Below you can find a map of the city centre of Utrecht, with the main venues highlighted in blue.
The main conference venues (Instituto Cervantes, Academiegebouw, and Huize Molenaar) are all located at or around the central Dom Square, all within 5-minute walking distance from each other.
In addition to these main venues, some other venues are also of importance to conference attendees (Geertekerk en Neude Library). All these venues are within walking distance of the Dom Square but can also be reached by public transport. To check how to get to these venues using public transport, you can refer to U-OV.
PLEASE NOTE:
All panel sessions will take place in historic buildings and rooms located in the heart of Utrecht. These venues typically do not have air conditioning. As the conference takes place in August – during the height of summer – please be prepared for warm temperatures.
Coffee, tea, and water will be available in every room. In addition, tap water in the Netherlands is of excellent quality and perfectly safe to drink. We recommend bringing your own reusable water bottle, which you can refill throughout the day to stay hydrated.
DDD17 Social Hub
The DDD17 conference will be more than just a platform for exchanging research ideas and findings — it will also be an opportunity to network, connect over coffee or tea, and engage in inspiring discussions in smaller groups. To facilitate this, we’re dubbing part of the Instituto Cervantes building our “Social Hub.” Here, the following activities are organized:
- On the ground floor of the building, conference participants are invited to come together over coffee or tea and have a chat. Registration will also take place here.
- In the theatre hall of the building (on the first floor), we will set up a Book Market, where both international academic publishing houses and Utrecht local bookshops will display and sell some top picks of interesting books on anything related to (the politics of) death. Some authors of books will also be present. In addition, you have the opportunity to meet editors of the interdisciplinary death studies journal Mortality here.
- In addition, conference participants will be invited to visit several art exhibitions and workshops in the basement and first floor of the building.
The main conference venues are:
Academiegebouw (University Hall) (Domplein 29)
Utrecht’s University Hall is the main building of Utrecht University, located on a corner of Dom Square. Since its founding in 1636, the university has occupied several annexes of the Dom Church, particularly the cloister and the chapter house. The chapter house, now connected to the University Hall, serves as an auditorium. Notably, on 23 January 1579, the Union of Utrecht – considered the foundation of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces – was signed in this room. It also holds historical significance as the place where the first female Dutch student, Anna Maria van Schuurman, attended lectures, seated in a screened-off box next to one of the two original lecture halls. She later became an influential humanist, linguist, theologian, poet, and artist.
During DDD17, the opening keynote and conference dinner will take place in this historic auditorium. The cloister will serve as the venue for our reception, while panel sessions will be held in smaller rooms throughout the building.
Huize Molenaar (Korte Nieuwstraat 6)
Huize Molenaar is a historic patrician house with a rich history. Established in 1892 by Jacob Molenaar, a Frisian-born chef, it has been a prominent venue for private dining and events for over a century. The building itself dates back to the 18th century. Throughout its history, Huize Molenaar has hosted numerous significant events, including academic promotions and receptions, particularly for Utrecht University. In the early 20th century, it was customary for all promotion dinners and receptions to be held here. Initially, these events were exclusively for men, but over time, women were also included, first in separate rooms and later together with men.
Today, Huize Molenaar continues to operate as a private dining establishment, maintaining its historical ambiance and significance. During our DDD17 conference, it will serve as venue for panel sessions.
Instituto Cervantes (Domplein 3)
The Instituto Cervantes (named after the renowned author Miguel de Cervantes) is a Spanish public institution established in 1991 to promote the Spanish language in the Netherlands and the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries worldwide. The Instituto Cervantes continues to play a role in fostering cultural and linguistic ties between Spain and the Netherlands, organising numerous events that celebrate and disseminate Spanish and Latin American cultures within the Dutch context. While Utrecht was historically a battleground between Spanish and Dutch interests (especially during the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule in the 16th century), the presence of Instituto Cervantes in the city today represents a shift from conflict to cooperation.
During our DDD17 conference, Instituto Cervantes will serve as a venue for panel sessions, and as our Social Hub, where participants can gather for exhibitions, workshops, and our Book Market.
Dating back to the 12th century, the Geertekerk is a beautifully preserved medieval church with a rich history. Over the centuries, the church has been a site of worship, first Catholic, later Protestant. The name comes from Saint Gertrude of Niveless, a 7th century abbess and saint, and patron saint of travellers, the poor, and hospices. Nowadays, the Geertekerk is amongst others an event venue, where during the DDD17 conference a plenary roundtable on the topic of euthanasia in the Netherlands (on Thursday evening) will be organized.
The Bibliotheek Neude (Neude Library) is a vibrant cultural hub housed in a former 20th-century post office. Its grand halls, high ceilings, and intricate brickwork make it a striking venue. Today, the library is a dynamic space for learning, creativity, and community, featuring reading rooms, exhibition spaces, and a café where visitors can relax and connect. The experiential plenary keynote by Prof. Enny Das and the ASDS Award Ceremony (on Friday afternoon/evening) will be held at the theatre hall of the library.