Introducing: Hannelore Braeken
Hannelore Braeken recently joined the Institute for History as a PhD candidate as part of Paul van Trigt's NWO project 'Collaborative learning from loneliness' (COLLELO). Below she introduces herself.
My name is Hannelore and I have been working as a researcher on the COLLELO project since September 2024. Within this project I am exploring the history of loneliness among people with mild intellectual disabilities under the supervision of Paul van Trigt, Marlou Schrover and Hester van de Bovenkamp.
To embark on this adventure, I left Belgium behind and moved to Leiden. Before that, I studied history for four years at KU Leuven, a city that surprisingly often reminds me of Leiden: a real student city with an old university, but with fewer canals and - admittedly - better beer. I soon felt at home here and I am incredibly happy to start this new chapter in this beautiful place.
My path to Leiden began during my master's year in Leuven. For my master's thesis, I researched the history of thalidomide in Belgium. During this process, I became fascinated by disability studies and was struck by how little attention this fascinating field of research receives. I employed oral history methods and conducted interviews with individuals affected by the thalidomide scandal. This method touched me deeply, especially because of the connection I built with the interviewees and the valuable lessons they shared with me - lessons that extended far beyond what I could capture in my thesis.
After completing my Masters, I decided to take a gap year to figure out what I wanted to do with my degree. I studied for a semester at the Universidad de Cádiz, but soon realized that I could not let go of my thesis topic. I often thought back to the conversations I had and the insights I had gained from them. It gave me a clear sense of direction: I wanted to pursue my interests in disability studies and oral history.
I am therefore delighted to have the opportunity to develop these passions. Through this unique combination of emotion history and disability history, I hope to contribute to a better understanding of the everyday experiences of people with mild intellectual disabilities. I look forward to furthering my knowledge in this unique field and working on exciting and hopefully impactful research.
I am also looking forward to getting to know all of you better and learning more about the exciting work you are doing. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you would simply like to connect!