bmgn — Low Countries Historical Review | Volume 135-1 (2020) | pp. 31-69
Stretching the Archives
Ego-documents and Life Writing Research in the Netherlands: State of the Art
31 leonieke vermeer
This review article offers an overview of ego-documents and life writing research in the Netherlands. It discusses the outcomes of extensive national archival projects aimed at establishing inventories of ego-documents held in Dutch public archives (diaries, memoirs, personal letters and other forms of autobiographical writing) from the period of 1500 until 1918. The most important research lines and debates on ego-documents, auto/biography and life writing are evaluated and linked to issues of disciplinary demarcation between literary scholars and historians. Developments in the last few decades point towards increasing collaboration between these disciplines, which is also needed to face the challenges and opportunities presented by digitisation. The online databases of ego-documents from the inventory projects are very valuable but have several downsides: they are far from complete and often not user-friendly or searchable by keyword. Furthermore, greater efforts should be made to stretch the archive beyond its traditional limitations and shed light on groups and perspectives that have been underexposed in history. This conclusion is also relevant to printed editions of ego-documents. These editions are welcomed, but could pay more attention to a greater diversity of authors and experiences, as well as to the visual and material quality of the sources.
Dit artikel biedt een overzicht van het Nederlandse onderzoek naar egodocumenten en life writing. Het brengt de resultaten in kaart van de omvangrijke inventarisatieprojecten van egodocumenten (dagboeken, memoires, persoonlijke brieven en andere autobiografische teksten) uit de periode 1500- 1918 die in Nederlandse openbare archieven bewaard worden. De belangrijkste onderzoekslijnen en discussies over egodocumenten, auto/biografie en life writing worden in dit artikel beoordeeld en in verband gebracht met de institutionele
Published by Royal Netherlands Historical Society | knhg Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License doi: 10.18352/bmgn-lchr.10784 | www.bmgn-lchr.nl | e-issn 2211-2898 | print issn 0165-0505 review article – recensie-artikel
afbakening tussen literatuurwetenschappers en historici. De ontwikkelingen in de afgelopen decennia wijzen op een toenemende samenwerking tussen deze disciplines, die ook nodig is vanwege de uitdagingen en mogelijkheden die digitalisering met zich meebrengt. De online databanken van egodocumenten die zijn voortgekomen uit de inventarisatieprojecten zijn zeer waardevol, maar hebben ook enkele keerzijden: ze zijn verre van compleet en vaak niet gebruikersvriendelijk of doorzoekbaar op trefwoord. Bovendien zijn er grotere inspanningen vereist om de traditionele beperkingen van de bestaande publieke archieven te overstijgen zodat er meer oog komt voor groepen en perspectieven die in de geschiedschrijving onderbelicht zijn gebleven. Deze conclusie is ook relevant voor uitgegeven egodocumenten. Deze uitgaven zijn van grote waarde, maar ze zouden een grotere diversiteit aan auteurs en ervaringen kunnen weerspiegelen en meer aandacht moeten schenken aan de visuele en materiële vorm van deze bronnen.
