In the Survey of Recent Historical Works, which according to custom concludes this IXth volume of the Acta, is a notice of the recent 'Report of the Dutch research, with suggestions for future development'. Such a report could easily be classified as an attempt to bring pressure to bear on financial resources for support of a somewhat neglected branch of scientific effort, indeed as a symptom of the current disease of notatitis. A recent special issue 'Regeren door notas', of the periodical Beleid and Maatschappij, March-April 1976, discusses this severe Dutch epidemic of official note-writing, for any purpose, on any matter, at any time, by any sort of official committee to any sort of official body. But even if such were the only reason for the production of this Report, which indeed it is not, the Report will stand on its own feet, as significant and of consequence. In general, however, this Report makes sad reading. It would seem that Dutch historical research and historiography lags far behind comparable foreign developments. There are said to be immense gaps in knowledge of and insight into virtually all fields of the Dutch past and moreover a total lack of modem sophistication. Inevitably, currently fashionable techniques such as programming, co-ordination, and teamwork are suggested as desirable, and a preference is expressed for the currently highly regarded socio-historical approach.
Authors and Affiliations
University Faculties, Antwerp, Belgium
R. Baetens
University of Ghent, Belgium
H. Balthazar
Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
H. Dijk
Southampton, UK
Rosemary Duke
Historical Department, Dutch Institute in Rome, Italy
P. J. Kessel
University of Leiden, The Netherlands
D. J. Roorda,
Nicolette Santen-Mout,
B. A. Sijes
Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
E. Stols
University College, London, UK
K. W. Swart
Instituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
B. A. Sijes
University of Groningen, The Netherlands
C. A. Tamse
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Acta Historiae Neerlandicae IX
Book Subtitle: Studies on the History of the Netherlands
Authors: R. Baetens, H. Balthazar, H. Dijk, Rosemary Duke, P. J. Kessel, D. J. Roorda, Nicolette Santen-Mout, E. Stols, K. W. Swart, B. A. Sijes, … C. A. Tamse
