Dear all,
It was truly heartwarming to read your memories of Keebet in the special issue of Legal Pluralism and Critical Social Analysis, which you have so kindly dedicated to her work. I remember the journal lying around within easy reach of her chair or couch, often on top of a pile of books and newspapers. The Commission, and more generally the field of legal pluralism studies, was very important to her. Reading all your memories brings back the anecdotes she often shared of conference trips, visits to friends and colleagues all over the world and her (and often also your) research projects and the questions these raised for her.
Keebet loved to talk about her work, also with Sander and me. I think that for her there never really was a clear line between the private and the professional. Colleagues were often her best friends, and field trips often could naturally evolve into a vacation. When Sander and I were kids, our parents often combined a summer conference with a summer holiday: taking us to Canada, Mexico, Indonesia and elsewhere. They would find a place for the two of us to stay during the days they were giving and following lectures and workshops, or we joined them when they visited a befriended colleague. In our house in Wageningen (and later in Halle) they regularly welcomed colleagues from all over: some of them good friends but often enough academic contacts that they met in person for the first time. During dinner with guests they could switch naturally from general subjects to in-depth discussions, similarly to how easily they switched between the academic and the everyday concerns when talking to each other. Sometimes we found this a bit challenging (and boring), but as we grew up also exciting and interesting. As we grew older and became academics ourselves, her genuinely interested and critical attitude was very inspiring and supportive.
Your memories have brought to life this side of Keebet in a very vivid way, and we want to thank you all for writing about your experiences and friendships with her. I still miss her a lot and every now and then feelings of grief can become overwhelming. Especially on last December 20th, which would have been her 78th birthday, it was a comfort to realize how many others, some of whom I have never met, are remembering her. For this we want to thank you all.
With best wishes,
Bas & Sander von Benda-Beckmann