Dutch History Index: Institutions

[ History departments | Institutes | Archives | Museums | Historical societies ]

[ References : | Gateways | Libraries and catalogues | Bibliographies | Journals ]
[ Source materials : | Etexts | Maps | Databases and statistics | Paintings and drawings ]
[ Periods : | Ancient | Medieval | Early modern | Contemporary ]
[ Topics : | Political | Legal | Military | Economic | Science and technique | Local and regional | Social |
Biography | Demography | Women | Cultural | Religious | Anthropological ]

• University of Amsterdam. Information on programs, courses, staff et cetera.
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Information on programs, courses, staff et cetera.
• University of Groningen
. Information on courses, staff and research projects.
• Leiden University has probably the most extensive departmental home page, with links, information of staff and web pages on courses.
• Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen
. Information on courses, research and staff; some links.
• Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
Information on courses, staff, research projects and conferences.
• Open Universiteit - Cursussen cultuur. Decriptions of courses on culture and history provided by the Dutch university of long-distance learning.
  
  
• History Departments Around the World History departments outside the Netherlands.

Institutes for historical research

• The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) acts as the national research council in the Netherlands. NWO is an independent organization established by Act of Parliament in 1988. It succeeded the Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research (ZWO). One of its councils is concerned with the Humanities (Geesteswetenschappen).
• Instituut voor Nederlandse Geschiedenis (ING) is part of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and is domiciled in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek building, the National Library of the Netherlands. The ING promotes, through faculty research and its own independant research, the disclosure of source material in the subject area of the history of the Netherlands. Publications of the institute come out in the RGP - Rijks Geschiedkundige Publicatiën - editions, guides to historical sources (Broncommentaren), biographical and bibliographical reference works (Biografisch Woordenboek, Repertorium).



• Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) (1) advises the government on matters related to scientific research (councils and committees), (2) judges the quality of scientific research (peer review, academy fellowship programme, accreditation committee for research schools in the Netherlands), (3) provides a forum for the scientific community and promoting international scientific co-operation (international contacts, congresses, funds and endowments), and (4) acts as an umbrella organization for institutes engaged in basic and strategic research, scientific information services and biological collection management. For historians the following KNAW-institutes are particularly relevant:
• The International Institute of Social History (IISH) was founded in 1935. It is one of the world's largest documentary and research institutions in the field of social history in general and the history of the labour movement in particular. The IISH is home to a number of other documentary institutions, most notably the Netherlands Economic History Archive (NEHA) and the Netherlands Press Museum (NPM).
  The IISH also carries out and stimulates scholarly research. It is a respected meeting place for researchers from all over the world and organizes conferences, symposia and international research projects. The Institute publishes research results through international academic publishers and its own inhouse publishing unit.
• Netherlands Institute for War Documentation, established shortly after World War II, collects and stores archives on World War II and the Netherlands, makes these archives accessible and available, conducts academic research, publishes the research findings, and provides information to government institutions and private persons.
• The Fryske Akademy is the scientific centre for research and education concerning Fryslân, Frisian society, and the Frisian history, language and culture.
• The Meertens Instituut, established in 1926, documents and investigates the diversity of Dutch culture and language. The two main areas of research are ethnology (e.g. feasts and rituals, religious culture, oral culture, and material culture) and linguistics (phonologic, morphological and synyactic variety; topology). It houses huge collections of ethnologic and linguistic information and a library, organises conferences and seminars, and publishes various monographs and serials. Online databases, links and information on staff, research projects, and so on.
• The Roosevelt Study Center is a research institute, conference centre and library on twentieth century American history. It collects and makes accessible primary source materials for research in American history, conducts research in American history and Dutch-American relations, stimulates research in America history in the Center's collections by awarding grants, organizes symposia, seminars, exhibits, film presentations, lectures, and publishes academic works.
  
