bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Het Lumumba-onderzoek
Authors: Gerard E.
Published: September 2015

The Lumumba inquiryIn his reply, E. Gerard, one of the experts of the parliamentary inquiry committee, comments on four aspects dealt with in the reviews of the Lumumba affair. One should distinguish between the judgment of the committee and the experts’ report as to their respective nature. The experts want their conclusions, which are the result of historical research, to be part of an ongoing scientific debate. When carrying out their research they focussed on the professional standards of their metier, not the considerations of the raison d’état. By conducting a careful and thorough analysis of written and oral sources, they tried to bridge the gap between fact and fiction to lay a solid foundation for assessing the events around this controversial case. They put forward the concept of “moral responsibility’ to make it clear that the Belgian government, although not actually an accomplice in a murder plot, cannot be exempted from any responsibility in the developments that led to the assassination of Patrice Lumumba. In this way, they try to escape the deadlock created by a structural approach towards history.
La fabrication d'honnêtes hommes. Of hoe Maria-Theresia voorbeeldige burgers wilde boetseren in de colleges van de Oostenrijkse Nederlanden (1777-1789)
Authors: Leyder D.
Published: September 2015

La fabrication d’honnêtes homes. Or how Maria-Theresia tried to create model citizens in the colleges of Austrian Netherlands (1777-1789)During the second half of the 18th century, education became a political issue in large areas of Europe. The Austrian Netherlands whole-heartedly took part in this movement. Here, the government shared the optimistic believe of enlightened philosophers that education was able to mould youth and to change society in a specific way. In this article, we take a closer look at the moral and the religious education that young people received in the colleges. Focussing both on normative documents and on sources that unveil day-to-day reality in the schools, we sketch the ideal of the honest men the government wanted to fabricate, and we evaluate the results of this undertaking at different levels. This article is part of the special issue 'De menselijke canon en de Lage Landen'.
Managing Water in an Urban Land. A New History of Rijnland
Authors: TeBrake W. H.
Published: September 2015

Managing Water in an Urban Land. A New History of RijnlandWaterstad in stedenland, a history of the Hoogheemraadschap Rijnland before 1857, is a fine example of the ‘new hydraulic history.’ By drawing information from a broad range of sources, employing an explicitly ecological approach, and imbedding their work in the social, economic, and political history of the period they cover, Milja van Tielhof and Petra J. E. M. van Dam have produced a well-researched, clearly-written, and attractive volume that is a worthy successor to Fockema Andreae’s classic study of nearly 75 years ago. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Waterstaat in stedenland' (Milja van Tielhof and Petra J. E. M. van Dam).
Polderland
Authors: Prak M. R.
Published: September 2015

Polder LandThis review of Waterstaat in stedenland. Het hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland voor 1857 (Utrecht, 2006) by Milja van Tielhof and Petra van Dam, raises the question: ‘To what extent does this study of the Netherland’s most important polder area confirm two important theses in Dutch history?’. It concludes that the book confirms the idea of Holland as an early commercial society. On the other hand, it finds little evidence in the book to support the idea that Holland was an early democratic society in which farmers were regularly consulted about important decisions that directly affected their own lives. The Rijnland Water Board was, in fact, completely dominated by noble families and members of the urban elite who together managed to overcome the challenges of collective action in a very large area. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Waterstaat in stedenland' (Milja van Tielhof and Petra J. E. M. van Dam).
De drassige schaduw van de Gouden Eeuw. Historisch-ecologische reflecties over wateroverlast en economische transformaties in ancien régime Rijnland
Authors: Soens Tim
Published: September 2015

The Murky Shadow of the Golden Age. Historical-Ecological Reflections about Flooding and Economic Transformation in Ancien Régime RijnlandIn the past as well as today, flooding and other water-related problems cannot be explained by isolating the physical dynamics of the landscape or the technological and institutional failure of society. In their innovative synthesis on the ancien régime water board of Rijnland, Milja van Tielhof and Petra van Dam are able to link continuing drainage and flooding problems as well as the – controlled – extension of lakes in the peat area and the apparent inability of the water board to adopt proper solutions, to economic choices with specific social consequences. This way, the authors of Waterstaat in stedenland, show us that the history of water boards remains a vital issue in the environmental history of the Low Countries. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Waterstaat in stedenland' (Milja van Tielhof and Petra J. E. M. van Dam).
Repliek: De nieuwe waterstaatsgeschiedenis
Authors: Dam P.J.E.M. van , Tielhof M. van
Published: September 2015