Introduction
The historiography on (auto)biographical writing in the Netherlands has led to contradictory statements. On the one hand, scholars have observed the absence of autobiographical and biographical traditions. They attribute this to the alleged taboo in Dutch Protestantism on the public discussion of a private life (biography) and a distaste for excessive attention to the self (autobiography).1 On the other hand, historians have argued that autobiographical writing in the Netherlands has developed similarly to its neighbouring countries and therefore fits into a West-European pattern, marked by a sharp rise in the number of ego-documents after 1780 which continued in the nineteenth century.2 This last conclusion seems more valid, as it is based on the latter scholars’ extensive inventory projects covering all ego-documents held in Dutch public archives (diaries, memoirs, personal letters and other forms of autobiographical writing), both manuscripts and printed texts dating from the period 1500-1918. These inventory projects were executed by the Dutch historians Rudolf Dekker, Arianne Baggerman, Hans Valk and others during the 1980s. In this review article, I will evaluate these inventory projects and their outcomes, in print and in online form, and place them in the broader context
1 Sabine Vanacker ‘Netherlands and Belgium in: Erin Griffey (ed.), Envisioning Self and Status: (Flanders)’, in: Margaretta Jolly (ed.), Encyclopedia Self-Representation in the Low Countries 1400-1700 of Life Writing: Autobiographical and Biographical (Hull 2000) 255-285. Forms (London 2001) 647. Previously, this absence 2 Ruud Lindeman, Yvonne Scherf, Arianne has been argued in several other Dutch and Baggerman and Rudolf Dekker (eds.), international publications. For an overview, see: Egodocumenten van Nederlanders uit de zestiende Rudolf Dekker, ‘Egodocuments in the Netherlands tot begin negentiende eeuw: Repertorium from the Sixteenth to the Nineteenth Century’, (Amsterdam 2016) 11-12, 28 (note 43). vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 33 series of the 6 , 521-526. (Chicago 2005) 11-32; Dekker, 2005) (Chicago Dekker, 11-32; He based his findings in large 4 (The https://www.dbnl.org/ Hague 1965) , which was rather exceptional for was which , I will use the common English spelling English ‘ego- theI will common use documents’. en vervolging De Ondergang. Jacques Presser, 1940- Jodendom het Nederlandse van verdelging 1945 tekst/pres003onde01_01/index.php, 14 accessed 2019.November This book was translated into of Wind: The in the Destruction as Ashes English Jewry of and The (London 1968) Dutch Destruction 1969). (New York Jews Dutch the Ondergang Presser, and Historians, Jeremy Popkin, History, Autobiography ‘Jacques Presser’s Heritage’, 21. 5 6 4 5 :
Presser was a survivor of Presser was officially and was the Holocaust 3 commissioned by the Dutch government to write a history ofcommissioned by the Dutch Jews Dutch during the Nazi regime in the Netherlands. The term ‘ego-documents’ was coined by the Dutch historian Jacques Presser historian Jacques Presser coined by the Dutch was ‘ego-documents’ The term personal letters and memoirs, in the 1950s as a generic term for diaries, other forms of He eventually defined the term as autobiographical writing. discloses, an ego intentionally or unintentionally in which documents ‘those or hides itself’. Dutch publishing house Verloren that resulted from the inventory projects. that resulted Verloren publishing house Dutch of life writing and auto/biography research in the Netherlands. International International of in the Netherlands. research and auto/biography writing life be – will countries European in neighbouring especially – developments the In order to discuss the discussion. to account when relevant taken into I shall state of topics: first, consider four related I will field, the art in this field of introduction to the provide an ego-documents and life writing I will discuss the of with definitions research core concepts; secondly, important lines of about life writing and auto/biography and debates research on institutional networks and issues including a reflection in the Netherlands, projects inventory the Dutch I evaluate of thirdly, disciplinary demarcation; of and archives as well as other databases and propose ego-documents, printed I will review online and and finally, research; requirements for future publications of the Egodocumenten especially ego-documents, that time. From the nineteenth century onwards – when historians made From the nineteenth century onwards that time. well into scientific discipline – until efforts to define their field as an objective critical of most historians were using ego-documents, the twentieth century, they regarded as subjective and