KU Leuven: Former Student Restaurant Pauscollege Renamed After Resistance Heroine Hortense Daman

After the thorough renovation of the Pope’s College, the former restaurant of the residence will be given a new purpose and name. The space, where lectures, debates and seminars can take place from now on, will be named after Hortense Daman. This young resistance heroine played a crucial role in Leuven during the Second World War.

The former student restaurant of the Pope’s College, which is not only centrally located but also has a rich history, will bear the name of Hortense Daman . This room will be used in the future for lectures, debates and seminars, among other things, and thus provide space for dialogue and reflection, in keeping with Daman’s life and legacy.

Hortense Daman, who was active in the resistance as a teenager during the war years, is a source of inspiration for many. Her courage and determination have lasting significance and demonstrate how young people can have extraordinary influence in times of conflict.

This recognition of Daman’s heroic deeds is in line with other initiatives by, for example, the Pleinstraat Neighborhood Committee, including a mural, a republication of the book about her life, and her honorary citizenship of the city of Leuven. Guided tours are also organized in the neighborhoods that played a central role in the resistance during WWII.