bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Partis en Hainaut? La place de la noblesse hainuyère dans la lutte entre Jacqueline de Bavière et Jean IV de Brabant (1424-1428)
Authors: Flammang V.
Published: September 2015

Hainault Factions? The Role of the Hainault Nobility in the Struggle between Jacqueline of Bavaria and John IV of Brabant (1424- 1428)From March until June 1425, part of Hainault was devastated by the war that was waged between Jacqueline of Bavaria, heiress to the county, and her exhusband, John IV of Brabant, both of whom were pretenders to the sovereignty of the county. On this occasion, part of the county's nobility split up and chose to support one of the opposing sides. Among the various incentives that might have influenced the nobles, two predominant elements seem to have motivated their choice of camp: the territorial base of the nobles concerned and John IV's personality. The weakness of his character may have attracted some nobles who planned to take advantage of the situation or, conversely, it may have failed to please some members of the high-ranking and ancient nobility of Hainault, among whom chivalric ideals were still very much alive. This article is part of the special issue 'The history of the nobility in the Netherlands and Belgium'.
Beeldvorming rond adel en ridderschap bij Froissart en de Bourgondische kroniekschrijvers
Authors: Buylaert F. , Dumolyn J.
Published: September 2015

The Representation of Nobility and Chivalry in the Literature of Froissart and the Burgundian ChroniclersThis article discusses the representation of nobility and chivalry in the historiographical literature of Jean Froissart and his fifteenth-century followers. By analysing the discourse of those chronicles, this article intends to focus on the social functions of this literary tradition for its intended public; the nobles and state officials of the Burgundian-Habsburg court. As such, this publication questions the existing interpretation of the remarkable emphasis of those chroniclers on virtue as the source of ‘true nobility’ as an attempt by ambitious officials and intellectuals to obtain a noble status. The social significance of those chronicles resides in the fact that they were important for the definition and dissemination of a set of norms that governed the public behaviour of nobles. This article is part of the special issue 'The history of the nobility in the Netherlands and Belgium'.
'Ambtenaren in dienst van de vijand'. De bestraffing van het activisme in de Belgische rijksadministratie (1918-1921)
Authors: Wilde S. De , Verleden F.
Published: September 2015

Stijn De Wilde en Frederik Verleden ‘Civil Servants working for the Enemy’. The Repression of ‘Activism’ in the Belgian Civil Service (1918-1921)During the First World War, radical Flemish nationalists or ‘activists’ collaborated with Germany in order to obtain Flemish self-rule or even independence. In the aftermath of the war, the Belgian government prosecuted those who participated in the German Flamenpolitik. The repression of activism has led to many controversies, as the Flemish Movement considered it a harsh, anti-Flemish purge. Little is known about the repression of activists in the Belgian civil service. Yet, the scission of the Belgian civil service in a separate Flemish and Walloon branch was the most disputed measure of the German authorities and many civil servants were involved in one way or another. As it turned out, the administrative post-war purge was much larger than the criminal prosecution of activism. However, it would be a biased judgment to dismiss the administrative purge as an anti-Flemish operation as Walloon civil servants who had collaborated were also prosecuted. The repression of activism’was, however, burdened by the deficiencies typical of transitional justice: inadequate legal or administrative procedures, political interference, and infringements of the principles of a fair trial.
Vrome daden en gedachten. Een revisionistische kijk op het katholieke verleden van Nederland
Authors: Bruaene A.-L. Van
Published: September 2015

L. Bogaers, Aards, betrokken en zelfbewust. De verwevenheid van cultuur en religie in katholiek Utrecht, 1300-1600Ch.H., Parker, Faith on the Margins. Catholics and Catholicism in the Dutch Golden Age Pious Deeds and Thoughts. A Revisionist View of the Netherlands’ Catholic PastThis contribution comments upon the renewed interest in the Catholic past of the Netherlands. It discusses two recent books by Llewellyn Bogaers and Charles H. Parker on late medieval and early modern Catholicism, respectively. Both authors reject a teleological conception of history and propose studying the devotion of laymen, laywomen and the clergy from within. Both studies can be considered as part of a wider international – partly anthropologically inspired – trend to reassess the history of Catholicism. The author of this contribution applauds these developments but advocates a stronger integration of the study of religious practices on the one hand, and the study of religious experiences and ideas on the other hand.
Zelfstandigheidspolitiek. De achtergrond van een cruciale term in het buitenlands beleid van Nederland 1900-1940
Authors: Hertog J. den
Published: September 2015