unreliable sources. which part on interviews and ego-documents Jacques Presser, ‘“Clio kijkt door het sleutelgat”’, ‘“Clio Jacques Presser, in: Maarten Brands, Jan Haak and Philip de J. Presser dr. van Vries (eds.), het Uit werk (Amsterdam 1969) 283-293, 286; Rudolf Dekker, Dekker, Rudolf 286; (Amsterdam 283-293, 1969) ‘Jacques Presser’s in Heritage: Egodocuments 5 History’,the of Study y Civilizatión Memoria Arianne Baggerman 14; and Rudolf 13-37, (2002) and Egodocuments ‘Jacques Presser, Dekker, in Historiography’, European Turn the Personal doi 90-110, 7 (2018) 93. Writing Life of Journal wrote Presser https://doi.org/10.5463/ejlw.7.263. ‘ego-documenten’ with a hyphen, would which Dutch, besides In languages disappear. later the hyphen is still in use, therefore however, Ego-documents and life writing research: definitions of core concepts Ego-documents and definitions life core of research: writing 3 review article – recensie-artikel
The disregard for the value of ego-documents changed in the 1980s when ego-documents became important sources in historical research, due to the rise of history from below, history of mentalities, microhistory and, more generally, the cultural turn in historiography which brought the subjective dimension of history into fashion.7 In the Netherlands, research on ego-documents was initiated by historians interested in the workers’ movement8, women’s history9 and oral history.10 At the history department of Erasmus University in Rotterdam, modelled after the Gesellschaftsgeschichte of the Bielefeld school, the Dutch historian Rudolf Dekker started his pioneering work in the 1980s on the aforementioned inventory projects of ego-documents.11 These inventory projects, funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (first zwo and later by its successor nwo), were collaborative efforts by scholars from the Erasmus University Rotterdam (Dekker, Baggerman and others) and Valk from the Institute for Dutch History (ing). The aim was to uncover both manuscripts and printed texts of autobiographical writings (such as diaries, autobiographies, memoires and travelogues), from the period 1500-1918, in all Dutch public archives. The results have been made available in several publications, on a website and recently in a book.12 These pioneering projects were followed by inventories in other countries, which are, however, more limited in scope than the Dutch inventories with regard to period or genre.13
7 Marijke Huisman, ‘Life Writing in the 9 E.g. Mieke Aerts et al., Naar het leven. Feminisme Netherlands’, European Journal of Life Writing 4 en biografisch onderzoek (Amsterdam 1988). (2015) 19-26, 20. doi: https://doi.org/10.5463/ 10 E.g. Selma Leydesdorff, Wij hebben als mens ejlw.4.171; Claudia Ulbrich, Kaspar von Greyerz geleefd. Het joodse proletariaat van Amsterdam and Lorenz Heiligensetzer, ‘Introduction’, in: Idem 1900-1940 (Amsterdam 1987), translated into (eds.), Mapping the ‘I’: Research on Self-Narratives English as We Lived with Dignity: The Jewish in Germany and Switzerland (Leiden 2015) 1; Volker Proletariat of Amsterdam 1900-1940 (Detroit Depkat, ‘Ego-Documents’, in: Martina Wagner- 1998). Egelhaaf (ed.), Handbook of Autobiography/ 11 Huisman, ‘Life Writing’, 19. Autofiction (Berlin 2019) 262-267, 263. 12 The inventories of manuscripts are available 8 Ger Harmsen initiated Biografisch woordenboek via http://www.egodocument.net, accessed 14 van het socialisme en de arbeidersbeweging in November 2019. The first inventory (of ego- Nederland (Biographical Dictionary of Socialism documents from the period 1500-1814) has also and the Worker’s Movement in the Netherlands), been published: Lindeman et al., Egodocumenten. published in nine volumes between 1986 The inventory of Dutch ego-documents and 2003. Ger Harmsen, ‘De biografie in de appearing in print in the period 1813-1914 is geschiedschrijving van de arbeidersbeweging: available on the website of Huygens ing: http:// plaats en betekenis’, Bulletin Nederlandse resources.huygens.knaw.nl/egodocumenten, Arbeidersbeweging 19 (1989) 2-31. https:// accessed 14 November 2019. socialhistory.org/bwsa/harmsen-bna, accessed 14 13 Today there are inventories of European ego- November 2019. documents publicly held in Austria, Belgium, vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 35 , 198-
