Irmtraud went looking for another job
After the bad experience at the Archive I was wondering what to do: Should I resume my study of French? I already had a bachelor´s degree from Vienna which was recognized in the Netherlands. I always liked linguistics and with some luck, I thought, I could find a job at the university.
I first consulted a professor in Utrecht about the possibilities. With a recommendation from my professor in Vienna he accepted me as a student and promised to find some job as research assistant for the fall. Meanwhile I had to wait for some months before starting with my new career. However a month later he called me and told that he would take next fall a professorship in the United States but his colleague in Amsterdam had a research job vacant and would also take me as student. I got quite nervous: Professor Lhothsky fell ill before making the formal approval of my thesis, the professor in Utrecht who had offered me a job, left the university. What else could happen? I rushed to professor Zumthor in Amsterdam who received me very friendly and offered me a position. Since the paperwork for the job was done before the summer vacation I regained confidence in my new career.
I first consulted a professor in Utrecht about the possibilities. With a recommendation from my professor in Vienna he accepted me as a student and promised to find some job as research assistant for the fall. Meanwhile I had to wait for some months before starting with my new career. However a month later he called me and told that he would take next fall a professorship in the United States but his colleague in Amsterdam had a research job vacant and would also take me as student. I got quite nervous: Professor Lhothsky fell ill before making the formal approval of my thesis, the professor in Utrecht who had offered me a job, left the university. What else could happen? I rushed to professor Zumthor in Amsterdam who received me very friendly and offered me a position. Since the paperwork for the job was done before the summer vacation I regained confidence in my new career.
Making maps of words of the Alps
My research job was funded by the Dutch National Science Organization and consisted in producing maps of words which were typical for the Alps. They were studied for all languages people spoke in the Alps. The project aimed to find out where the language borders occurred. I can´t say that I was very enthusiastic about this project, because I had doubts about the relevance of this project. But at least I had a job.
My predecessor in this job had already collected material for the first two maps. I worked quite hard to finish these maps, because the products were needed to extend the grant in the next year. These two maps were indeed finished before the end of the year.
My research job was funded by the Dutch National Science Organization and consisted in producing maps of words which were typical for the Alps. They were studied for all languages people spoke in the Alps. The project aimed to find out where the language borders occurred. I can´t say that I was very enthusiastic about this project, because I had doubts about the relevance of this project. But at least I had a job.
My predecessor in this job had already collected material for the first two maps. I worked quite hard to finish these maps, because the products were needed to extend the grant in the next year. These two maps were indeed finished before the end of the year.
The next phase and "extra instructions"
The professors involved in this project were very optimistic about the continuation of the project. So, at the end of the year I organized a trip to institutes in alpine cities to collect new material for the next maps. I really liked to make the trip. Before my travel the professors wanted that I visited another collaborating colleague in Utrecht who would give me some advice for the data collection. “This is really not necessary!” a younger professor protested. But as the others insisted, he accompanied me to my office and said: ”You shouldn´t go alone to this guy in Utrecht!” He hesitated and then continued: “He can´t keep his hands off of women. I could accompany you!”
Before I could get the advice of the womanizer the National Science Foundation decided not to prolong the project. My Swiss professor got very angry: ”They only fund their friends. Foreigners are discriminated! Also you will be confronted with this all your life!”, he said to me. In a later episode we will see that there was some truth in it.
The professors involved in this project were very optimistic about the continuation of the project. So, at the end of the year I organized a trip to institutes in alpine cities to collect new material for the next maps. I really liked to make the trip. Before my travel the professors wanted that I visited another collaborating colleague in Utrecht who would give me some advice for the data collection. “This is really not necessary!” a younger professor protested. But as the others insisted, he accompanied me to my office and said: ”You shouldn´t go alone to this guy in Utrecht!” He hesitated and then continued: “He can´t keep his hands off of women. I could accompany you!”
Before I could get the advice of the womanizer the National Science Foundation decided not to prolong the project. My Swiss professor got very angry: ”They only fund their friends. Foreigners are discriminated! Also you will be confronted with this all your life!”, he said to me. In a later episode we will see that there was some truth in it.
My master´s thesis
After this bad luck with the job I concentrated on my study which I liked. For my master´s thesis I tested a hypothesis the Swiss professor in Vienna had made: The more important a city in the North of France was in the 16th century the more dialectical forms they used in their documents. To carry out this sociolinguistic study Willem helped me with the design. Among other indicators for the importance of the city I used the number of churches in the town. So I had to find maps of the 16th century of the towns and count the churches for each town I had selected, which was quite a work. Thereafter the dialectical forms in documents of the cities were counted in order to draw a conclusion.
After this bad luck with the job I concentrated on my study which I liked. For my master´s thesis I tested a hypothesis the Swiss professor in Vienna had made: The more important a city in the North of France was in the 16th century the more dialectical forms they used in their documents. To carry out this sociolinguistic study Willem helped me with the design. Among other indicators for the importance of the city I used the number of churches in the town. So I had to find maps of the 16th century of the towns and count the churches for each town I had selected, which was quite a work. Thereafter the dialectical forms in documents of the cities were counted in order to draw a conclusion.
The result was that the hypothesis of my former professor was rejected: the more important a town was the less dialectical forms they used. My professor in Amsterdam appreciated my efforts and gave me an excellent.
Graduating in French
Before my graduation my professor in Amsterdam left the Netherlands and went to Canada. His successor as head of the department was a former student of him. At some point I had done all the obligations for the master´s degree except the translation from French in Dutch but as a foreigner, I got an exemption for that part. So it was time to get the degree in French. I went there together with Willem. The committee, consisting of the head of the department and the assistant who gave me the exemption invited me in an office. Willem had to stay outside.
While I had only very good marks and an excellent for my thesis, the head of the department started to say that in principle one could not get the degree without passing the translation test. “This is the last time” he said. He didn´t say any positive word about my results. I was too shocked to react. Probably he hated his predecessor.
When I told Willem what had happened he was also shocked. He expected that a “Cum Laude” was more likely than all these complaints. We were, however, at that moment less familiar with the academic system to start an official complaint.
An extra degree but no job
Although I had acquired a new degree, I had no prospects for a job. When I made the decision to study French I only considered the short term consequences, which were positive and neglected the uncertain long term perspective. There might have been some teaching jobs at schools but I did not want to do that. So I had to consider again what I could do in the Netherlands.
Graduating in French
Before my graduation my professor in Amsterdam left the Netherlands and went to Canada. His successor as head of the department was a former student of him. At some point I had done all the obligations for the master´s degree except the translation from French in Dutch but as a foreigner, I got an exemption for that part. So it was time to get the degree in French. I went there together with Willem. The committee, consisting of the head of the department and the assistant who gave me the exemption invited me in an office. Willem had to stay outside.
While I had only very good marks and an excellent for my thesis, the head of the department started to say that in principle one could not get the degree without passing the translation test. “This is the last time” he said. He didn´t say any positive word about my results. I was too shocked to react. Probably he hated his predecessor.
When I told Willem what had happened he was also shocked. He expected that a “Cum Laude” was more likely than all these complaints. We were, however, at that moment less familiar with the academic system to start an official complaint.
An extra degree but no job
Although I had acquired a new degree, I had no prospects for a job. When I made the decision to study French I only considered the short term consequences, which were positive and neglected the uncertain long term perspective. There might have been some teaching jobs at schools but I did not want to do that. So I had to consider again what I could do in the Netherlands.