The Policy of Independence. The Background of a Crucial Phrase in Dutch Foreign Policy 1900-1940The phrase ‘policy of independence’ was coined by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Van Karnebeek after the First World War. It has aroused a lot of discussion ever since. The phrase is often portrayed as sign of a change from a passive policy of neutrality to a much more active foreign policy. In this article the use of the phrase and the question of continuity or discontinuity are raised. This is done first of all on the basis of some crucial episodes from the First World War and subsequently the Dutch policy towards the German emperor and crown prince, Belgium and the League of Nations. This contribution argues that throughout those years the Dutch government pursued a policy characterized by activity and adopted an attitude that adhered to international law. Even before 1914 this approach was referred to as ‘independent’. Thereafter, Van Karnebeek coined the phrase ‘policy of independence’ to give expression to this prevailing attitude.
Repliek
Authors: Oosterhuis Harry , Gijswijt-Hofstra M.
Published: September 2015

Response In our response to the three reviews of our book we focus on five critical points that were made, namely: the presumed absence of a central question and overall explanatory framework; the argument that the work is not a synthesis; the problem of the interplay between the supply of and demand for mental health care; the relation between the perspective of mental health experts and our interpretation of this in terms of cultural pessimism as well as social design; and the objection that our elaboration of the process of psychologisation is unclear. We would like to emphasise that we do indeed present a definition of a central problem in the introduction and that we discuss it extensively and systematically in our conclusion. We also explain what, in our view, a historical synthesis should aim for and that our approach is empirical-historical rather than theoreticalsociological. We believe that we maintain a considerable distance from the actor's perspective at that time and that the criticism of our description of psychologisation is based on a limited understanding of that term. This response is part of the discussion forum 'Verward van geest en ander ongerief' (H. Oosterhuis, M. Gijswijt-Hofstra).
Geen identiteit zonder oriëntatie in de tijd. Over de noodzaak van chronologie
Authors: Grever M.
Published: September 2015

No Identity without Temporality. Why We Need ChronologiesRecently, the Dutch National History Museum launched a concept of five theme-worlds that would serve as the outline of Dutch history. Critics assume that this concept is at loggerheads with a clear chronology; in their view the museum will become a postmodern stew. This contribution investigates the extent to which this critique makes sense. One of the reasons for the critique is that the five-worlds-concept seems to abstract temporality. Indeed, in some theme-worlds different phenomena are gathered under one umbrella. In which case a coherent story with a clear temporality becomes impossible and visitors will get lost. Another reason for the critique is that the concept does not fit the temporality of national political history. There are indeed two theme-worlds which focus on climatic and social-economic processes. However, that does not contradict a chronology, it only indicates a different temporality. This article is part of the forum 'The Dutch National History Museum'.
Water en Land
Authors: Dam P.J.E.M. van
Published: September 2015

Water and Dry LandWater management has always been a major concern. Dutch pragmatism certainly has roots in water management, but it is also rooted in the culture of meetings of the Dutch cities and in the attitude of the peasant who produced for the market very early on. Water control reached its height when we introduced reinforced concrete for hydraulic engineering. Around 1970, the ecological turning point caused a change in focus. Water managers became concerned about the quality of water, the creation of ‘new nature’ and the adaptation to water. In this way, we did not discard the assets of the Industrial Revolution, but rather put them into a new framework: more green in the blue. Water is by definition international. The Netherlands co-parented the international cooperation of the Rhine countries. Is this history part of our national consciousness? Can the water history of the South- and Eastern Netherlands also join in the national water history of the twentieth century? This article is part of the forum 'The Dutch National History Museum'.
Nationale beginselen? Een transnationale geschiedenis van politiek en grondwet in de negentiende eeuw
Authors: Aerts R.
Published: September 2015

National Principles? A Transnational History of Politics and the Constitution in the Nineteenth CenturyHow ‘national’ was the political history of the nineteenth century? This question is relevant because it relates to a century steeped in nation-building and nationalism. The article examines both the historiography and the transnational traffic of models for a constitutional order. Paradoxically, it was precisely during this century of nationalism that, more than ever before, the political and constitutional models were of a transnational nature. In general, the Netherlands evolved into an international trend-hopper during the nineteenth century. This also applied to the constitutional process. And yet, against the background of this general trend, the Dutch constitution of 1814/1815 and that of 1848 remained relatively original and were crafted on the basis of the national scene. Moreover, although British, French and Belgian models did indeed feature in the discussions leading up to the revision of the 1848 constitution, they did not play a prominent role. This study invites the audience to reflect upon the nature of ‘national’ as far as this relates to political history and the explanatory frameworks used for it. This article is part of the special issue 'The Internationalization of the National History and the Pillarization'.
De problematische internationalisering van de Nederlandse jaren zestig
Authors: Pas Niek
Published: September 2015

The Problematic Internationalization of 1960s NetherlandsThe grand narrative of the 1960s is of a worldwide, socio-cultural movement with a reform agenda. The year ‘1968’ plays a central role in the discourse about the ‘Sixties worldwide’. This doubles up as a reference to a socio-cultural reality on the one hand and a metaphor for change on the other. The Netherlands also had to face an expanding, selfaware youth culture, rowdy student movements, alternative lifestyles and calls for emancipation. These developments, both historically and historiographically, do not necessarily run parallel with the concept of the Global Sixties. This paper traces the progress of the study of the Netherlands in the 1960s, which was carried out from a national perspective, and examines how the research associated with it relates to the international context mentioned earlier. This article is part of the special issue 'The Internationalization of the National History and the Pillarization'.
De nasleep van Somalië, Rwanda en Srebrenica: overeenkomsten en verschillen
Authors: Brocades Zaalberg Thijs
Published: September 2015

