Farewell to EAC Archivist Rosita Arnts

Expats become accustomed to saying goodbye as people move on to new places, but that doesn’t mean that it gets any easier. At the Expatriate Archive Centre, we have said farewell to our Archivist, Rosita Arnts. Rosita is our longest-serving staff member, retiring after 7 years at the archive.

Rosita has guided the archive through many changes, including its transition from the Outpost Family Archive to the Expatriate Archive Centre in 2008. She oversaw the move to the Adlib archival software currently used by the EAC, culminating in the catalogue going online in 2012. She has guided many volunteers over the years, leaving them with fond memories of their time at the EAC when they too have moved on. Rosita has always been the one of the archive’s most energetic ambassadors and she strongly advocates the EAC’s mission to document the social history of expat life. To demonstrate her support, she has donated her own archival collection from her well-travelled expat life.

Rosita’s send-off took place in the garden of the Expatriate Archive Centre. Staff and volunteers attended, as did researcher Dr. Martin Loeve and Chair of the EAC Board Han Kooij. Rosita was presented with a photo collage covering the years she has spend at the archive. The reverse of the collage was covered with messages of support from people she has worked with, the number and content of them reflecting the high regard Rosita is held in.

Introducing Eva Barbisch

As we wish Rosita all the best with her retirement, we welcome our new archivist, Eva Barbisch. Eva is originally from Austria, and has lived in different countries including Germany and Norway before coming to the Netherlands. Her diligence and eye for detail were already in evidence during her time spent volunteering at the EAC as a team leader. We welcome Eva to our team!