
In 2006, much changed for Marijke and her immediate colleagues. ‘The Faculty of Theology was fully absorbed into Tilburg University, and theology became Religious Studies. From then on, we became part of Tilburg School of Humanities (TSHD) and moved from Academielaan to the Dante Building on campus.

‘My work also changed completely. I went from secretarial duties to educational administration, where I had to work with all sorts of digital systems. I had to process grades and student evaluations there, among other things.

‘The work was much more technical, and unfortunately, I didn’t see students and lecturers anymore. I did get many nice colleagues, though, and that made up for a lot.’

Reorganization
After a while, she began to have doubts: ‘Would another job suit me better? So I went to a career advisor. I briefly considered another role at the university, but the conclusion was that I was actually quite well off at TSHD.

‘Until, in 2015, the university carried out a major reorganization of the support staff. There was a lot of unrest. As an employee, you could be relocated entirely elsewhere. And there was no way around it. If you refused, there was the fear that you might lose your job altogether.’

Great Emptiness
As a result of the reorganization, Marijke ended up at the student desk in the Academia Building. ‘That wasn’t for me. I struggled through it for a year and then applied for a vacancy at the School of Economics (TISEM).

‘I didn’t feel any inspiration there either,’ she explains. ‘I want what I see, hear, or touch to come inside me, to affect me. If it doesn’t, it feels like a great emptiness. When I saw a secretarial vacancy at Philosophy, I thought: I might feel at home there. And, besides, I was back at TSHD again.’

The Library Stairs
In 2021, Marijke’s daughter Rikkie started working at the university. Rikkie, a library assistant and photographer, revealed to Univers without her mother’s knowledge that the university has always been part of her life: ‘It was a kind of second home for my sister and me. We were there often. I remember celebrating Sinterklaas here, but also walking around campus and in the woods.’

Rikkie is visibly proud of her mother: ‘Many people at the university know me through my mom. I hear how well-loved she is. Colleagues always speak highly of her.’ Her mother’s retirement feels strange and will take some getting used to, says Rikkie: ‘About twice a week, I see her during our breaks. She waits at the bottom of the stairs to the library for me. Then we walk together and talk about news or work-related matters. I’ll miss that a lot.’

Pride
Marijke: ‘I think it’s really nice that Rikkie works here too and that I get to see her regularly because of that. Our worlds have gained more overlap as a result. I’m happy for her that she works somewhere with stability and security. The university is a major employer with good working conditions. That’s reassuring for a mother. I’m glad she has that.

The text continues under the photo.

‘When I wait under the stairs for Rikkie and see her coming out, I watch how she walks and what energy she radiates. I immediately know how she’s doing. And I feel proud.’ She adds: ‘That goes for both my daughters.’

A New Life
And now, after 37 years and four faculties, Marijke stands with one foot in an entirely new chapter. ‘My retirement feels like I’m allowed to start a new life. It’s comparable to when I came to Tilburg in my twenties; it feels just as exciting.

‘I’m grateful to have the space and freedom to start anew. Everything seems possible, and I get the chance to let my life flow organically: every day I can do whatever comes to mind at that moment. What an incredible luxury.’

Then, a passing colleague presses her nose against the meeting room window and waves enthusiastically. Marijke laughs: ‘That’s an old theology colleague who now happens to work with Rikkie. We’ve remained friends all these years and still go on vacation together occasionally.’

What is the overwhelming feeling when she leaves the campus for the very last time? ‘Gratitude. It has been a cherished time. I also feel emotional, but above all, gratitude. Because all the people and friends I’ve made here, I take with me. I won’t lose anything.’

_Advertentie.