17 36:4 (2018). , 24-32. Dutch, On recent , 12-13. Autobiography and Historians, History, ‘Autofiction’, in: Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf in: Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf ‘Autofiction’, (ed.), Autobiography/Autofiction of Handbook (Berlin Historians, 2019) 241-246; History, Popkin, and Autobiography literary on autobiographical research writing, autofiction and ego-documents, the besides Missinne, Lut of thework thematic see issue Vooys‘Egodocumenten’, Popkin, ReadingSmith and Autobiography Watson, 199, 204-206. Huisman,Marijke ‘Introduction’, in: Idem (ed.), (Heidelberg 2012) in Europe Matters Writing Life 9-19, 12. an indication: give the bibliographic database To Historical Abstracts for the results 64 contains ‘ego-documents’):period (search: 1991-2019 Dutch/Flemish German (5), (17), (33), English (3), ItalianSpanish (4), French (2). In the 1990s life writing emerged life writing emerged In the 1990s
14 15 16 17 18 However, it is remarkable that authoritative However, 18 78:1 (2016) 78:1 This research field built on a paradigm shift from the 1970s and from the 1970s and on a paradigm shift field built This research 15 The field of life writing is interdisciplinary in nature and reunites : https://doi.org/10.5463/ 16 After Presser invented the term ‘ego-documents’, the word was the word was ‘ego-documents’, After Presser invented the term Simultaneously in the 1980s, after preceding decades in which the the which decades in after preceding in the 1980s, Simultaneously : https://doi.org/10.1111/hisn.12080. quickly adopted in Dutch and has also become current in other European and has also become current adopted in Dutch quickly languages since the 1990s. 1980s that led to the reconceptualisation of1980s that led to the subjectivity and autobiographical and literary theories Influential in this respect were post-structural acts. These disability studies. memory and cultural, postcolonial, queer, feminist, transparency and challenged beliefstudies questioned the language’s in ofthe traditional concept in canonical works of represented the subject, sovereign as a coherent, Confessions (1782), Rousseau’s autobiography like shattered the challenges Such capable ofhuman being who is self-discovery. of and led to efforts West the narratives’ ‘master cultural authority of the focus ofto widen the hegemonic historiography on the elite of society with and marginalised individuals more attention for underrepresented and groups. ‘death of the author’ was proclaimed, literary scholars also became more became more also scholars literary proclaimed, of was the author’ ‘death purports to be a text that ‘autofiction’, in autobiography and interested and autobiographical. both fictional as a recognised field in its own right, with its own scholarly journals and journals own scholarly with its right, field in its own as a recognised conferences. different scholars around the world, albeit with regional differences; whereas around the world, different scholars Anglo-American tend to be based in the field of scholars for example literary a relatively large number of are rooted European life writing scholars studies, especially history and the social sciences. in other disciplines, (Nijmegen 2013) 17-18; Claudia Gronemann, 17-18; (Nijmegen 2013) Lut Missinne,Lut Oprecht gelogen. Autobiografische na literatuur Nederlandse in de autofictie en romans 1985 Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands,Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, For an overview and Switzerland. the of Timothy Ashplant, see: websites, ‘Life Writing “fromBelow” Authors, in Europe: Archives, Writing Life of Journal Arenas’,Avenues, European 10-48,7 (2018) doi 38-39. Michael Mascuch, Dekker Rudolf ejlw.7.241; and Arianne Baggerman, ‘Egodocuments and History: A Short Durée: the of Longue Account and History’,Egodocuments Historian 11-56, doi 55-56. Philippe scholar Autobiography has Lejeune ‘Inventairemade des an ‘inventory inventories’: of autobiographiques’, de textes inventaires http:// www.autopacte.org/inventaire2.html, 14 accessed 2019.November
14 review article – recensie-artikel
B
An example of an ego-document is this diary from the collection of the Nederlands Dagboekarchief (Dutch Diary Archive, Meertens Institute). Diary (anonymous), Collection Nederlands Dagboekarchief (Dutch Diary Archive) © Nederlands Dagboekarchief (Dutch Diary Archive) at the Meertens Institute in Amsterdam, and photographer Adrie Mouthaan. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 37 , 4. 25 Scholarly exchange and discussions and discussions exchange Scholarly 19 Smith and Watson, ReadingSmith and Watson, Autobiography Examples been non-verbal of that have sources self-presentation of are the as sources used pottery the of African American potter- enslaved andpoet ‘Dave the the Potter’ garden African of Mita Banerjee, American Walker. writer Alice (ed.), ‘Life in: Martina Writing’, Wagner-Egelhaaf (Berlin Autobiography/Autofiction of Handbook 2019) 336-337. practices’ can defined be as ‘Auto/biographical ‘the everyday of myriad and frequently fleeting practicessocial with the articulation concerned (oftenof competing, sometimes discontinuous) as Stanley Liz and “lives”. “selves” of notions Ashplant, by cited “from ‘Life Below” Writing in Authors,Europe: Arenas’, Archives, Avenues, 11, 18-19. Banerjee, ‘Life Ashplant, 336; Writing’, ‘Life “from Below”Writing Introduction’, in Europe: 1-9. The opening up of as concepts such