Klep, Christ, Somalië, Rwanda, Srebrenica. De nasleep van drie ontspoorde vredesmissies (Dissertatie Utrecht 2008; Amsterdam: Boom, 2008, 385 blz., ISBN 978 90 8506 668 2)The Aftermath of Somalia, Rwanda and Srebrenica: Parallels and DifferencesChrist Klep has written an impressive and highly accessible thesis on the aftermath of three unsuccessful peace operations. By using a bold comparative approach and an ambitious tone of enquiry he places the traumatic Dutch Srebrenica experience in the context of two broadly similar processes of finger-pointing and evading responsibility in Canada and Belgium following their respective interventions in Somalia and Rwanda. He thus exposes many fascinating parallels, yet the historian Klep pays little attention to the differences between his case studies. This is regrettable, as this would have strengthened rather than weakened his otherwise compelling argument. The Somali case in particular differs from ‘Srebrenica’ and ‘Rwanda’, since the murders perpetrated by Canadian soldiers – horrific as they may have been – and the subsequent cover-up in no way constituted a defining moment in the collapsing international mission as a whole. Unlike the genocides in Rwanda and Srebrenica the death of the two Somalis was the result of a purely national Canadian failure, which helps explain why the Somalia Inquiry could identify guilty compatriots far more decisively than, for example, the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD) in its Srebrenica report. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Somalië, Rwanda, Srebrenica' (Christ Klep).
Why have there been no more ‘affairs’ like Somalia, Rwanda and Srebrenica?
Authors: Jockel Joseph T.
Published: September 2015

Klep, Christ, Somalië, Rwanda, Srebrenica. De nasleep van drie ontspoorde vredesmissies (Dissertatie Utrecht 2008; Amsterdam: Boom, 2008, 385 blz., ISBN 978 90 8506 668 2) In his dissertation, Dr. Klep concentrates on peace operations and their aftermath as fairly domestic matters in Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands. These three peace operations also fit, however, into an international development at the end of the Cold War. Classic, ‘blue’ peacekeeping was largely replaced by more robust ‘green’ international interventions that are not only more dangerous, but during which much more is expected of the peacekeeping forces. New ‘affairs’ surrounding peace operations have not occurred. The un and national governments are less inclined to begin such missions (namely Daurfur). Presumably the armed forces of several countries have drawn lessons from the peace operations that went off the rails. Also the public is less shocked by accusations of misconduct under difficult circumstances. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Somalië, Rwanda, Srebrenica' (Christ Klep).
Binnenland ontmoet buitenland. De nasleep van onderzoekscommissies naar ontspoorde vredesmissies
Authors: Kemseke Peter Van
Published: September 2015

Klep, Christ, Somalië, Rwanda, Srebrenica. De nasleep van drie ontspoorde vredesmissies (Dissertatie Utrecht 2008; Amsterdam: Boom, 2008, 385 blz., ISBN 978 90 8506 668 2) When the Home Front meets Foreign Parts. The Aftermath of Commissions of Inquiry into derailed Peace MissionsPeace Missions take place in difficult and volatile circumstances. It is therefore hardly surprising that some peace missions become ‘derailed’. Christ Klep zooms in on three ‘derailed’ missions in his book and focuses on the value of Commissions of Inquiry which are subsequently set up as a result of public and political pressure. Do they succeed in revealing the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of such derailments and – above all – identifying those who are responsible? Based on a broad spectrum of questions and extensive source materials, Klep concludes that ‘the number of escape routes from the labyrinth of responsibility is practically infinite’; a clear message for all those taking part in international and domestic politics. It is here that the author skillfully and expertly succeeds: exposing the complex entanglement of domestic and foreign policy, even concerning events that sometimes happen away from the capital city. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Somalië, Rwanda, Srebrenica' (Christ Klep).
Repliek
Authors: Klep Christ
Published: September 2015

Klep, Christ, Somalië, Rwanda, Srebrenica. De nasleep van drie ontspoorde vredesmissies (Dissertatie Utrecht 2008; Amsterdam: Boom, 2008, 385 blz., ISBN 978 90 8506 668 2).ResponseThe validity of my comparative approach (Somalia-Rwanda-Srebrenica) still stands, in my opinion. At the level of political responsibility and the process of coming to terms with events, the similarities are stronger than the differences. My estimation that the Inquiry reports were ‘hijacked’ by almost all of the stakeholders involved (especially the Canadian, Belgian and Dutch governments) is more of a matter of fact and a political reality than a reproach that ought to have legal implications. Finally, the question of how far the three governments that were involved learned lessons from the three affairs is difficult to answer. Was it not also the wider developments (for example, the switch from the ‘blue’ missions to the more robust ‘green’ missions) that compelled the lessons to be drawn out? This response is part of the discussion forum 'Somalië, Rwanda, Srebrenica' (Christ Klep).
Urbanization, Culture and the Dutch Origins of the European Enlightenment
Authors: Mijnhardt Wijnand W.
Published: September 2015

