Interview with Koenraad Tinel & Simon Gronowski | Doctor Honoris Causa - A Night At The Opera

On 17 November 2021, Koenraad Tinel and Simon Gronowski, honorary doctorates of Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Université libre de Bruxelles (2020) were invited to the Doctor Honoris Causa Ceremony of 2021 in Royal Theatre La Monnaie / De Munt in Brussels. Koenraad Tinel is a Belgian sculptor and artist. Simon Gronowski holds a doctorate in law, is a lawyer at the Brussels bar and a jazz pianist. The two men are close friends, which is perhaps surprising given their backgrounds. During World War Two, Gronowski escaped from the train that was taking him and his family to the extermination camp at Auschwitz when he was just 11. Tinel, meanwhile, grew up in a Flemish family who supported the Nazis. Their exceptional friendship is a powerful symbol of hope, happiness and peac