The School - Walk up the Burgemeester Martenssingel and keep to the left. You’ll walk into a school playground.

In 2002 the Gouda comprehensive school Leo Vroman was named after Leo, whom was a student at this school when it was still a Higher Civic School. Leo’s father was a physics teacher there and his mother taught maths until her marriage. To make place for a business incubator for young creative start-ups the school has recently vacated the left side of the building.

Twelve was too young, that was the rule,

to enter the Higher Civic School.

How my father and I passed beneath the dying elms

in less than five minutes into the realms

of the physics he taught; for example, about Joule.

mijn eigen Gouda” – Leo Vroman

Translated by Steven de Jong voor Gouda bij Kaarslicht (incl. the parts of the poem “My Own Gouda”)