The Dutch Republic currently plays a prominent role in the big debates on the origins and nature of the European Enlightenment. However, relatively little attention has been devoted to the role played by urbanization in this. This contribution focuses on the specific form of urbanization that took place in Holland, and a compelling relationship is established between urbanization in the coastal provinces and a series of political and religious issues that were of decisive importance in the early European Enlightenment. The high watermark of this Dutch contribution can be found in the period 1680-1730. After this, and closely related to the decrease in urbanization and the social problems associated with economic decline, the Dutch Enlightenment would acquire a character all of its own, unfamiliar to other Europeans. This article is part of the special issue 'The International Relevance of Dutch History'.
The Dutch Empire. An Essential Part of World History
Authors: Doel Wim van den
Published: September 2015

In this article, a number of aspects of the history of Dutch colonialism are linked to developments in world history. A number of themes are covered by this approach, such as the consequences of the worldwide revolutions around 1800, the Cultivation System, modern imperialism, the rise of the colonial state, nationalism and decolonisation. The aim is to show that the development of specific parts of the world was linked to major, worldwide historical processes through links that arose thanks to Dutch colonialism. I further argue that knowledge of the history of Dutch colonialism is essential to an understanding of these major, worldwide processes. This article is part of the special issue 'The International Relevance of Dutch History'.
Civil Society or Democracy? A Dutch Paradox
Authors: Aerts Remieg
Published: September 2015

Since the 1990s, research has been carried out worldwide into the relationship between ‘civil society’ (an organised, self-aware society) and the formation of democracy. Dutch historians have to date shown little interest in this field of research, although the case of the Netherlands is an interesting one, both historically and in terms of current affairs. This article makes a case for the relevance of Dutch history to the debate on civil society in relation to three points. Firstly, where civil society is a phenomenon of the eighteenth and above all the nineteenth centuries, the society of the Republic demonstrates that a corporatist order can show characteristics of a civil society. Secondly, the factor of religion can be an important element in the promotion of social commitment. Thirdly, Dutch history flags up a paradox: it seems that a highly developed, civil society can rather limit than promote the need for political democracy and the recognition of an independent political sphere. This article is part of the special issue 'The International Relevance of Dutch History'.
Religion in the Modern Netherlands and the Problems of Pluralism
Authors: Kennedy James C. , Zwemer Jan P.
Published: September 2015

The religious history of the Netherlands during the last two centuries exhibits some of the same dynamics and tensions as those evidenced in neighbouring countries. This article selects from religious history three historiographical issues salient to transnational patterns. The first pertains to Dutch churchstate relations in the nineteenth century, most notably a relatively early disestablishment. The second theme concerns the so-called ‘pillarization’ (verzuiling) of Dutch society, and to what extent pillarization – to the extent it is a useful concept at all – can be regarded as a quintessentially ‘Dutch’ way to manage religious pluralism. The last theme focuses on secularization, a concept which historians have used to analyse the decline of organized religion in the Netherlands, particularly the sharp decline in religious participation and adherence after 1960. Religion, however, has remained an important focus of debate in recent decades, as the Dutch sought again to renegotiate the politics of pluralism. This article is part of the special issue 'The International Relevance of Dutch History'.
Pillarization, Multiculturalism and Cultural Freezing. Dutch Migration History and the Enforcement of Essentialist Ideas
Authors: Schrover Marlou
Published: September 2015

During the 1970s, the Netherlands introduced a set of multi-cultural policies which, through government subsidies, subsidised and promoted the otherness of migrants for several decades. Other countries also embraced multiculturalism. In the Netherlands, however, this policy represented a continuation of an older tradition of pillarization. Multiculturalism was not pillarization in new clothes, however, although there was a continuity of the underlying ideas, as this article will show. This led to a great deal of enthusiasm for multiculturalism, and subsequently to great disappointment, without it ever becoming clear what exactly the aim of the policy was and how its success or failure could be measured. The central thesis of this article is that the successive development of pillarization and multiculturalism in the Netherlands has led to a reinforcement of essentialist ideas concerning migrants and their descendants, as well as a freezing of ideas on ‘the’ Dutch culture. This double freezing then made adaptation difficult or impossible. This article is part of the special issue 'The International Relevance of Dutch History'.
'Ouvrez l'histoire'. Revolutionaire geschiedenispolitiek in de Zuidelijke Nederlanden (1792-1799)
Authors: Deseure Brecht
Published: September 2015