  
• De Onderzoekschool Mediëvistiek (Netherlands Research School for Medieval Studies) is een samenwerkingsverband van de onderzoeksgroepen die zich bezighouden met de bestudering van de Middeleeuwen van zes Nederlandse universiteiten: de Universiteit Leiden, de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, de Universiteit Utrecht, de Universiteit van Amsterdam, de Vrije Universiteit te Amsterdam en de Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen. De Rijksuniversiteit Groningen is de penvoerder, met de Faculteit der Letteren als penvoerende faculteit.
• The N.W. Posthumus Institute is the Netherlands Research Institute and Graduate School on economic and social history. It has four main objectives: (1) to run coordinated national research programmes which will further raise the standard of Dutch research in this field; (2) to train Dutch postgraduate students in the skills demanded by modern research into economic and social history; (3) to help graduate students pursue their research projects through to the final doctorate; (4) to cooperate with a growing number of European universities in the training of a new generation of scholars, geared to international collaboration in research.
• The Huizinga Instituut is the Dutch Research Institute and Graduate School of Cultural History. It organizes post-doctoral courses for historical researchers and stimulates research into cultural history.
• Nederlands Centrum voor Contemporaine Geschiedenis. The Dutch research centre for contemporary history. Website with information on the centre of research being carried out, links, and coming events (in Dutch).
• The Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology (KITLV) at Leiden was founded in 1851. Its objective is the advancement of the study of the anthropology, linguistics, social sciences, and history of South East Asia, the Pacific Area, and the Caribbean. Special emphasis is laid on the former Dutch colonies of Indonesia, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. Its unique collection of books, manuscripts, prints and photographs attracts visiting scholars from all over the world.
• The Centrum voor Parlementaire Geschiedenis (Centre for Parlementary History) is a joint venture of the Stichting Parlementaire Geschiedenis and the Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen and undertakes research into the postwar parlementary history of the Netherlands. It publishes various monographs, sources and the Jaarboek Parlementaire Geschiedenis.
• Katholiek Documentatie Centrum (KDC). The objectives of the Catholic Documentation Centre which was set up by the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1969, are: to preserve, collect and make accessible of documentation on catholic life in the Netherlands from the beginning of the nineteenth century up to the present day; to promote research and publications about historical and present developments in Dutch Catholicism.
• De Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek behartigt op nationaal niveau samen met allerlei partijen de belangen van de archeologische monumentenzorg, het streven zichtbare en onzichtbare archeologische waarden en kennis daarover duurzaam te behouden. Een speciaal onderdeel van de ROB is het NISA, het Nederlands Instituut voor Scheeps- en OnderwaterArcheologie. Dit instituut, gevestigd in Lelystad, draagt zorg voor de scheeps- en onderwaterarcheologie en beheert het gehele nationale maritiem-archeologisch erfgoed.
• The International Information centre and Archives for the Women's Movement - Internationaal Informatiecentrum en Archief voor de Vrouwenbeweging (IIAV) is the national centre of expertise in the Netherlands, providing information on the position of women and women's studies. The IIAV preserves the cultural legacy of women in the past and the present and provides actual information on the position of women.
• International Institute for Asian Studies is a postdoctoral research centre based in Leiden and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its main objective is to encourage the study of Asia and to promote national and international cooperation in this field. The geographical scope of the institute covers South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Central Asia. The institute focuses on the humanities and the social sciences and, where relevant, on their interaction with other sciences.
• Het Nederlands Centrum voor Rechtshistorische Documentatie en Rechtsiconografie (NCRD) is een documentatie- en informatiecentrum op het terrein van de Nederlandse rechtsgeschiedenis. Het centrum werkt samen met OVR: de Stichting tot uitgaaf der bronnen van het oud-vaderlandse recht. De dienstverlening richt zich op professionals, studenten, scholieren en het geïnteresseerde publiek. Bezoekers van deze site zijn van harte uitgenodigd berichten in te sturen omtrent nieuws, personalia, recent verschenen literatuur (vooral eigen artikelen die moeilijk traceerbaar zijn) en rechtshistorische links.

Archives

• Archiefnet - Archivenet Comprehensive and extremely helpful list of links to Dutch archives. Archiefnet is the oldest links-services for archives in the Netherlands. Since 1995, it offers links with archives in the Netherlands and abroad and also with a large number of other organisations in the historical field. Archiefnet is maintained on a daily basis.
• The Nationaal Archief is the leading centre for the study of Dutch history and culture at the national level. As the "national memory", the Nationaal Archief manages not only historic government records but also the archives of private individuals who play or have played an important part in the life of the nation. Its task is to gather these archives, to maintain them in good, ordered and accessible condition, and to present them to a broad public.
• The Netherlands Economic History Archive (NEHA), established in 1914, has as its objective the collection, preservation, ordering and processing of source material of importance for economic history in the broadest sense. Besides a large number of business archives, which have been deposited at municipal or state repositories since the 1970s, and an important collection of memorabilia, manuscripts and documents, the NEHA also has a major book collection, the Economic History Library (EHB). The collections are accessible through the online catalogue of the International Institute of Social History.
• NEHA BedrijfsArchieven Register Nederland. Inventory of Business Archives.
• Introduction to the archives of the IISH

Historical museums

• The Museumserver is a platform for Dutch museums on the Internet. More than 250 Dutch museum sites are included in the Museumserver. The list is made accessible by an alfabetical, geographical and topical index. Excellent website.
• Holland Museums is another excellent gateway to the websites of Dutch museums. Offers 'virtual rooms', extensive information on museums and news.
• Startpagina startpunt Musea in Nederland. The third gateway to Dutch musuems
  
