On the twenty-sixth of November 1940, six months after the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, several professors at Leiden University, led by Rudolph Cleveringa, professor of law, spoke out against the expulsion of their Jewish colleagues. The same day, students repeated and copied his famous address, and spread it to other Dutch universities. Cleveringa was arrested and spent the rest of the occupation in prison. The students of Leiden University decided to strike in solidarity, leading to a shutdown of the University. In honour of these courageous gestures, the Cleveringa Lecture is held annually in the Netherlands and many other countries on themes related to the rule of law, freedom and responsibility. In honour of this important speech, underlining the values of freedom, responsibility and human rights, which are shared by the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Václav Havel Library will hold a special evening on 5 December under the auspices of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Daan Huisinga. This year’s Cleveringa Lecture in Prague will be held by historian and political philosopher Luuk van Middelaar from Leiden University. Other speakers include Director of the Václav Havel Library Michael Žantovský.
