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

Author(s)

  • Willem Frijhoff

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18352/bmgn-lchr.7114

Keywords:

Identity, Cultural history

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.

 

This article is part of the special issue 'The International Relevance of Dutch History'.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2010-01-01

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Frijhoff, W. (2010). The Relevance of Dutch History, or: Much in Little? Reflections on the Practive of History in the Netherlands. BMGN - Low Countries Historical Review, 125(2-3), 7-44. https://doi.org/10.18352/bmgn-lchr.7114