‘Ouvrez l’histoire’. Revolutionary Historical Politics in the Southern Netherlands (1792-1799)Based on speeches given by revolutionary administrators in Antwerp and Brussels during the French period, this article investigates the uses of the past in official revolutionary discourse. The revolutionary conception of liberty – based on a break with the past and a return to mankind’s original state of natural freedom – was diametrically opposed to the historically grounded Brabantine understanding of liberty. Yet in practice, elements of the native historical culture were subtly integrated into the official discourse. At a national level, the cherished myth of the Belgians as defenders of freedom was invoked to enhance the revolutionary claim. At the local level, parallels were even drawn between the revolutionary intervention and specific episodes of local urban history, thus making the revolutionary message more recognizable for the population. These findings provide greater nuance to the existing picture of the French discourse as firmly anti-historical and unadjusted to local circumstances.
Philip II’s Quest. The Appointment of Governors-General during the Dutch Revolt (1559-1598)
Authors: Soen V.
Published: September 2015

Philip II’s Quest: The Appointment of Governors-General during the Dutch Revolt (1559-1598)Recent historiographical studies have presented the Habsburg appointment of governors-general during the Dutch Revolt as the outcome of factional infighting at the Spanish Court. While this so-called ‘faction model’ has yielded new insights, it also raises a number of problems. Firstly, in the new model, the role of the dynasty is unduly relegated to the background – even though Philip II’s appointment decisions were mainly driven by dynastic considerations. Secondly, the power struggle at the Spanish Court was not only a conflict between court factions, but also between noble houses vying for prestige and trying to secure positions for their offspring. Thirdly, there is an excessive focus on the Spanish Court, while the feuds between noble houses in the Low Countries also played a role in the interim appointments made during the Revolt. Finally, Philip II always looked for the most suitable candidate in terms of administration and warfare during the Dutch Revolt, in accordance with the constraints of the composite Spanish monarchy. Only the combination of these four (frequently contradictory) motives reveals how Philip II’s appointment of governors can be seen as a quest for the right man or woman in the right place.
Voorbeeld en voorganger. Robert Fruin en Godefroid Kurth als vaders van de geschiedwetenschap
Authors: Paul H.
Published: September 2015

Model and Predecessor: Robert Fruin and Godefroid Kurth as Fathers of Historical ScholarshipThis article explores not how historians study collective memories, but how they create and nourish (professional) memory cultures of their own. It examines how historians commemorate their predecessors and celebrate their historiographical achievements. The case studies chosen are Robert Fruin (1823-1899) and Godefroid Kurth (1847-1916), both of whom were hailed as ‘father of history’ by Dutch and Belgian admirers, respectively, in the late nineteenth century. Tracing the fortunes of Fruin’s and Kurth’s reputations throughout the twentieth century, the article shows that this ‘father of history’ metaphor acquired rather diverse meanings. These shifting meanings not only mirrored changing ideals of scholarly practice, but also reflected institutional concerns, religious or ideological partisanship, and growing concerns over the habit of conceiving of historical scholarship in national terms. Finally, the article recommends further research on the affective and emotional dimensions of fatherhood in nineteenth and twentieth-century historiography.
Tweedracht maakt macht. De PvdA, de doorbraak en de ontluikende polarisatiestrategie (1946-1966)
Authors: Mellink B.
Published: September 2015

Divide and Rule: The Dutch Labour Party (PvdA), the Breakthrough and the Emerging Polarisation Strategy (1946-1966)In 1966, after a lengthy debate in the Dutch parliament, the Cals cabinet came to a sudden end. As a motion proposed by Norbert Schmelzer, the parliamentary leader of the prime minister’s own Catholic party precipitated the cabinet’s fall, ‘Schmelzer’s Night’ received an iconic status in Dutch political history. Many historians have interpreted Schmelzer’s Night as the birth of a Social Democratic ‘polarisation strategy’: differences between Left and Right were exaggerated in order to divide the confessional parties along ideological lines. Established analyses ascribe the development of this polarisation strategy to the ascendancy of a younger generation in Dutch politics. This article argues instead that the polarisation strategy of the late 1960s was not so much caused by a new generation, but rather emerged as a consequence of postwar Social Democrats’ efforts to abolish pillarisation (verzuiling) in Dutch society.
Culpa in eligendo. Het scheve perspectief van een nieuwe Bernhard-biografie (discussiedossier over Bernhard. Een verborgen geschiedenis)
Authors: Lantink F.W.
Published: September 2015

Culpa in eligendo. The Skewed Perspective of a New Bernhard BiographyThe new biography Bernhard. Een verborgen geschiedenis [Bernhard: A Hidden History] by Annejet van der Zijl is seen, in the context of the sensational discourse on the monarchy in the Netherlands, through a typical narrowing of the biographical perspective. In explaining Prince Bernhard, in terms of his time and social class, simply as ‘the last feudal’, Van der Zijl has become trapped in the hermeneutic circle between Zeitgeist and individuality. Not only is this a rude denial of the modernity of the German Reich, but Bernhard’s background is not to blame for his failings. It is more interesting to ask how the Dutch political elite used Bernhard’s personal falsifications as an image-building tool for the monarchy. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Een verborgen geschiedenis' (Annejet van der Zijl).
‘Alles is van ons’. Anonieme brieven over de voedselvoorziening in Nederland tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog
Authors: Vrints A.
Published: September 2015