Reply. The New History of Water ManagementWaterstaat in stedenland is a scholarly monograph that aims to be a ‘green and contextual history of water management’. The authors focus on long-term developments with regard to managing the quantity and quality of water, the landscape, the economy and institutions while using a multidisciplinary approach. This broad history of the Dutch Rijnland area spans almost a thousand years (ca. 900-1856). At the heart of the study are questions that are relevant for environmental historians. The man-made and natural causes, and consequences, of various changes in the relationship between mankind and water are described in detail. The authors expand upon this position further in their ‘Reply’ and explore the effectiveness of the peat policies within the framework of the tensions between government and market forces. Recommendations for future research areas are also provided. This response is part of the discussion forum 'Waterstaat in stedenland' (Milja van Tielhof and Petra J. E. M. van Dam).
Tot nut van 't algemeen? Een historische blik op de Vlaamse provincies als intermediair bestuursniveau
Authors: Heyrman P.
Published: September 2015

For the Benefit of the Common Good? A Historical View on the Flemish Provinces as an Intermediary at the Level of AdministrationThe nation state of Belgium saw its provinces chiefly as intermediary administrative entities from which political dispute had to be excluded. Nevertheless, they disposed of elected provincial councils and enjoyed fiscal autonomy. Although the provincial governments underwent a slow process of politicisation, the effects of the broad socio-political developments over the course of the last two centuries on this level remained far less tangible, due above all to the slow democratisation of the provincial suffrage. The provinces only had a modicum of public visibility and a very limited scope for policymaking. To argue their relevance, the provincial governments referred occasionally to the shared history of their respective inhabitants or to their cultural coherence(s). But this discourse was not powerful enough to shape a common provincial cultural identity. Moreover, it clashed on the artificial borders of the provinces and with the much stronger feelings of local and regional coherence. By clustering these expressions of (sub)regionalism, the provincial governments may have provided building stones for the creation of identity-structures on a higher level. However, this role too remained very modest and can hardly be used to substantiate the institutional tenacity of this level of government. This article is part of the forum 'De taaiheid van de provincie'.
Enkele bedenkingen bij de geschiedenis van Koninklijke Shell
Authors: Buyst E.
Published: September 2015

K.E. Sluyterman, J. Jonker, J.L. van Zanden, S. Howarth, Geschiedenis van de Koninklijke Shell, I, Van nieuwkomer tot marktleider, 1890-1939, II, Stuwmotor van de koolwaterstofrevolutie, 1939-1973, III, Concureren in turbulente markten, 1973-2007, [IV], Bijlagen, cijfers, toelichting, volledige bibliografie en index [inclusief drie dvd's] Some Reflections on the History of Royal Dutch ShellThe first positive feature of this impressive book is its unrelenting focus on a number of key issues. As a result, the authors succeed in presenting a coherent analysis of this complex global company. Another strong feature is the comprehensive and clear overview it provides of the rapid technological developments within the oil industry. Nevertheless, the origins of this fascinating firm could have been dealt with more thoroughly. The way in which the financial problems were solved during the start-up phase, in particular, remains shrouded in mystery. Furthermore, an interesting dimension could have been added had the concepts of Chandler been used. In addition, the chapter has not yet been closed on the ongoing conflict between Royal Dutch Shell and the local population in Nigeria.
Historisch adelsonderzoek over de late middeleeuwen en de vroegmoderne periode in België en Nederland: een momentopname
Authors: Dumolyn J.
Published: September 2015

Historical Research into the Nobility during the Late Mediaeval and Early Modern Period in Belgium and the Netherlands: A SnapshotThis introduction to a special issue on the history of the nobility in the Netherlands and Belgium gives a ‘snap-shot’ of the subject in two different ways. On the one hand, the collected essays demonstrate the state-of-the-art in the research carried out in 2008 on the nobility, on the other, they focus on the mediaeval and early modern periods. The major themes and problems of this historiographical tradition are evoked, emerging from the study outlined in another special issue of a historical journal, the Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis of 1980, which looked at perspectives for future research. This introduction mainly examines the methods used by historians to confront inevitable questions such as: ‘What exactly is the nobility?’ and ‘How can this historical phenomenon be situated within processes and historical movements such as economic structures and conjunctures, social mobility and political centralization and decentralization?’
Het blazoen ontsmet. Adellijke heraldiek als toe-eigening van eer en deugd, 1550-1750
Authors: Duerloo L.
Published: September 2015

Purified Blazons: Noble Heraldry as the Appropriation of Honour and Virtue, 1550-1750Noblemen were the most important users of heraldry in the Middle Ages, yet they did not enjoy a monopoly on bearing coats of arms nor did they employ a distinct heraldic language. All of this changed towards the end of the sixteenth century. Taking its cue from heraldic treatises, the nobility appropriated exclusive heraldic rights by law. In the Habsburg Netherlands, they obtained the prerogative to use external ornaments around their shields. In other regions, the noble quest for distinction could lead to anything from a total ban on non-noble arms to restrictions on the display of certain external ornaments. The interplay between state formation and the relative share of the nobility in the total population seems to have determined the outcome of this process. At the same time, the symbolism of noble arms became distinct from that of other groups of armigers. The noble shield lost its direct – often canting – message and became a mirror of the privileged status of the bearer. Henceforth, it was not the personal achievements of the individual, but the honour and virtue of the noble estate that dictated heraldic compositions. This article is part of the special issue 'The history of the nobility in the Netherlands and Belgium'.
Onheilig moeten. Drie studies over aspecten van het katholicisme
Authors: Rooy P. de
Published: September 2015

