The Relevance of Dutch History, or: Much in Little? Reflections on the Practive of History in the Netherlands

Abstract

This essay presents a series of reflections on the relevance of Dutch history.Taking different angles of approach, it examines in particular the historical image and self-image of the Dutch and the nation's cultural identity; the role played by the heritage issue in the rise of the new political nationalism; the fascination of foreign historians for Dutch history and their influence on Dutch historiography itself; the role of language in history-writing and the question of whether 'relevance' is a meaningful category at all for historians. To conclude, four great themes of Dutch history are identified as of supranational relevance: water management; economy and society, in particular capitalism and colonialism; culture and intellectual life, tolerance and secularity, in particular -but not only -in the early modern era; and the national ambition to show the world an exemplary route to modernity. National and trans-national historyThere is one Dutch historian whose name every cultivated European knows: or at least should know. 1 That man is Johan Huizinga (1872-1945). 2 From a professional perspective, Huizinga's career was that of an innovative and versatile scholar enjoying international recognition. Having graduated in the Indo-Germanic languages, he turned to history at the age of 25. Starting out as a teacher at a secondary school, he went on to become a professor of general and national history successively at Groningen and Leiden, where he served as rector of the university for a year. For thirteen years, he chaired the Humanities and Social Sciences Division of the Royal Netherlands Academy at Amsterdam; he served on the International Committee for Intellectual Cooperation of the League of Nations and received international rewards for his historical work and intellectual commitment. Yet his scholarly authority went far beyond his rather traditional professional career. In fact, there t BMGN.Opmaak.Special.indd 7 05-07-10 08:55 I would like to thank several anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier versions of this article. 1 Since this essay has been written for an international audience, only references in internationally known languages will be given in the footnotes. As a personal reflection, my aim is not to present an exhaustive treatment, but to provide some basic information and foster discussion. Of course, in many cases Dutch publications on the same issue or on similar themes do exist, often in abundance. Readers familiar with the Dutch language might refer to the bibliographical tools available, in particular the Digital Bibliography of Dutch History at www.dbng.nl. It should be remembered that the geographical concept 'Netherlands' is taken here in its present, narrow, national sense, although cooperation between Flemish or Belgian and Dutch historians is quite common at Low Countries level.

Early Modern Developments in Dutch Public Administration

“…The discussion in this article is also important to inform future investigations into the relevance of the Dutch context as a mirror for wider European developments (see Frijhoff, 2010;Leeb, 1973, p. 247;Palmer, 1974, p. 323;van Berkel, Frijhoff, & Te Velde, 2010). Until now, the study of public morality and changing political culture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries has mainly focused on Germany/Prussia (Bernsee, 2013;Engels, 2006;Wagner, 2005), France (Ebhardt, 2013;Engels, 2009;Simon, 2001), and England (see Harling, 2003;Krischer, 2011;Rivers, 1991;Rubinstein, 1983;Wilson, 2007).…”

Curricular Alienation

“…A key element of the Dutch national identity, and featured prominently in history books, is their long-standing tolerance of diverse immigrants (Frijhoff 2010). Liberal multicultural textbooks gloss over cultural differences and histories to depict Dutch people as alike no matter their color or background.…”

Colonized Curriculum

“…European textbooks focus almost exclusively on Europe, discussing Africa only relative to European civilization, dominance, and global power (Frijhoff 2010; Marino 2011; Myers 2001; Sefa Dei 2010). Dutch textbooks project these sentiments to emphasize their unique political, economic, and cultural role in the world, particularly their superior guidance on social issues (Frijhoff 2010). Although the Dutch have long been involved in Africa, scholarship addressing representations of Africa in textbooks is largely limited, in both the Netherlands and Europe at large, to depictions of slavery (which is also underresearched).…”