Auditorium

The UGentPassage starts at the Auditorium of the university. An ideal place to begin the tour as this is also where the city and university begin. The Auditorium is the glorious welcome gift from the city to the university. Even today, it is the ceremonial heart of UGent.

The eight columns and the pediment evoke a Greek temple, which is also the intention of architect Lodewijk Roelandt. The Auditorium is meant to be a 'Temple of Science' where reason is celebrated. Outside and inside, Roelandt uses various classical style elements to give the building a monumental impression. Art critics are critical of this: they find the Auditorium a stylistic cacophony. But the city and the university do not care: 19th-century travel guides quickly list the Auditorium as a three-star location, and it remains a focal point to this day.

After the festive inauguration in 1826, the university overloads its flamboyant celebration palace with symbols and rituals. The symbolic value of the Auditorium makes it the ideal place for professors, students, officials, and politicians to make statements about the state of science, education, the university, the people, and the country. The conflicts that have been fought over time, both verbally, musically, and with fists, are countless. This makes the Auditorium a special place of remembrance where history is palpable.

The city and its citizens remain welcome as generous donors in the 'Palace of the University'. Thus, at the opening of the academic year, it is a tradition for not only the rector but also the mayor to give a speech. Until the First World War, the city awards prizes during the opening ceremony for the best high school students. Ghent associations find a venue for their exhibitions, such as the Floraliën. Even the Ghent Dragon finds shelter in the Auditorium in 1912 when the tower of the Belfry is renovated. The columns are burned into the retinas of the Ghent citizens in 2000 when artist Jan Fabre decorates them with hams.

UGentMemorie