We are devastated by the news of the passing of Arthur Sonnen, one of the founders of the EUNIC Netherlands cluster and the EU National Institutes for Culture network. We remember Arthur as a tireless and ever-curious advocate of the arts and international cultural cooperation. Notably, his love and dedication for the shared European cultural space live on in the connections and the work and memories of all the colleagues he inspired. Arthur served on the board of EUNIC as Secretary from 2006 until 2013 on behalf of SICA, DutchCulture‘s predecessor, stressing the value of the artistic exchange and advocating for stronger connections to Europe and a European identity. Notably, he collaborated with Boekman Foundation to co-edit the book: Identifying with Europe. Colleagues from our cluster remember Arthur fondly for his curiosity, his intellect, and his commitment to the shared European space, long past he worked for it in any official capacity – a wandering mentor who never forgot his cheer.