M. Derks, Heilig moeten. Radicaal-katholiek en retro-modern in de jaren twintig en dertigM. Monteiro, G. Ackermans, Mannen Gods. Clericale identiteit in veranderingA. van den Oord, Voor het oog van het kerkvolk. Tilburgs volksklasse tussen klerikale normering en geleefde praktijk, 1927-1939Unholy ObligationsIn this contribution, three recent studies about Dutch Catholicism in the first half of the twentieth century are reviewed. The success of the ‘verzuiling’ [pillarization] of the Catholic population was striking: the cohesion of the Catholic pillar was great, compared with the other pillars; in the Netherlands, the Catholic pillarization was also greater than in other countries. This success can be explained to a large extent by the intensive use of sacralism. The literature under review makes that perfectly clear, although it does have a strong tendency to blur this image by giving too much attention to so-called ‘other Catholics’ who managed to extricate themselves one way or another from the clergy’s authority. This article is part of the forum 'Recent studies about Dutch Catholicism'.
Naschrift
Authors: Rooy P. de
Published: September 2015

PostscriptThe issue that is the subject of discussion here is in fact the main problem: the enormous obedience or the refusal and evasion of clerical precepts by Dutch Catholics. In this postscript the first position in this discussion is maintained. Of course, some interdependency between the laity and the clergy can be seen. But the power of ‘hell and holiness’ was irresistible in instilling obedience. Isolation within the nation was first forced upon the Catholics by a dominant Protestantism; later on it became the result of their own choice, guarded over with much vigour and energy. One final point: the Catholic pillar did not start to crumble in the Interwar period because of all those ‘other Catholics’, otherwise the revolutionary nature of its downfall in the sixties becomes quite unintelligible.  This postscript is part of the forum 'Recent studies about Dutch Catholicism'.
Democratie onder druk. De reglementering van politieke manifestaties in Amsterdam tijdens het interbellum
Authors: Kaal H.
Published: September 2015

Democracy under Pressure. The Regulation of Public Politics in Amsterdam during the Interwar YearsThis article explores the regulation of public politics in the Netherlands during the interwar years. It investigates how this policy was established, which public authorities were responsible for it, and how they accounted for the rather strict regulations. Particular attention is paid to developments in Amsterdam. The article shows that the regulation of political manifestations was not necessarily carried out as a response to actual political unrest, but was increasingly imposed on Amsterdam by the national government. Consequently, the opportunity to organize political manifestations was slowly but surely curbed. Moreover, the centralization and bureaucratization of public order policy amounted to the withdrawal of public order policy from democratic control. During the interwar years the Dutch democracy was therefore challenged by both the strict regulation of public politics, as well as the way in which this policy was established.
Ander ongerief
Authors: Bolt T.
Published: September 2015

InconvenienceVerward van geest en ander ongerief by Harry Oosterhuis and Marijke Gijswijt-Hofstra is a voluminous and sound reference work about the history of psychiatry in the Netherlands. Striving for completeness, however, the authors failed to deliver a synthesis in the true sense of the word. They compiled and pasted an impressive amount of (mostly) secondary literature, but left little room for critical reflection and discussion. Their account of the ‘psychologisation’ of Dutch society from the 1960s onwards is exemplary and one of the main themes of the book. Oosterhuis and Gijswijt-Hofstra (only) summarize the relevant sociological studies on this subject, without addressing their problematic nature or the inconsistencies between them. As a result, their ‘sociologised’ description of the supposed process of psychologisation in the Netherlands is rather superficial and stereotypical. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Verward van geest en ander ongerief' (H. Oosterhuis, M. Gijswijt-Hofstra).
Geschiedenis - Herinnering - Identiteit. De historici en het Nationaal Historisch Museum
Authors: Sas N.C.F. van
Published: September 2015

History – Memory – Identity. The Historians and the National Historical MuseumDutch professional historians have so far played a relatively minor role in the planning process of the new National Historical Museum (NMH), leaving the field largely to museologists. Though this reticence is historically understandable, it is nonetheless to be regretted. Historians should avail themselves of this opportunity to present the results of several decades of fruitful research into Dutch history in this novel setting. The NHM project is part of an international trend among similar museums, such as the new Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin. This, however, is seen to be a rather bland compromise. For its part, the concept of Five Worlds which was proposed by the NHM directors seems to be void of any sense of time and chronology. As has been suggested here, this new presentation of Dutch history should be mainly along chronological lines, making good use of authentic objects and their undeniable magic. It should also attempt to counter the present climate of historical disorientation and indeed chronophobia. This article is part of the forum 'The Dutch National History Museum'.
Het Nationaal Historisch Museum en de emotional turn
Authors: Laar P. van de
Published: September 2015

