This thesis examines Dutch knowledge and representations of early modern Barbary and its peoples, through analyses of ethnographic descriptions, newspapers and captivity narratives. On the basis of...Show moreThis thesis examines Dutch knowledge and representations of early modern Barbary and its peoples, through analyses of ethnographic descriptions, newspapers and captivity narratives. On the basis of the first two bodies of texts, it argues that detailed and specific information on Barbary was available to a relatively large audience. Captivity narratives, on the other hand, reveal that this information was not necessarily picked up by the Dutch public, as the words their authors used to designate North African polities and peoples were rather abstract, and more closely resembled stereotypes projected upon Barbary.Show less
The Dutch East India Company has been ascribed many faces and many colours during its existence, and these still echo throughout the public debate and national discourse. This thesis will...Show moreThe Dutch East India Company has been ascribed many faces and many colours during its existence, and these still echo throughout the public debate and national discourse. This thesis will contribute to new directions in the historiography of Dutch Empire by focusing on the Dutch East India Company governors and the narratives they communicated in the so-called 'Memories van Overgave', how these changed between 1700-1750, how these differed between three different regions: Bengal, Ambon, and Ceylon, and what the implications are for the organisational identity of the Dutch East India Company. In order to do so, this thesis employs a new analytical framework that positions the governor in the centre of two different relations: the relation he had to the institute he was a part of, and the relation he had with the proverbial 'other' he encountered. Everything combined, this will show the multi-faceted nature of the governors, the Dutch East India Company, and that the identity of the Dutch East India Company was not static, but flexible and ever-changing.Show less
This thesis examines the functionality of early modern Amsterdam as a diplomatic city. (Entities in) The Hague nominally held the political and geographical prerogative to diplomatic relations in...Show moreThis thesis examines the functionality of early modern Amsterdam as a diplomatic city. (Entities in) The Hague nominally held the political and geographical prerogative to diplomatic relations in the Dutch Republic, but Amsterdam was a significant challenger to this position due to its economic and financial agency. Various aspects, such as Amsterdam's interfence with diplomatic policy, its contacts with Dutch envoys abroad and the diplomatic community within Amsterdam itself, are elucidated. In particular, it explores the functionality of lesser envoys, such as consuls and agents, and the way they integrated themselves into urban society.Show less
This thesis studies the negative characterization of the Dutch in the pamphlet discourse of early modern England. It provides a survey of the character traits, tropes, arguments and general images...Show moreThis thesis studies the negative characterization of the Dutch in the pamphlet discourse of early modern England. It provides a survey of the character traits, tropes, arguments and general images used by pamphleteers to depict the Dutch as an immoral enemy ‘Other’. It also analyses the development of Hollandophobia, mapping changes and continuity within the discourse, focusing on the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the seventeenth century and the Glorious Revolution of 1688.Show less
This thesis researches the legal status of people with mental illnesses in the fifteenth century Low Countries, based on an analysis of both normative sources (bylaws) and sources of practice ...Show moreThis thesis researches the legal status of people with mental illnesses in the fifteenth century Low Countries, based on an analysis of both normative sources (bylaws) and sources of practice (court cases). It looks at two specific areas, namely guardianship procedures and inheritance law. The research focusses on an urban setting, using two case studies (Leiden and Leuven). The findings are placed in a comparative context by comparing them with results for other cities in the Low Countries, as well as the findings of other medievalists for different countries (England, France and Italy).Show less
In the discussion on identity, there is a strong tendency to limit the existence of national sentiments to the modern period. In this thesis, the existence of such thoughts are explored in the...Show moreIn the discussion on identity, there is a strong tendency to limit the existence of national sentiments to the modern period. In this thesis, the existence of such thoughts are explored in the letters of three ruling families from the late fifteenth century: the d’Este, Gonzaga and Sforza. The letters have been scrutinized from several perspectives, eventually indicating both the existence of an idea of Italy and its limited application in the political realm. As for the letters in material sense, they show great similarities in their composition, suggesting a common cultural horizon. This is no great surprise, as these ruling elites were socially strongly intertwined through marriages and friendships. From the ongoing discussion on the state of the war, there speaks a strong awareness of a common Italian interest. The expression of this awareness, however, occurred in such a way that underwrites personal interest and the preservation of the own state. In this sense, the political importance of the idea of Italy was constituted by the accumulated interest of the princes in the peninsula. But, because personal interest eventually always prevailed, it was simultaneously also its limitation in the political realm.Show less
The ruling dynasties of the Holy Roman Empire were subjected to imperial jurisdiction. Until the Empire’s demise in 1806, its two supreme courts adjudicated disputes that stemmed from all levels of...Show moreThe ruling dynasties of the Holy Roman Empire were subjected to imperial jurisdiction. Until the Empire’s demise in 1806, its two supreme courts adjudicated disputes that stemmed from all levels of the imperial hierarchy. Despite considerable autonomy, a sizable army and international ambitions, the rulers of Brandenburg-Prussia remained accountable to imperial justice. The Kings ‘in’ Prussia needed the emperor’s confirmation to realize their expansionist ambitions in the Southern German region of Franconia. The Reichshofrat, as the emperor’s supreme court, reviewed the lawfulness of Prussia’s claims, while a political opposition of small Franconian princes organized itself around the influential imperial arch-chancellor and elector of Mainz. The opposition feared Prussian interference in their regional assembly and did everything to prevent Prussian expansion into Franconia. Several of the king’s relatives were persuaded to join the opposition and appeal to the Reichshofrat to challenge Prussia’s ambitions. This ignited an intra-dynastic conflict which could alter the balance of power in the Empire on the outset of the 18th century. This thesis enquires how the Reichshofrat arbitrated the conflict, demonstrates how political and legal issues merged in a struggle for power and seeks to understand how the protagonists operated within the confines of the Empire’s legal framework. As they tried to achieve their political objectives within the imperial system they were forced to deal with its constraints. The conflict’s dynamic, course of events and outcome were determined by the imperial system.Show less
After the death of duchess Mary of Burgundy in 1482, the Netherlands faced a regency crisis as her heir Philip the Handsome was still a minor. For the better part of a decade, the boy's father,...Show moreAfter the death of duchess Mary of Burgundy in 1482, the Netherlands faced a regency crisis as her heir Philip the Handsome was still a minor. For the better part of a decade, the boy's father, Maximilian of Austria combatted alternative governments erected by a coalition of the unruly Flemish cities and the most important members of the Netherlandish aristocracy. This being the first time in the Netherlands that the nobility took part in what is ostensibly an urban revolt, it is worth examing what the relationship between Maximilian and the nobility was. The punishments doled out afterward are an ideal way to assess such a relationship, since they show clear results and allow for direct comparisons. In this thesis, I argue that the severity of a punishment depended mostly on the prospect of a nobleman's utility afterwards, where ties to major urban centres and to the Burgundian dynasty were prime qualities. Furthermore, I attempt to show that beyond the actual punishment, the narrative form in which events are recounted and made by rhetoric and ritual involved in the surrenders and trials constitute a vital part of the conflict and its peace negotiations for these honour-focused nobles.Show less
