Jan Blommaert

Merci Jan, for sharing your amazing energy, wisdom and inspiration. You are dearly missed. May you rest in power. 

It's extremely saddening to lose Jan, a dear friend and respected scholar. I always feel privileged to have had him as one of my PhD supervisors and coauthors of several publications. Clearly remembered are those great meetings with him that were always full of humor, encouragements and ingenuity. He will be immensely missed! May him rest in peace! 

Adieu, Jan... 

It was special and amazing to have Jan join our department a decade ago. It is beyond sad that it had to end this way. Life won't be the same. In grateful memory. 

"What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." (Helen Keller)
Dear Jan,
irrevocably, you have become a part of me. And one I am proud of.

We probably disagree on this matter, but I look forward to meeting with you again. 

Adieu Jan, we fondly remember you as an inspiring academic driven by justice and integrity and by your example of collaboration and sharing your insights on superdiversity et. al. You will sadly be missed by your close family and by all around the globe who benefitted from your gift to spark the virtue of research curiosity and to accompany them – us – on the trajectory making this world a better place. Adieu Jan. 

Dag Jan,
we hebben enorm veel van je mogen leren, dank je wel.
Dag goede vriend. 

Jan was een ontzettend inspirerende collega die prachtig college kon geven en provocatieve lezingen. Het was een eer om op hetzelfde departement te mogen werken. Ik wens zijn nabestaanden heel veel sterkte met dit grote verlies. 

Dag Jan, we werkten vlak bij elkaar - zelfde gebouw, zelfde verdieping. De paar keer dat we spraken waren aangenaam en interessant. Sterkte voor je getrouwen 

Knowing Jan was a privilege. He was inspiring and made knowledge so available and accessible; my sociolinguistics guide!I am still honoured that he read and commented on my PhD work, as a friend and as a scholar. He was never tired to take on new challenges; so young to go... RIP. 

Jan, besides being a great and inspiring intellectual, was also a kind, empathetic person. You will live in our memories not only through your works.
Sit tibi terra levis. 

We zullen Jan in Tilburg vreselijk gaan missen; zijn inspirerende betogen, zijn belangrijke opvattingen en zijn politieke scherpzinnigheid. Maar daarnaast ook zijn vrolijke en vriendelijke aanwezigheid in de gangen van ons departement.
Jan, we hebben veel van je geleerd. Je hebt een bepalende invloed gehad op het Online Culture-profiel van de Tilburgse Cultuurwetenschappen en we zullen er alles aan doen om je naam in ere te houden. 

I have been following Jan's research and writing since the 1990s, but only met him in person over the last decade through our collaboration with the Max Planck centre at Gottingen. A truly original scholar with much to contribute to our understand of the contemporary world in Africa and Europe, and a delightful companion at scholarly events. Much missed. 

Jan was an inspiring supervisor, a wonderful colleague and dearest friend. It is so heartbreaking to learn that he is no longer around. May your soul find rest. 

The opportunity to be a student of Jan is one of the luckiest things in my life.
Jan is an excellent scholar, a respectable teacher, and a kind elder. I am very grateful for everything he has brought us.
His knowledge makes me admire. It seems that he can explain all the obscure knowledge in a few sentences.
We will always miss you. 

Jan was a brilliant, stimulating intellectual with admirable human qualities. He left too soon. He still had so much to teach us. Rest in peace my friend ! You will never be forgotten ! 

Alongside the tributes to his enormous creativity and accomplishments and to his kindness, humour and friendship, may I acknowledge my gratitude for his encouragement and company over the years in various parts of Europe and in South Africa where his brilliant contributions and dedication were also so much appreciated. Irreplaceable indeed.
David 

What a lovely man. So honest with himself and with others. He was an original thinker and a good colleague. It is a great sadness to accept that he is no longer with us. 

I am deeply saddened by the news that Jan Blommaert has passed away young. I met him in the early 1990s when I was doing my PhD at the University of Amsterdam and, hearing about my research, he was so kind to invite me to give a presentation for his research team at Gent University. Since then we have met many times round the world and here in China. He contributed to my journal, participated in my conference, collaborated on teaching...he was always there when needed...He will be remembered dearly. Shi-xu 

Jan, je was in alle opzichten een bijzonder persoon, een bijzondere collega, een bijzonder docent, een bijzondere wetenschapper. Je hebt - zoals bij zovelen - ook bij mij een grote indruk achtergelaten. Ik ben blij dat ik met je heb mogen samenwerken.