The Dutch National History Museum and the ‘Emotional Turn’Recent discussions about the Dutch National History Museum (NHM) should not be restricted to issues put forward by professional historians, be it the importance of a historical canon or nuanced historical debates. Two major, strongly intertwined developments will have to be considered. Firstly, the emotional turn in recent heritage discussions and, secondly, the increasing multi-medialisation of our daily lives. These 21st century developments call for a redefinition of the tasks of a museum for cultural history and a new paradigm in history museums. Traditional collection-driven museums will not be able to satisfy the challenges of the emotional and digital requirements. The NHM should aim to be at the cutting edge of new museum practises. This article is part of the forum 'The Dutch National History Museum'.
'Hollandsche vecht-suffragettes'? Een kwestie uit de geschiedenis van het Nederlandse feminisme
Authors: Aerts M.
Published: September 2015

‘Holland’s Militant Suffragettes’? A Theme from the History of Dutch FeminismThe historiography of feminism is bristling with international comparative surveys. It is precisely because of this that the use of national frameworks has been acknowledged, albeit unintentionally and indirectly. Nevertheless, this paper adopts the opposite stance, and argues that both national and internal affairs, as well as international and foreign affairs, can be viewed as categories which serve certain political agendas, thereby making it possible to distinguish between friends and foes in the political struggle. Historians should not reproduce such a differentiation but analyze it instead. To give an example of such an analysis, this paper outlines how the customary distinction between a moderate Dutch and a radical English electoral feminism gained an important impetus at a key moment: when in 1907 the discordant entanglement of political and personal contacts between feminists on both sides of the Channel eventually led to a schism in the Dutch Society for Women’s Right to Vote. This article is part of the special issue 'The Internationalization of the National History and the Pillarization'.
The Dutch Republic. Laboratory of the Scientific Revolution
Authors: Berkel Klaas van
Published: September 2015

Historians agree about the significance of the Scientific Revolution for the development of modern society; there is little agreement, however, as to the nature and the causes of this major shift in our perception of the natural world. In this article, it is argued that we may profit from studying this problem in the context of the Dutch Republic during the seventeenth century, the Republic being in many ways a laboratory of modern life. In this article, three factors often mentioned as contributing to the new scientific themes are explored in the Dutch context. The first factor dealt with is the mingling of scholars and craftsmen; the second the role of the universities as centers of both teaching and research, and the third the congruence of scientific and mercantile values in the early modern Dutch trading communities. This article is part of the special issue 'The International Relevance of Dutch History'.
De laatmiddeleeuwse crisis van de overheidsfinanciën en de financiële revolutie in Holland
Authors: Zuijderduijn Jaco
Published: September 2015

The Late Medieval Crisis of Government Finance and the Financial Revolution in HollandHistorians of the Dutch Revolt have suggested that the success of the rebellious provinces can be explained by sixteenth-century financial innovations that improved the creditworthiness of the States of Holland. This article claims that this development was triggered by a severe crisis of public finance in these States at the end of the fifteenth century. An analysis of the ensuing reorganization shows that some of these innovations were first introduced as a means of crisis management. This article uncovers some of the elements that allowed the States to create provincial debt on a more structural basis after 1515, during Holland’s ‘financial revolution’.
Politics and Science in Disguise: Not Quite the History of European Integration
Authors: Hecke Steven Van
Published: September 2015

Middelaar, Luuk van, De passage naar Europa. Geschiedenis van een begin (Dissertatie Universiteit van Amsterdam 2009; Groningen: Historische Uitgeverij, 2009, 531 blz., ISBN 978 90 6554 236 6). In his De passage naar Europa. Geschiedenis van een begin [The Passage to Europe: History of a Beginning], Luuk van Middelaar makes European integration intelligible by applying a distinction between three spheres – the states, the community and the intermediate sphere of the Member States – to various events that have proven crucial in ‘the making of’. These events form passages that have made Europe what it is today; as well as what it is not. Van Middelaar’s writing is sensitive and inspired; his perspective is open-minded; the cases are well-documented (but not always adequate); and his book is innovative, as he introduces political/theoretical terminology into history, combined with insights from political science. He could even have gone further in narrowing the disciplines gap, however, and he has not always avoided the traps of history writing. In any case, he succeeds brilliantly in his ambition ‘to tell another story about the birth of political Europe’ (9; author’s own italics). This review is part of the discussion forum 'De passage naar Europa. Geschiedenis van een begin' (Luuk van Middelaar).
Time, Fortuna and Policy – or How to understand European Integration?
Authors: Gerrits André
Published: September 2015

