The treasury – The first witnesses of our century

Serie vraaggesprekken met Nederlanders die aan het begin van de twintigste eeuw zijn geboren

Paul Julien 1901-2001

Interview with 93-year-old anthropologist and chemist Paul Julien. Julien talks about: his childhood in

Utrecht; his exclusively science-oriented interest, as a result of which social and political developments

during his youth; his expeditions to Africa and what he sees as the positive impact of colonialism on tribal war-torn Africa. Julien shows gloom about the future due to the decline in moral awareness and does not even consider it out of the question “…that we are heading for a Third World War.”

Hilda Verwey-Jonker 1908-2004

Interview with sociologist and former member of parliament Hilda Verwey-Jonker (1908) about her childhood in Zuid-Beveland and Zwolle; the SDAP milieu she grew up in; the position of women in the early twentieth century; sexuality as experienced by students; her grandchildren; the rise of right-wing extremism in the 1930s and her functioning in male strongholds such as the SER and the United Nations. Verwey-Jonker fears the consequences of the ageing of Western society. According to her, poorer peoples will take over some of the prosperity without having the technical and scientific knowledge to deal with the environment responsibly.

Emile Schüttenhelm 1909-2003

Interview with former NTS president Emile Schüttenhelm (1909) about: the Catholic environment in which he grew up; World War I; the rise and fall of communism; the rise of right-wing extremism in the 1930s; his participation in the World Jamboree in 1937 and his meeting with Lord Baden-Powell; his liberation in 1945 and the presidency of the NTS, for which he was asked because, according to minister Cals, he was the only one who had a chance to “survive” in Hilversum.

Schüttenhelm reminisces about Henk Terlingen and looks positively to the future, as he believes every generation has the commitment and creativity the future needs.