‘Everything is Ours’: Anonymous Letters concerning the Food Supply in the Netherlands during World War IIThe input of the Dutch population in the formation of food policy in the Netherlands during World War II is often unduly neglected. People did not simply undergo policies from above, but actively tried to exert influence on these. Writing anonymous letters was one of the strategies used to this end. A corpus of anonymous letters sent between 1940 and 1944 to the head of the Dutch rationing authority offers rare alternative access to the moral codes and perceptions of the food issue at grass-roots level in the occupied Netherlands before the Hunger Winter. The analysis of this corpus of anonymous letters confirms the existence of a strong anti-German Dutch consumer identity, but also goes to reveal a socially more complex image of the moral perceptions of the food issue in the occupied Netherlands. The letters show that the food issue gave birth to social tensions earlier than has generally been assumed. The image of anti-German unity masks a great deal of social division. Various social groups held different views on the food issue. The perceptions of these groups may have been diverse, but they all shared a preoccupation with equality.
Een wankel vertoog. Over ontzuiling als karikatuur
Authors: Dam Peter van
Published: September 2015

A Shaky Exposition: On De-pillarisation as a CaricatureDutch twentieth-century history is regularly constructed on the basis of the antithesis of verzuiling (pillarisation) and ontzuiling (de-pillarisation). The popular discourse of de-pillarisation suggests the dismissal, around the 1960s, of three societal characteristics: segregated religious and ideological communities (pillars); the societal dominance of such communities; and pacifying cooperation among social elites. De-pillarisation thus connects to the discourses of individualisation, secularisation and politicisation. Conversely, this article proposes seeing a shift in the way citizens have organised themselves – a shift from heavy to light communities – as the essential transformation in Dutch post-war history. From this perspective, the discourse of discontinuity is replaced by a panorama of gradual change. Individuals became more independent and organised themselves more loosely; religious traditions were only admitted to public life as long as they proved to be bonding elements; and politicians legitimized their policies by means of a dialogue among experts whilst, by and large, maintaining their pacifying style.
‘Kweekplaatsen van gezondheid’. Vakantiekolonies en de medicalisering van het kinderwelzijn
Authors: Bakker N.
Published: September 2015

Hygienic Re-Education: Health Colonies and the Medicalization of Child WelfareIn the Netherlands between c. 1880 and 1970, large numbers of working-class children were subjected to a penetrating kind of hygienic re-education in ‘health colonies’. The aim of the philanthropic societies that set up these colonies was twofold: to promote child health and to teach personal hygiene and proper behaviour. Compared to other Western countries, this Dutch version of the international hygienic campaign focusing on physically weak schoolchildren was characterized by groups staying in the health colonies for a short time, the absence of schooling and the major role played by physicians. Questioning the background of these particularities, this article discusses the rise, development and decline of the health colonies. Through subsidies and control, the Dutch State turns out to have played a major role in the process of medicalization of this originally pedagogical project.
Congomania in Academia. Recent Historical Research on the Belgian Colonial Past
Authors: Goddeeris Idesbald , Kiangu S.E.
Published: September 2015

The Congo has recently been the subject of much academic research. This article discusses the major trends and developments. It primarily focuses on the Congo crisis of 1960, which was commemorated in 2010 and has been inquired into by many historians, including American, British and Russian ones. A comparison of their conclusions reveals that Flanders has largely come to terms with its colonial past, but that the French-speaking community has a more problematic memory. Belgian academia, by contrast, has left the old controversies about Leopold II and Lumumba behind and embarked on the path of new imperial history. It approaches the Congolese past from new angles and with new paradigms, such as reciprocity, science, exhibition, representation, etc. Congolese academia suffers from the economic problems of the country, but has managed to produce a number of studies, focusing mainly on regions, religion, and resistance. Strikingly, Congolese historians have little criticism of the colonial era.
De domesticatie van democratie in Nederland. Democratie als strijdbegrip van de negentiende eeuw tot 1945
Authors: Velde Henk te
Published: September 2015

The Domestication of Democracy in the Netherlands: The Concept of Democracy as a Political Weapon from the Nineteenth Century until 1945  Democracy as we know it is a contested combination of majority rule (as opposed to elite rule) and the rule of law (as opposed to dictatorship). This contribution charts the historical debate about the concept of democracy in the Netherlands. Until the 1880s the word democracy was scarcely used in the Dutch parliament and, if used, usually in the derogatory sense of mob rule. Parliamentarians could ignore it because no large democratic reform movement existed until the neo-Calvinist Abraham Kuyper and Socialists began to advocate democracy as the rule of the common people. They used arguments that today would count as populist. In 1917-1919 general suffrage was introduced. In the interwar period liberals and social democrats used ‘democracy’ to defend the values of parliamentary democracy against National Socialism. After the war a new consensus emerged – democracy was first and foremost the absence of dictatorship. Democracy was stripped of its populist side, it was ‘domesticated’. Today it has become clear that this domestication remains contested.
Populisme verleden tijd?
Authors: Wolffram Dirk Jan
Published: September 2015