Middelaar, Luuk van, De passage naar Europa. Geschiedenis van een begin (Dissertatie Universiteit van Amsterdam 2009; Groningen: Historische Uitgeverij, 2009, 531 blz., ISBN 978 90 6554 236 6). De passage naar Europa [The Passage to Europe] is an interesting book – creative, original and readable, but for a doctoral dissertation it is also remarkably devoid of theory. Van Middelaar introduces various interesting notions and ideas (European ‘discourses’, ‘policy spheres’ and ‘zones of interactions’), but these remain ambiguous, and therefore rather noncommittal. The book stands out for its interpretative richness, its analytical sensitivity and its imaginative prose. It lacks an overall theoretical framework, however. It fails to link up with the wider academic debate on European integration. This review is part of the discussion forum 'De passage naar Europa. Geschiedenis van een begin' (Luuk van Middelaar).
Een heel eigen manier van kijken
Authors: Blom J.C.H.
Published: September 2015

A Highly Particular Way of LookingIn her discussion of the series of television documentaries De Oorlog [The War] in bmgn/lchr 125:1 (2010) 73-99, Barbara Henkes gives an incorrect impression of the intentions of the programme makers. My response will in the first place consist of an exposition of these intentions: principally, to give the best possible presentation of current insights on the basis of recent academic research to a very wide audience. I will then discuss a number of more specific issues in greater detail. In particular, I make the strongest possible objection to the accusation that the makers have pushed morally reprehensible viewpoints onto the audience. Henkes presents no evidence whatsoever to support these accusations, and fails to explain what was actually, factually incorrect in the series. This makes her article nothing more than an (attempt at) moral disqualification. This article is part of the forum 'De Oorlog'.
For a Long Century of Burgundy. The Court, Female Power and Ideology
Authors: Small G.
Published: September 2015

For a Long Century of Burgundy: The Court, Female Power and IdeologyOn the evidence of the recent publications under discussion here, historians are beginning to break free from the constraints of the traditional chronological boundaries applied to Burgundian history, and are finding new and valuable ways of exploring political culture either side of the divide that was once thought to have been created by the events of 1477. But progress remains uneven: we know more about the court, the centre of political life, before 1477 than we do for the period that came after; with honourable exceptions, we know more about female political agency and power after 1477 than we do about the period before; and we know too little, still, about political ideologies, a burgeoning area of interest which has much to yield.
The Catholic Laity and the Development of Catholic Identity (discussiedossier over Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands, 1520-1635)
Authors: Forster M.R.
Published: September 2015

Pollmann, Judith, Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands 1520-1635 (Past and Present; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, xiv + 239 blz., ISBN 978 0 19 960991 8). In her new book Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands, 1520-1635, Judith Pollmann uses diaries and journals to bring an individual perspective to the development of Catholic identity in the Southern Netherlands. This perspective provides valuable insights for historians of Catholic Germany, while also showing many similarities to developments in the German-speaking lands. Most importantly, Pollmann, like recent historians of Catholicism elsewhere, emphasizes the role of the laity in early modern Catholicism. The urban character of society in the Southern Netherlands does contrast with the rural character of most of Catholic Germany. Pollmann’s insightful emphasis on clergy-lay relations may cause her to downplay the role of the Jesuits and other orders. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands 1520-1635' (Judith Pollmann).
When Catholics Attack. The Counter-Reformation in Fractured Regions of Europe (discussiedossier over Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands, 1520-1635)
Authors: Questier M.
Published: September 2015

Pollmann, Judith, Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands 1520-1635 (Past and Present; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, xiv + 239 blz., ISBN 978 0 19 960991 8). This review looks at Judith Pollmann’s Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands 1520-1635 in a number of contexts, but particularly the one supplied by the British Isles’ experience of the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Following the line taken in Professor Pollmann’s account of the reaction against Calvinism in this period, it argues that if one wants to see what the sharp edges of the Counter-Reformation look like, then one should look at the regions of Europe which experienced conflict over faith. The Netherlands was one such area; the British Isles was another. The latter has more often than not been ignored by accounts of the European reaction to the Reformation. I want to suggest that it is of real relevance to put the two together and see what can be made of the similarities and differences between them. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands 1520-1635' (Judith Pollmann).
How to Flatter the Laity? Rethinking Catholic Responses to the Reformation (discussiedossier over Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands, 1520-1635)
Authors: Pollmann J.
Published: September 2015

This rejoinder summarises the two main questions which Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands, 1520-1635 seeks to address, and explains the way in which the author approached these before engaging with the points raised by the three reviewers. Noting the reviewers’ appreciation for the book’s emphasis on the experience of the laity and their role in the Catholic revival, the rejoinder discusses the points of criticism they raised, as well as the potential for further research. Encouraging the reader not to be deceived by the smokescreen of uniformity and hierarchy which the post-Tridentine Catholic Church has drawn up, the author suggests that we can account much more satisfactorily for the curious changes in fortune of the Catholic Church by looking beyond institutional sources, by appreciating the virtues of fragmentation and by broadening our scope to the whole of the religious landscape. This response is part of the discussion forum 'Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands 1520-1635' (Judith Pollmann).
A Flemish-Centred Economic History of the Netherlands
Authors: Santing Catrien
Published: September 2015