  
• The Rijksmuseum at Amsterdam is the most important art gallery in the Netherlands with, among other things, a department on Dutch history. The website is well-designed with a lot of information on the art collection and possibilities to see paintings in detail.
• The Jewish Historical Museum (JHM). Very well designed website with compact information on the collection and the impact of the jews on Dutch history. Nice collection of links.
• Nationaal Oorlogs- en Verzetsmuseum Overloon
• The Rijksmuseum Het Koninklijk Prentenkabinet at Leiden is the National Museum of Coins and Medals.
• The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden is the National Museum of Antiquities at Leiden. It has plenty to offer on the civilisations of Ancient Egypt, the Near East, the Classical World and the early Netherlands.
• Museum Boerhaave is the National Museum of the History of Science and Medicine in the Netherlands, located in Leiden. Interesting website.
• Netherlands Maritime Museum Amsterdam has a unique collection of ship models, antique travel guides, centuries-old maritime charts, paintings, weapons, and navigation instruments. This superb collection tells the story of the maritime past of the Netherlands. The quay outside the Museum provides a permanent berth for a replica of the Dutch East Indiaman Amsterdam.
• The Maritime Museum Rotterdam has a somewhat younger collection which is more directed to the development of the Rotterdam harbour.
• The Nederlands Openluchtmuseum (National Heritage Museum) shows how the Netherlands looked like (site mainly in Dutch, with only basic information in English).
• In the Netherlands Textile Museum , situated in one of the last remaining textile factories in Tilburg, the history and uses of textiles are comprehensively described. The original architecture and the lively presentation enable the visitor to move back into the past and witness what used to be an important textile industry.
  
  
• The Amsterdam Historical Museum is a highly varied place. Housed in the splendid 17th-century building of the former civic orphanage, it tells the history of Amsterdam. The museum has a large collection of art and artifacts. From medieval shoes to a 1998 Gay Games rainbow umbrella - it's all at the museum. Part of the extensive collection is in storage. In order to make the entire collection available to everyone, the museum publishes catalogues regularly, generally accompanied by an exhibition.
• Breda's Museum was founded almost 100 years ago and is the cultural historical museum of Breda. In December 1998 the museum moved to the former Chassé barracks, gaining over 1100 square meters of exhibition space. There are now two permanent exhibitions about history, named 'Tijdspiegels' (Mirrors of Time) and 'Ooggetuigen' (Eyewitnesses), and one permanent exhibition about art and applied art, named 'Blikvangers' (Eye Catchers). Just recently, in August 1999, a new permanent exhibition for children was created. Next to the permanent exhibitions the museum organizes temporary exhibitions with varying themes. Nicely designed site.
• Haags Historisch Museum is the historical museum of the city of The Hague (only in Dutch).
• The Limburgs Museum is the historical and etnographic museum of the province of Limburg. Extensive site with virtual expositions and a lot of educational material (only in Dutch).
• The Lakenhal in Leiden is a museum of typical Dutch urban culture from the 16th century to the present. Besides the history department, visitors can admire the fine collections of (Leiden) silver, engraved glass, pewter and tiles; and paintings by famous Leiden artists like Lucas van Leyden, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen and Jan van Goyen.
• Historisch Museum Het Schielandhuis is the historical museum of the city of Rotterdam and houses also one of the most important collections of Dutch historical prints, the Atlas van Stolk. The website is rich with online expositions and other materials.
• The Stedelijk Museum Zwolle has a collection on the history and art of the province of Overijssel and the city of Zwolle. With virtual expositions (only in Dutch).

Historical societies and associations 

• Het Koninklijk Nederlandse Historisch Genootschap behartigt de belangen van alle beoefenaren van de geschiedenis. Sinds 1990 is het KNHG gelieerd aan de Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW). Het Genootschap vertegenwoordigt Nederland in het International Committee of Historical Sciences, de internationale organisatie van historici die om de vijf jaar een internationaal historisch congres organiseert. De website biedt veel informatie met onder de inhoudsopgave van de Bijdragen en Mededelingen betreffende de geschiedenis der Nederlanden (BMGN), de Kroniek, een selectieve bibliografie met de belangrijkste publicaties op het gebied van de Nederlandse geschiedenis, en actuele informatie over lezingen, congressen en andere gebeurtenissen in historisch Nederland (in Dutch only).
• Association for Low Countries Studies in Great Britain and Ireland aims to promote the scholarly study of the language, culture, history and society of the Low Countries (Netherlands and Belgium) and to increase the public awareness of the Low Countries, and especially the Dutch language, and Dutch and Flemish culture, history and society. It publishes Dutch Crossing A Journal of Low Countries Studies which is a multidisciplinary scholarly journal, devoted to all aspects of Low Countries studies.
• The From 1958 members of the NJBG have been organizing their own excursions, writing interesting articles in their periodical magazine "Fibula" and have been providing help at excavations in The Netherlands and in other European countries. The members are all aged 9 to 26 and live around The Netherlands.
• The Koninklijke Nederlandse Oudheidkundige Bond is a society of people working for the preservation of the cultural heritage, archivists and archeologists.
• De Stichting Maatschappijgeschiedenis bestaat sinds 1969 en organiseert elke twee jaar een conferentie over een breed historisch thema, waarbij vertegenwoordigers van verschillende disciplines bijeen worden gebracht (website in Dutch).
• De Vereniging van docenten in Geschiedenis en Staatsinrichting in Nederland komt op voor de positie van geschiedenis en staatsinrichting en de belangen van de docenten in dit vak. De site biedt vooral veel educatieve informatie en de inhoudsopgaven van Kleio, het tijdschrift van de VGN.