Archive Christine Andrina Elisabeth Maria Mohrmann

Number of the collection: UBG 092

Callnumber: uklu 092 Mohrmann

Description of the archive made by: Frida van Til, 2024

Brief overview

Name of the archive: C.A.E.M., Mohrmann, (1903-1988), classicist. 

Provenance: Personal legacy

Dated: -

Size: 3 metres and card index boxes

Language of the materials: -

Summary: Archive of Christine Andrina Elisabeth Maria Mohrmann (1903-1988).

Institute: University of Groningen

Retainer: University Library Groningen

Provenance and acquisition

Biography:

Christine Mohrmann was born in Groningen. She studied classical literature in Utrecht and Nijmegen, where she graduated and obtained her doctorate cum laude under Prof. J. Schrijnen. After teaching in Venray and Nijmegen, she became a private tutor in 1934 and a lecturer in Utrecht in 1942. In 1946, she was also appointed as a lecturer in Amsterdam, where her scholarly reputation was already well-established. However, her gender prevented her from succeeding Schrijnen in Nijmegen in 1938, due to a veto by Bishop Diepen. It wasn't until 1953 that she was finally appointed professor there.

She was the first woman to hold a teaching position at Nijmegen, specializing in Ancient Christian Greek and Latin. The central theme of her research was the language used by Christians, both Greek and Latin speakers, in the Roman Empire. She demonstrated that early Christians, living in smaller, private congregations, developed distinct linguistic patterns. Her language theories were detailed in the Nijmegen series Latinitas Christianorum Primaeva and in a series on the Greek of early Christians. She had the gift of inspiring others, leading to the formation of the ‘École de Nimègue.’

Mohrmann remained deeply loyal to the Catholic cause and to Nijmegen Catholic University. For her, secularization represented a loss of identity and the abandonment of spiritual values. In her sharp farewell speech in 1973, she did not shy away from expressing this belief, stating that it would be better to abandon Catholic identity altogether than to maintain it falsely. Her position was retained only after her strong insistence. Christine Mohrmann passed away in Nijmegen in 1988.

Part of her estate is housed at Radboud University's Catholic Documentation Centre: Christine Mohrmann Archive.

Acquisition: Personal legacy

Future additions: No future additions are expected.

Contents and collation: The collection includes war-time diaries containing lecture notes, newspaper clippings, leaflets, and similar materials.

Instructions for users of the archive

Accessibility

First of all, the archive is accessible for research purposes; furthermore for everyone interested in the archives.

Limitations to use

The materials in this archive are available for viewing only. They cannot be borrowed. When consulting these materials, the rules for use of library facilities apply. Copying is subject to the rules of copyright.

Accessing the archive

The copyright is held by the University of Groningen.
The right of publication rests with the Library of the University of Groningen as owner of the collection.

Citations

When referencing (materials from) this archive, the following information must be provided in full at least once. After this, an abbreviated citation suffices.

Archive: University Library Christine Andrina Elisabeth Maria Mohrmann

Individual items: Groningen UB 092

Requests

The materials in this archive can be requested through SmartCat or by sending an email to the Special Collections department.