The once-in-a-generation chance to write a history of the Netherlands should not have been wasted on a Flemish-centred economic history, no matter how good it is. Blockmans’s point of departure is mapping and understanding the internal dynamics of the Netherlands, originating in and concentrating on the south, i.e. Flanders. That entails a rather specific characterisation and delineation of the medieval Netherlands. The Prometheus Geschiedenis series calls for a wellbalanced book that also discusses the northern, eastern and southern parts of present-day Netherlands and pays due attention to religion, art and culture. This review makes allowance for trends in national, trans-national and regional history and suggests alternative book plans. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Four Golden Ages' (Wim Blockmans).
Managerpolitiek. Waarom historici oog voor management moeten hebben
Authors: Kroeze Ronald , Keulen Sjoerd , Keulen Sjoerd
Published: September 2015

Manager Politics: Why Historians should be Aware of ManagementThis article pleads for the incorporation of methods of (public) management and public administration sciences in the writing of political (cultural) history. These help historians to become more sensitive to the language and influence of managers and management in politics, enabling them to understand the era of manager politics that established itself from the 1980s onwards. The insights and gains of the new approach are illustrated by the case of Dutch politics during the cabinets of Prime Ministers Lubbers (1982-1994) and Kok (1994 2002) that show how politics became dominated by management. This led to important changes in the complement of staffing and behaviour of political parties, the cabinet and the public administration. How manager politics altered power relations is illustrated by the easy adoption of new routines and policies based on management (gurus). This article is part of the forum 'Manager Politics'.
Het ‘ik’ van de historicus in Geschiedenis als metgezel
Authors: Bosch Mineke
Published: September 2015

The ‘I’ in the Historian in Geschiedenis als metgezelIn her analysis of Geschiedenis als metgezel Mineke Bosch focuses on the autobiographical aspects of the book. At first Bosch wonders why the author needs to legitimise her choice of a personal perspective on history as an intellectual, academic and professional practice so many years after the autobiographical turn in the humanities. Ebels convinces her, however, that in the face of still rigid norms regarding objectivity within the heart of the historical ‘biotope’, such an explanation is not only reasonable, but also illuminating. The subtle organisation of the book into four chapters on ‘subject’, ‘sources’, ‘narrative’ and ‘reception’ is very productive for always well-founded discussions of innumerable aspects of history.The Intermezzo on her life as part time historian forms an essential prologue to the last astonishing chapter. Apart from the autobiographical references to her career as a historian, the more hidden aspects of self presentation in the book reveal Bunna Ebels-Hoving as an impartial and fully dedicated scholar who as a ‘Miss Marple’ of the historical profession solves a character assassination within the academic community. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Geschiedenis als metgezel' (Bunna Ebels-Hoving).
A Miracle Mirrored?: The Reception of Dutch Economic and Political Thought in Europe in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Authors: Ittersum Martine Julia van
Published: September 2015

This review article discusses recent publications by David Onnekink, Sophus Reinert, Gijs Rommelse, Jacob Soll, and Arthur Weststeijn from the perspective of the reception of Dutch economic and political thought in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe. The Dutch Republic has been called ‘the first modern economy’ by Jan de Vries and Ad van der Woude. It looms large in ongoing academic and public policy debates about ‘The Great Divergence’, i.e. the question why the West made the transition to an industrialized economy around 1800, while China did not. Just how innovative the inhabitants of the Dutch Republic were in nearly all aspects of life is well-documented. Less attention has been paid to the reaction of contemporary Europeans. How did they perceive the Dutch example? What did they learn from it? Was the miracle really mirrored elsewhere? These are questions that deserve more attention than they have received in Dutch historiography hitherto.
Indonesian Identities Abroad: International Engagement of Colonial Students in the Netherlands, 1908-1931
Authors: Stutje Klaas
Published: September 2015

This article describes the forging of networks and the articulation of solidarities by Indonesians in the Netherlands with various other colonial organisations and movements in European countries in the 1910s and 1920s. Living in the centre of the Dutch empire multiple factions of Indonesians, each in their own words and actions, interacted with the world beyond the confines of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Foreign news reports in Dutch-Indonesian journals and concrete journeys of Indonesians abroad will be examined to describe the variety of worldviews within the Indonesian migrant community. The article also demonstrates that the Indonesians in the Netherlands serve as a telling example in the Dutch imperial context of Alan Lester’s remark that ‘colonised subjects themselves could and did forge new, anti-colonial networks of resistance, which similarly spanned imperial space’ (Alan Lester, ‘Imperial Circuits and Networks: Geographies of the British Empire’, History Compass 4:1 (2006) 134). This article is part of the special issue 'A New Dutch Imperial History'.
‘Obtulisti libellum de vita domni Remacli’: The Evolution of Patron Saint Libelli as Propagandist Instruments in the Monastery of Stavelot-Malmedy, 938-1247
Authors: Snijders Tjamke
Published: September 2015