Is Populism a Thing of the Past?Is populism a category that contributes to our understanding of politics and its history? A large number of books are dedicated to populism and new titles are published weekly. In this article the balance is drawn up by judging books with different scientific pretentions, but with two features in common. Inspired by a number of classical studies on populism they try to interpret the state of Dutch politics, and at the same time offer a reinterpretation of aspects of the recent and less recent Dutch past. On the basis of a review of these books one has to conclude that populism, unlike the classical ‘isms’ of the history of politics, appears to be too diffuse to be a useful category for an interpretation of the political development in the last decade, or more generally as a phase in the development of democratic political systems.Reviewed books:Baalen, Carla van, e.a. (eds.), Waar visie ontbreekt, komt het volk om (Jaarboek Parlementaire Geschiedenis 2011; Amsterdam: Boom, Nijmegen: Centrum voor Parlementaire Geschiedenis, 2011, 239 p., isbn 978 94 6105 546 0). Berger, Peter L., Zijderveld, Anton C., Lof der twijfel. Hoe we overtuigingen kunnen koesteren zonder daarbij fanatiek te worden(Amsterdam: Cossee, 2010, 204 p., isbn 97890 5936 266 6). Heijne, Bas, Moeten wij van elkaar houden? Het populisme ontleed (Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij, 2011, 143 p., isbn 978 90 234 3587 7). Pels, Dick, Het volk bestaat niet. Leiderschap en populisme in de mediademocratie (Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij, 2011, 255 p., isbn 978 90 234 5391 8). Wielenga, Friso, Hartleb, Florian (eds.), Populismus in der modernen Demokratie. Die Niederlande und Deutschland im Vergleich(Münster [etc.]: Waxmann, 2011, 244 pp., isbn 978 3 8309 2444 9). Zijderveld, Anton C., Populisme als politiek drijfzand (Cossee essay 8; Amsterdam: Cossee, 2009, 108 p., isbn 978 90 5936 250 5).
Een taak voor de staat? De Duitse bezetting en de invoering van de verplichte ziekenfondsverzekering in Nederland, 1939-1949
Authors: Vonk Robert
Published: September 2015

A Responsibility of the State?: Social Security, the German Occupation and the Introduction of Compulsory Social Health Insurance in the Netherlands, 1939-1949 In historiography the Sickness Funds Decree (1941) has always been portrayed aseither being a Dutch or a German product. The author argues it was both. The German occupier was able to break through the political stalemate that had delayed the introduction of social health insurance during the previous decades. However the German authorities could not completely bypass Dutch ideas. The initial farreaching proposal was blocked by combined resistance from Dutch civil servants and ‘Berlin’. After the war, the restored Dutch government proposed a Beveridgemodelof social security, with the state at the centre of power. This proposal was rejected since the general feeling was against the state controlling health insurance. The Sickness Funds Decree seemed to be better suited to this mood. By establishingthe Sickness Fund Council the power over social health insurance shifted from the state to the civil society.
Profit and Loss: The Current Relevance of Historical Migration Research
Authors: Winter Anne
Published: September 2015

In recent years the debate about migration and integration has come prominently to the fore in many European countries, but has possibly created the most commotion in the Netherlands. In Winnaars en verliezers [Winners and losers], Leo and Jan Lucassen take a critical look at the thesis of ‘integration pessimism’, and set out to evaluate the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ of migrations to the Netherlands in the last five centuries. This discussion raises some methodological and interpretation problems that are inherent in the concepts of profit and loss and examines the limits and possibilities of similar research in Belgium. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Winnaars en verliezers' (Leo Lucassen and Jan Lucassen).
Winners and Losers: A Rejoinder to Anne Winter and Matthias Kortmann
Authors: Lucassen Leo , Lucassen Jan
Published: September 2015

The criticisms of Anne Winter and Matthias Kortmann of Winners and Losers enable Leo and Jan Lucassen to revise and explain more clearly a number of key arguments of their book. These particularly concern questions about the aim and usefulness of comparisons in time and space. Regarding the spatial comparisons (especially with Germany and Belgium), the authors have tried to show in which respects Dutch migration history is unique and where more general mechanisms were at play. Concerning the comparison of the post-war immigration dynamics with the Early Modern Period, Leo and Jan Lucassen argue that this yields much more than one would assume at first sight. It forces us to think systematically about what is similar and what is different, but it also sheds new light on apparently familiar and unproblematic cases. This response is part of the discussion forum 'Winnaars en verliezers' (Leo Lucassen and Jan Lucassen).
Strijken of niet strijken: That’s the Question
Authors: Dorsman Leen
Published: September 2015

