Held by One
Some things rest on one person, and end when that person does.
Why this image
A hooded figure, seen from behind, crosses a dark cobbled square at night holding up a large lantern, and inside the lantern stands a small building with columns, all its windows lit. An honorary consul is a local resident who acts for a country alongside their own work, so Leiden's Turkish consulate hung on one person 1: Joost Peters held the post for ten years, and after his death in March 2019 no successor was found; it closed in May 2020 2. Levinus Warner was the Republic's resident in Constantinople until he died, childless, in 1665 3. Not painted, but the same: when Erpenius died in 1624, his manuscripts did not stay in Leiden 4.
What it draws on · 4
wat een honorair consul is
An honorary consul is not a posted diplomat but a local resident who represents a country alongside their own work, usually unpaid. That is why this consulate hung on a single person, and why it ended not with a decision but with a death.
Sources · 2
- Unity — 'Honorair Consulaat Generaal Turkije in Leiden gaat dicht': sluiting omdat geen opvolger werd gevonden
- Leiden In Motion: De Diversity Walk — Stichting Güney / Turksarchief.nl
Joost Peters
The consulate had one face: honorary consul-general Joost Peters, who held the post for ten years and put the emphasis on trade relations between the Netherlands and Turkey and on cultural exchange. A herring feast was held at the Kort Rapenburg every year. Peters died in March 2019, and because no successor was found the honorary consulate-general closed in May 2020.
Sources · 2
- Unity — 'Honorair Consulaat Generaal Turkije in Leiden gaat dicht': Joost Peters, tien jaar, overleden maart 2019, sluiting mei 2020
- Sleutelstad — berichtgeving over het Turkse consulaat aan het Kort Rapenburg
Levinus Warner
Levinus Warner was born around 1618 in the county of Lippe. On 19 May 1638 he enrolled at Leiden and learned the languages of the Middle East under Jacobus Golius. From 1655 until his death he was the Republic's resident at the Ottoman court in Constantinople, where by all accounts he lived entirely in the Turkish manner. He died childless on 22 June 1665, two days after drawing up his will.
Sources · 2
- Levinus Warner — Engelstalige Wikipedia: geboren ca. 1618 in Lippe, ingeschreven 19 mei 1638, leerling van Golius, resident 1655-1665, overleden 22 juni 1665
- Leiden University Libraries — Collection Guides: Levinus Warner collection (ubl211)
de collectie die wegging
Erpenius died of the plague on 13 November 1624, forty years old. His manuscripts did not stay in Leiden: in 1625 George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, bought the collection; Buckingham's widow bequeathed it to the University of Cambridge, and after long negotiations with the librarian Abraham Whelock it arrived there in 1632. Scaliger's books stayed; Erpenius's crossed the sea.
Sources · 2
- Cambridge University Library Special Collections — 'Thomas Erpenius: an Arabist of many talents': Buckingham 1625, aankomst in Cambridge 1632, onderhandelingen met Abraham Whelock
- Thomas van Erpe — Engelstalige Wikipedia: overlijden aan de pest, 13 november 1624
Shares its places with · 10
Under GlassLeiden University Library - Ottoman Collection
A Fragile EmpireLeiden University Library - Ottoman Collection
The Same RouteLeiden University Library - Ottoman Collection
The BequestLeiden University Library - Ottoman Collection
Forever RenewedThomas van Erpe (Erpenius)
Half SailedThomas van Erpe (Erpenius)
Own the LettersThomas van Erpe (Erpenius)
Another FlagFormer Turkish Honorary Consulate
In the SteamFormer Turkish Honorary Consulate
Behind the FacadeFormer Turkish Honorary Consulate
Painted with an image model from the facts on this page, and chosen by hand. City in Motion.