The functionality of a hagiographical text in the High Middle Ages depended on the codex in which it was incorporated. As a result, a manuscript perspective is indispensable to assess the communicative function of a medieval saint’s life. This article analyses five codices concerning Saint Remaclus from the monastery of Stavelot-Malmedy as a way to study the changing strategies of hagiographic propaganda. The community of Stavelot-Malmedy experienced a growing need to increase the propagandist user-friendliness of their manuscripts between the tenth and the thirteenth century. A tenth-century manuscript consisted of a jumble of texts about Remaclus and Stavelot-Malmedy intended for a very broad audience. A second generation of codices consisted of a collection of texts better tailored to a more narrowly defined audience, while the third generation focuses almost exclusively on very specific, contemporary problems. An analysis of these manuscripts shows that these ‘generations’ or general types of manuscripts were representative of the Benedictine Southern Low Countries, and that an abbey’s choice for a specific type of manuscript can often be linked to its institutional position.This article won the first Low Countries History Award in 2016 (for the best article in BMGN - Low Countries Historical Review over the years 2013-2014-2015).
Trends in Rural Social and Economic History of the Pre-Industrial Low Countries. Recent Themes and Ideas in Journals and Books of the Past Five Years (2007-2013)
Authors: Curtis Daniel r.
Published: September 2015

Rural social and economic history of the Low Countries has long been in the shadow of more dominant urban-focused histories. Perhaps this is unsurprising, given the high level of urbanisation seen in parts of the Low Countries from the high Middle Ages onwards. However, it may also be connected with problems in the discipline of rural history itself – arguably a major one being the tendency towards a) localism and b) description rather than analysis. Probably a way of rectifying this situation is by becoming more explicit and systematic with our use of comparative history – both in regions of the Low Countries, but also in creating links with wider historical processes across Western Europe as well. This paper makes a small contribution by bringing together important themes and ideas that have linked research in our various regions of interest over the past five years.
Het Rijksmuseum als historisch museum
Authors: Santing Catrien
Published: September 2015

Het vorig jaar heropende Rijksmuseum afficheert zich expressis verbis alsMuseum van Nederland. Het pretendeert ‘kunst, geschiedenis en mensente verbinden’ en doet dat aan de hand van voorwerpen die het museumsinds zijn oprichting verzamelt. Nadat enkele redactieleden van dit blad denieuwe presentatie hadden aanschouwd, speciaal met het oog op de manierwaarop kunst en geschiedenis in samenhang worden gepresenteerd, kwambij de redactie de behoefte op om het hoe en waarom van de Nederlandsegeschiedenis die ons in Cuypers’ zalen in de eenentwintigste eeuw wordtvoorgehouden, onder een professioneel historische loep te nemen.
‘The Netherlands and the Polder Model’ - ‘Nederland en het poldermodel’
Authors: Jonker Joost
Published: September 2015

With the new textbook Nederland en het poldermodel [The Netherlands and the Polder Model] by Utrecht History Professors Maarten Prak and Jan Luiten van Zanden the polder model may be said to have achieved full academic respectability. Asked to compress 1,000 years of Dutch economic and social history into a single 300-page volume targeted at a popular audience, the authors chose to do so by analysing the country’s ups-anddowns entirely in terms of its peculiar type of organisation, the polder model’s presumed strengths and weaknesses. The BMGN - Low Countries Historical Review editors asked four experts in the social and economic history of the Low Countries, Karel Davids and Marjolein ’t Hart (vu Amsterdam/Huygens ing), Jan de Vries (Berkeley), and Bert De Munck (University of Antwerp) to review it, paying particular attention to what the conceptual approach adds to our understanding of the country’s marked economic fluctuations during the pastmillennium. This introduction is part of the discussion forum 'Nederland en het poldermodel' (Maarten Prak and Jan Luiten van Zanden).
Is the Polder Model Good for the Economy?: A New Interpretation of Dutch Economic and Social History
Authors: Davids Karel , Hart Marjolein 't
Published: September 2015