To Iron or not to Iron: That’s the QuestionGeschiedenis als metgezel [History as a companion] can be read in different ways. An interesting aspect to this book is that it contains a large part of the history of universities and the history of a scientific discipline. We have many official and institutional histories, but those studies reveal only a part of the real life in academia. The merit of the book by Bunna Ebels-Hoving is that it merges official history and personal history. For instance it shows that statistical emancipation of the female scientist does not mean that there is no longer any practical problem. Revealing is the part in the book in which she recounts a discussion with a colleague: should one stop ironing or not. By mixing simple (?) household questions with observations about (inter)disciplinarity this book shows what – in the words of Max Weber – Wissenschaft als Beruf really means. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Geschiedenis als metgezel' (Bunna Ebels-Hoving).
De anima historica naturaliter. Bunna Ebels-Hoving en de verlokkingen van de historische sensatie
Authors: Boone Marc
Published: September 2015

The anima historica naturaliter: Bunna Ebels-Hoving and the Allure of Historical SensationIn her book (Geschiedenis als metgezel) Bunna Ebels-Hoving pays a great deal of attention to explaining how and why she became a historian. This is important, for it describes a process that is often done by well-established high ranking professors, while here we are allowed to hear the voice of an intellectually engaged woman who did not reach the solitary heights of academia, but nevertheless remained a keen observer of the social practices and intellectual evolution within a part of the historian’s profession that was very much determined by tradition –medieval studies. For a contemporary reader almost an anthropological perfume emanates from the way she describes how she was introduced by her masters in the profession. For another central theme, the technical and epistemologicalaspects of how one practices medieval history, it looks as if very little has changed.Especially concerning the way mediaevalists might use the so-called traditional auxiliary sciences, palaeography and diplomatics, in the first place her book readsas a down to earth but very just appraisal of the values at stake. Some of the discussions she recalls having witnessed indeed refer to both older examples and actual debates. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Geschiedenis als metgezel' (Bunna Ebels-Hoving).
Redactioneel - From the Editors
Authors: Kennedy James
Published: September 2015

Redactioneel - From the Editors
Theoretical History
Authors: Santing Catrien
Published: September 2015

This article is part of the forum 'Theoretical History'.
From Philosophy of History to Philosophy of Historicities: Some Ideas on a Potential Future of Historical Theory
Authors: Bevernage Berber
Published: September 2015

Berber Bevernage does not share the pessimistic view that the philosophy of history is in crisis or coming to an end: it can have a bright and fascinating future. However in order to remain relevant, he argues, philosophy of history should look beyond academic historiography and transform into a broad ‘philosophy of historicities’ that also pays attention to the wide variety of extra-academic ways of dealing with the past. In order to do this current philosophy of history has to overcome a number challenges. First, it has to recognise that academic historiography did not develop in an intellectual vacuum but is closely related to particular social, cultural and political presuppositions about time and historicity on which it is partly dependent but which it can also reinforce or contradict. Second, it should recognise that different approaches to time and historicity have different social, cultural and political functions and not restrict its focus to philosophy of science or epistemological/cognitive issues. Third, it should focus on the ethics of history. This article is part of the forum 'Theoretical History'.
Is There a Future for History?: On the Need for a Philosophy of History and Historiography
Authors: Jansen Harry
Published: September 2015

Within the philosophy of history the main focus has been on problems regarding the ideal typical division between the sciences and the humanities. However speculation on ideal forms risks neglecting the epistemic problems regarding historical research, writing history and education. Therefore the philosophy of history needs a new dimension by supplementing it with a line of thinking Harry Jansen would like to call the philosophy of history and historiography, in short phh. Very much like the painter Velazquez, who in his Las Meninas invites people to look into the mirror and see themselves as rulers, Harry Jansen wants to invite historians to look into the mirror of historiography and see themselves as users of epistemic tools. This requires the historian to view historical interpretations from a comparative perspective. Historical texts not only inform us about the past, they can also be seen as providing insights into the intellectual operation of historical production. These insights show not only the richness of historiography but above all they provide the historian with the theoretical tools with which that richness can be acquired. This article is part of the forum 'Theoretical History'.
Geographies of Difference: Dutch Physical Anthropology in the Colonies and the Netherlands, ca. 1900-1940
Authors: Sysling Fenneke
Published: September 2015

This article analyses how physical anthropologists created scientific circuits between the Netherlands and their colonies in the East Indies. It shows that national and imperial anthropology were not two separate spheres and that the movement of anthropologists and their objects was important both for the making of anthropology as a scientific discipline and for making anthropological ideas. Trying to define the physical features of people in Dutch fishing villages and in East Indies inland regions, anthropologists formed geographies of imaginary difference. Anthropological data from the Indies however was valued more highly than that from the Netherlands, which means that distance continued to matter. New Imperial Historians would therefore do better to sharpen their perception of these uneven geographies. This article is part of the special issue 'A New Dutch Imperial History'.