While the first students had already begun their studies in 1974, it wasn’t until two years later that the university officially came into being. On January 9, 1976, Queen Juliana signed the charter that formally established Rijksuniversiteit Limburg. This marked the legal and symbolic beginning of the university (Maastricht University, n.d.-a). The moment it was no longer just a regional initiative but a recognised part of the Dutch academic landscape.
Queen Juliana Signing the Charter to Establish Rijksuniversiteit Limburg (Maastricht University, n.d.-a).
An important step in shaping the university’s academic identity was the creation of its library. To build a solid intellectual foundation, the university drew on significant local collections, including volumes from the City Library and the Jesuit library. The Jesuit holdings in theology, philosophy, and medicine provided historical depth and connected the university to a long-standing scholarly tradition in the region (Hillen & Klijn, 2011).
Old Library at Centre Céramique (Schreuder, 2022)
When Queen Juliana signed the charter on January 9, 1976, a long-standing regional ambition became reality. Rijksuniversiteit Limburg was born out of persistence, innovation, and a strong belief in education’s power to shape the future (Observant, 2021).