The book Nederland en het poldermodel [The Netherlands and the Polder Model] is a commendable effort to present a new, theory-informed interpretation of the economic and social history of the Netherlands of the last thousand years. However, this review questions the supposed causal relationship between civil society (‘polder model’) and economic growth. The authors assume that economic growth emanates from a vibrant civil society and that likewise economic decline coincides with a weakening of civil society. Upon closer inspection however, their concepts seem to be imperfectly related to the theories they claim to use as inspiration. Thesupposed waning of civil society after 1670 and after 1815 is not substantiated by historical facts either. Their thesis would have benefited greatly from a comparative analysis, both spatially and in time. The rather haphazard use of the term ‘civil society’ precludes convincing conclusions over time, while an international perspective is lacking altogether – a sadly missed opportunity. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Nederland en het poldermodel' (Maarten Prak and Jan Luiten van Zanden).Is het poldermodel goed voor de economie? Een nieuwe interpretatie van de Nederlandse economische en sociale geschiedenisHet boek Nederland en het poldermodel is een lovenswaardige poging om een nieuwe, op theoretische basis geschoeide interpretatie van de sociale en economische geschiedenis van Nederland van de laatste duizend jaar te presenteren. Deze bijdrage stelt echter vragen bij het veronderstelde causale verband tussen ‘civil society’ (het poldermodel) en economische groei. De auteurs nemen aan dat economische groei optreedt als een civil society sterk is en dat omgekeerd economisch verval zich voordoet als een civil society verzwakt. Bij nader inzien blijken hun concepten niet goed te sporen met de theorieën die hen tot inspiratie dienen. De veronderstelde kwijnende civil society na 1670 en na 1815 is ook niet op historische feiten gebaseerd. Hun stelling zou aan kracht hebben gewonnen indien zij een vergelijkende analyse hadden toegepast, zowel ruimtelijk als in de tijd. Het nogal arbitraire gebruik van de term civil society maakt het moeilijk overtuigende conclusies in de loop van de tijd te trekken, terwijl een internationaal perspectief geheel ontbreekt: een gemiste kans. Deze recensie maakt deel uit van het discussiedossier 'Nederland en het poldermodel' (Maarten Prak and Jan Luiten van Zanden).
Lotte Jensen, Verzet tegen Napoleon; Joris Oddens, Pioniers in schaduwbeeld; Joost Rosendaal, Tot nut van Nederland; Joost Rosendaal, Uit de plooi. De achttiende eeuw in beweging; Mart Rutjes, Door gelijkheid gegrepen.
Authors: Bruin Renger de
Published: September 2015

Lotte Jensen, Verzet tegen Napoleon; Joris Oddens, Pioniers in schaduwbeeld. Het eerste parlement van Nederland 1796-1798; Joost Rosendaal, Tot nut van Nederland. Polarisatie en revolutie in een grensgebied, 1783-1787; Joost Rosendaal, Uit de plooi. De achttiende eeuw in beweging; Mart Rutjes, Door gelijkheid gegrepen. Democratie, burgerschap en staat in Nederland 1795-1801
Empathy in the Making: Crafting the Believer’s Emotions in the Late Medieval Low Countries
Authors: Roodenburg Herman
Published: September 2015

The article addresses affective piety as it developed in the late medieval Low Countries – the new, sentiment-laden devotion concentrating on the humanity and vulnerability of Christ, on his nativity but especially his Passion, the physical cruelty he suffered in his last days on earth. Views on the late Middle Ages, as if they still knew a ‘childlike’ universe, one in which the emotions and the senses were given free rein, have been rightly discarded by Barbara Rosenwein and other scholars, but her own cognitive approach threatens to overlook the bodily and sensory dimensions of emotions. An embodiment approach would offer a wider and more promising perspective. Discussing the numerous Netherlandish passion narratives and passion paintings, their cruel and blood-drenched imagery is situated within older medieval traditions of meditation and artificial memory. To illustrate the period’s religious ‘pathopoeia’, the shaping of the believers’ embodied emotions, part of the argument focuses on a relatively unknown Passion narrative by the fifteenth-century Franciscan Johannes Brugman. This article is part of the special issue 'Batavian Phlegm?'. Empathie in de maak. Religieuze emoties en retorica in de laat-middeleeuwse NederlandenIn deze bijdrage richt ik me op de affectieve vroomheid in de laat-middeleeuwse Nederlanden – de nieuwe, emotioneel geladen devotie die zich concentreerde op de menselijkheid en kwetsbaarheid van Christus, op de geboorte maar meer nog op het lijdensverhaal, alle fysieke wreedheid die hem in zijn laatste dagen werd aangedaan. Opvattingen als zouden de late Middeleeuwen nog een ‘kinderlijk’universum hebben gekend, een universum waarin de emoties en de zintuigen nog alle ruimte kregen, zijn door Barbara Rosenwein en andere onderzoekers terecht terzijde geschoven. Maar Rosenweins cognitieve benadering verwaarloost op haar beurt de lichamelijke en zintuiglijke dimensies van emoties. Een ‘embodiment’-benadering biedt hier een breder perspectief. Besproken worden de wijdverbreide passieteksten en passieschilderijen. Hun wrede, met bloed doordrenkte voorstellingswereld wordt gerelateerd aan oudere middeleeuwse tradities rond de meditatie en de geheugenkunst. Centraal staat de voor deze periode kenmerkende religieuze ‘pathopoeia’, het beroep op de geïncorporeerde emoties van de gelovigen. Ter illustratie wordt bijzondere aandacht besteed aan een redelijk onbekende passietekst van de vijftiende-eeuwse franciscaan Johannes Brugman. Dit artikel maakt deel uit van het themanummer 'Batavian Phlegm?'.