1
00:00:00,657 --> 00:00:02,880
One of the best friends of Erasmus was,

2
00:00:02,980 --> 00:00:03,820
brace yourself,

3
00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:05,920
Hieronymus van Busleyden.

4
00:00:06,020 --> 00:00:09,714
In the 16th century, on his deathbed,
Van Busleyden instructed his

5
00:00:09,814 --> 00:00:12,280
friend Erasmus to do something remarkable.

6
00:00:12,380 --> 00:00:14,980
Erasmus was to establish the Collegium Trilingue,

7
00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,929
or '<i>college of the three languages</i>'.
It was the first college in Europe

8
00:00:18,029 --> 00:00:21,022
where students were taught in Greek,
Hebrew and Latin.

9
00:00:21,122 --> 00:00:22,158
This way they could read

10
00:00:22,258 --> 00:00:24,999
the original manuscripts and form their own opinions.

11
00:00:25,100 --> 00:00:27,160
The college had a revolutionary method of teaching,

12
00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,982
and produced important scientists like
Vesalius and Mercator;

13
00:00:31,349 --> 00:00:33,968
just two of the university's most famous alumni.

14
00:00:34,068 --> 00:00:38,145
The college's popularity inspired students from many other disciplines to enrol,

15
00:00:38,245 --> 00:00:40,720
causing tension in the academic world at that time.

16
00:00:40,820 --> 00:00:44,974
However, a few years later the college would officially integrate into the university.

17
00:00:45,074 --> 00:00:49,364
The Collegium was truly unique. Anyone could come and take classes here at no cost.

18
00:00:49,464 --> 00:00:52,160
Some of the best and most renowned
professors taught here.

19
00:00:52,338 --> 00:00:55,100
Best of all: there were no exams or grades.

20
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,960
But today little of the Collegium Trilingue is left.

21
00:00:58,320 --> 00:00:59,960
What a shame.