The miracle of the hbs is about the early history of the hogere burgerschool (Higher Civic School) or HBS, a now-defunct Dutch secondary school type that achieved great fame. The research focuses... Show moreThe miracle of the hbs is about the early history of the hogere burgerschool (Higher Civic School) or HBS, a now-defunct Dutch secondary school type that achieved great fame. The research focuses on the establishment and functioning of the HBS in twelve smaller municipalities with populations of less than 10,000 people in the outer provinces of the Netherlands. Initially, the HBS was not really a success – its profile was unclear, the results of its few students were disappointing, and the cost for national and local government high. Still, those first few schools survived. The aim of the study is to find explanations for this paradox.The research shows that the miracle of the HBS is due to a combination of factors: well-timed legislation; a well-drafted law; two strong inducements in the legislation, namely money and curricular freedom; great enthusiasm in the region, particularly outside the traditional centre of the country; a degree of invulnerability to criticism from the opposition; and, above all, the self-confident actions of erudite and well-paid teachers committed to the new school and prepared to devote themselves fully to designing and improving its curriculum without making any concessions to the quality of the education. Show less
Margaret of Burgundy (1374-1441) is known mainly for two reasons. Firstly, her marriage in 1385 to William of Bavaria, eldest son of the Count of Hainault, Holland and Zeeland, laid the foundation... Show moreMargaret of Burgundy (1374-1441) is known mainly for two reasons. Firstly, her marriage in 1385 to William of Bavaria, eldest son of the Count of Hainault, Holland and Zeeland, laid the foundation for the transfer of power in these principalities to the Burgundian dynasty some 50 years later. Secondly, she supported her only child Jacqueline of Bavaria, who fought many battles in order to prevent this. The combination of these two roles points to a conflict of interest. By supporting her daughter as the rightful Bavarian heir, Margaret inevitably came into conflict with members of her own dynasty of origin, the Valois Burgundians. The overarching question in the research presented in this thesis is what tilted the scales for Margaret as a political player in different phases of her life: was it her loyalty to the Burgundian or to the Bavarian dynasty, her connection with the Hook party in Holland, or was she driven mainly by self-interest, as is sometimes suggested? Related to this is the question whether her means were substantial enough to allow her to play her own game. In this biographical study, a chronological and a thematic approach have been combined. The loyalty question serves as guideline for the first part, in which the story of Margaret’s life is told chronologically within the broader context of political developments. The thematic second part is dedicated to her financial position as a widow, her court, and her religious and literary patronage. Show less
Het idee dat oorlogvoering niet alleen een praktisch vak is, maar ook een goede theoretische onderbouwing nodig heeft, ontstond al aan het eind van de vijftiende eeuw. Daarbij speelde de... Show moreHet idee dat oorlogvoering niet alleen een praktisch vak is, maar ook een goede theoretische onderbouwing nodig heeft, ontstond al aan het eind van de vijftiende eeuw. Daarbij speelde de boekdrukkunst als nieuw communicatiemiddel een cruciale rol, want juist via het gedrukte woord konden kennis en informatie op krijgskundig gebied gemakkelijk en breed worden verspreid. Aan dit aspect is tot nu toe nauwelijks aandacht besteed en er bestaat van geen enkel land een algemene studie over militaire boekcultuur. Gewapend met kennis presenteert een eerste overzicht van de rijke Nederlandse militaire boekcultuur: van de eerste militaire vakbibliotheek, in 1600 ontstaan aan de Leidse universiteit, tot de eerste druk van het bekende Handboek voor de soldaat uit 1933. De eerste werken werden gedrukt door Christoffel Plantijn in Antwerpen, maar al snel werden Den Haag en Amsterdam het centrum van de Nederlandse militaire publicistiek. Tot in de achttiende eeuw was de Nederlandse Republiek zelfs internationaal een belangrijke producent van militaire literatuur. De auteur had voor zijn onderzoek toegang tot het omvangrijke en unieke historisch boekbezit aanwezig in het cultureel erfgoed van Defensie. Gewapend met kennis bevat een schat aan materiaal voor onderzoekers, geïnteresseerden en erfgoedinstellingen, en geeft de militair een ander gezicht. Show less
Throughout the nineteenth century many genre and history painters from Central-Europe, as elsewhere, chose to depict scenes from everyday life in the past. At the time writers of historiographic... Show moreThroughout the nineteenth century many genre and history painters from Central-Europe, as elsewhere, chose to depict scenes from everyday life in the past. At the time writers of historiographic and literary texts, reviews of books and works of art often expressed a longing to be able to ´see´ such personal life in history, and to sympathize with its positive moments. Scenes of historical genre were particularly apt to meet those wishes. The preference for eras and locations underwent changes during the course of that century, and the same goes for the situations and activities that ´historical´ people were shown involved in. The variance in historical ideals in Germany, Austria and Poland led to a wide variety of scenes within Central-European historical genre, whilst producing, at the same time, sometimes surprising similarities. Object of this study has been the cultural-historical context of some of the most frequently painted themes and types of historical genre, as well as contemporary comments, in order to find out what meaning these images held for the nineteenth-century beholder. Show less
