A widespread debate in the Netherlands in the nineteenth century was that on the new Protestant theology which arose around 1840, called 'modern', 'modernist' or 'liberal'. In this discussion... Show moreA widespread debate in the Netherlands in the nineteenth century was that on the new Protestant theology which arose around 1840, called 'modern', 'modernist' or 'liberal'. In this discussion, involving many different parties, brochures (pamphlets) formed an important polemic tool.The focus in the dissertation is on two of those parties: the modern Protestants and the Roman Catholics, and on the external aspects of the discussions between them. What images did modern Protestants have of the Roman Catholics? And vice versa? What specific arguments were used? Can qualitative brochure research throw new light on traditional assumptions? These questions are investigated on the basis of a selection of some 540 contemporary titles from the brochure collection of the Leiden University Library that reflect this 'paper war'. This selection has the form of a reasoned catalogue, the Leidse Lijst, available online as part of the dissertation but also as a separate booklet.The main conclusion is that the brochures can be held largely responsible for the rapid spread of Protestant modernism between 1840 and 1870. Show less
This study examines the ‘descriptions of cities’ or ‘urban historical topographies’ that were published in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic. Its questions are: What are the conceptual... Show moreThis study examines the ‘descriptions of cities’ or ‘urban historical topographies’ that were published in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic. Its questions are: What are the conceptual foundations of the genre? What are the underlying principles that determine the topics that the authors choose and how they approached them? In the chapter-length introduction the genre is defined and an overview is given of the urban topographies published before 1700, situating them in their political and social context. Aspects of production and reception, belonging to the field of book history, are also discussed. An answer to the study’s main questions is attempted in six chapters. Chapters 2-5 discuss the four most important disciplines that influenced the genre: chorography, encomiastic literature, travel methods, and antiquarian research. Two concluding chapters present two case studies, focussing on the cities of Delft and Leiden in the province of Holland. The first shows how these disciplines converged in urban historical topographies. The second situates them in an international context. Show less
