
The Rapenburg
Royal students at the Rapenburg
Several members of the Royal Family spent their student years in a dormitory on the Rapenburg. Prince Willem-Alexander resided at number 116 and Queen Beatrix at number 45. One famous scene from a Dutch war movie (Soldaat van Oranje or Soldier of Orange by Paul Verhoeven) was recorded on the balcony of Rapenburg 56.
Japanese emperor at the Rapenburg
In 2000 the Japanese emperor visited Holland. He left the Sieboldhuis and walked with his retinue to the Hortus Botanicus when something extraordinary happened. At number 51, the emperor stopped to talk to three students. In Japan it would have been unthinkable for the emperor to chat to ‘regular’ people. Later, a plaque was installed to commemorate this special moment.