Out and about with a kotmadam

What was life like in the past with the kotmadams? Were they like a second mother, sometimes turning a blind eye but also giving their students a good telling-off?  Was that the good old student lodging life?  And what does living in student accommodation mean today? 

Justus Lipsius was married to one; she was sometimes the victim of student pranks, features in many a student song and has been honoured with a fine statue on the Oude Markt: the kotmadam. You cannot imagine Leuven as a student city without kotmadams, yet you will no longer encounter them every day. On this walk, however, you will be in the company of a real kotmadam, who has her hands full with her students but would not be without them. Join her as she takes you past student rooms, pedas and residences, and discover the difference between a kotmadam and a marraine, as well as the secret of a “mariage louvaniste”. Please note: a basic understanding of the Leuven dialect is recommended.

Main stops 

Fonske  - Tiensestraat with its colleges – Germaine Cox, the first female student at the Faculty of Law -  possibly ALMA, – University Library - University Hall – Oude Markt – student bars - Hogeschoolplein & Pope's College – Aula De Somer – city park – Arras College, colleges on  Naamsestraat – Stuvo – the Beguinage can be included on request, with an adjusted route