Leuven Remembers Veronique Vandekerchove

On Friday 29 June, the city of Leuven, KU Leuven, M-Museum Leuven and Illuminare-Study Centre for Medieval Art (KU Leuven) remember Veronique Vandekerchove, head conservator of M-Museum Leuven from 1998 to 2012.

Veronique Vandekerchove was the head conservator and driving force of the Leuven museum. She passed away after a traffic accident on 25 January 2012. Veronique successfully put Leuven on the international museum map and thus provided a fundamental contribution to the city to make it an attractive and dynamic place. She also played a crucial role in the strong collaboration between the city and the university.

For her enormous cultural service, President Mark Waer of KU Leuven posthumously grants her the elevated KU Leuven distinction of Clavis Terrarum. It is the first time that this distinction has been conferred. Clavis Terrarum is a work of art in bronze, designed by Fred Bellefroid.

M-Museum Leuven dedicates the large hall with late-Gothic sculpture to her. This hall was chosen in accordance with her family and with architect Stéphane Beel. The memorial plaque receives a place of honour at the beginning of the museum's tour route.

The city of Leuven is establishing the Veronique Vandekerchove Chair of the City of Leuven. It is the first time in history that the city takes such an initiative. The teaching Chair represents an amount of 65.000 euro per year and will be first used to allow young art historians to collaborate in academic and scientific research that falls in line with the work of Veronique Vandekerchove.

As we have previously announced, the study centre, Illuminare, is publishing the book Rogier van der Weyden in Context, as a result of the eponymous colloquium in 2009. Veronique Vandekerchove was the host and co-organiser of the colloquium. The book, on which researchers from around the globe have worked, is dedicated to her.

The memorial service for Veronique Vandekerchove is planned for Friday, 29 June at 17.00 in M-Museum Leuven.