This work presents a political biography of nineteenth century lawyer and statesman Dirk Donker Curtius. Donker advocated freedom of religion, speech and press through lawsuits, brochures and... Show moreThis work presents a political biography of nineteenth century lawyer and statesman Dirk Donker Curtius. Donker advocated freedom of religion, speech and press through lawsuits, brochures and articles and found himself at the centre of power amidst the 1848 political and societal developments. This dissertation reveals that Donker had a larger role than assumed in the Dutch liberal discourse in development of the liberal movement prior to 1848 and practical implementation of reformist ideas thereafter. Specifically, this study of Donker’s career argues that through his skilful and pragmatic service as Minister of Justice in the first years after the creation of the 1848 liberal constitution, he played a pivotal role in its consolidation and perpetuation. Show less
This dissertation focuses on the workings of popular national agency in late nineteenth-century Amsterdam and the question in what ways and to what extent ‘ordinary’ citizens constructed and... Show moreThis dissertation focuses on the workings of popular national agency in late nineteenth-century Amsterdam and the question in what ways and to what extent ‘ordinary’ citizens constructed and experienced ‘the Netherlands’ through their urban surroundings. It steers away from a top-down perspective and considers the lower and middle social classes as actual actors in the process of democratising the nation. The argument of the book is centred around five case studies: the popular experience of public monuments and statues; the singing of the national anthem; popular Orangism; the public response to the Boer Wars; and the commercialisation of the nation in an urban context. Show less