24 22 23 24 25
21 Many of these ‘autobiographical practices’ occur when practices’ ‘autobiographical Many of these 23 But life writing research also takes into account non-written, also takes into account non-written, But life writing research Literary scholars rather differentiate separate genres, such as letters, as letters, such separate genres, rather differentiate Literary scholars 22 The term ‘life writing’ lumps together even more categories, as it categories, lumps together even more ‘life writing’ The term 20 . The category life writing’ ‘self of on the concept ofon the concept ego-documents restricted to Dutch, seem to be largely Besides contexts, different national academic Belgian and German scholars. The concept of ego-documents at stake. boundaries are also disciplinary has of especially historians modern the early been used by historians, primarily period. encompasses biographical and autobiographical narratives, whereas ‘ego- whereas and autobiographical narratives, encompasses biographical be defined Life writing can texts. only refers to autobiographical documents’ as its own or another’s, one’s a life, general term for writing that takes ‘a as subject’. to reconstruct an practices’ ‘autobiographical sources and even non-verbal life. individual’s British and American reference books on autobiography and life writing do do and life writing on autobiography books reference American and British ‘ego-documents’. term the not mention there is no inner drive to express the self, such as applying for a state benefit, as applying for a state benefit, such there is no inner drive to express the self, making a will or registering a death. diaries, autobiography or autofiction, and are cautious towards the catch-all the catch-all towards and are cautious autobiography or autofiction, diaries, ‘bears the danger ofcategory ofit because blinding historians ego-documents, dynamics of and communicative narratological, the various to the formal, forms of self life writing’. ‘documents’, ‘writing’ and ‘authorship’ has especially been productive in ‘authorship’ and ‘writing’ ‘documents’, contexts of of colonial or political domination and the reconstruction the subjectivity and agency of marginalised groups and individuals. 28:3 (2010): 263-272, 263, 266, 270 and 272. 266, 270 263, (2010): 263-272, 28:3 : https://doi.org/10.1093/gerhis/ghq065, as Reading forSee example: Smith and Watson, Autobiography with the term ‘ego- coincide (p. to 4) seems Writing Life of documents’. the In Encyclopedia the term ‘ego-documents’ up in only shows the entry on the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders), as a term between quotation marks. ‘Netherlands and Belgium Sabine Vanacker, in the recent Tellingly, (Flanders)’, 647-649. , the Autobiography/Autofiction of Handbook ‘ego-documents’ of has separate a concept entry, but this handbook is mainly written by German scholars. Depkat, ‘Ego-Documents’, 262-267. Mary and Fulbrook Ulinka Rublack, ‘In Relation: The “Social Self” and Ego-documents’, German History doi Depkat, by: cited ‘Ego-Documents’, 262-263. Depkat, ‘Ego-Documents’, 264. 20 21 19 review article – recensie-artikel
Debates and demarcations
Criticism has been raised against the seemingly endless multiplicity of materials in life writing research and the methodological problems of studying these different materials under the same framework. A fundamental point of criticism is the blurring of boundaries between biography and autobiography, between history and autobiography and between fact and fiction.26 In the Netherlands, discussion of life writing research is rooted in an older debate on biography. In the 1990s both literary scholars and historians claimed a monopoly on this genre. In 1990 the Werkgroep Biografie (Biography Working Group) was founded, under the umbrella of the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde (Society for Dutch Literature, founded in 1766). Some historians, claiming the biography to be a historiographical genre, founded their own Historisch Biografisch Comité (Historical Biographical Committee, 1990). According to the Dutch historian Herman de Liagre Böhl a ‘childish struggle’ arose between literary scholars, who approached biography as a creative genre, and historians who regarded biography as a scientific genre based on verifiable facts. In fact, this controversy seems somewhat exaggerated, as the Historical Biographical Committee disappeared from the scene very soon. Literary scholars, historians and others have collaborated in the Werkgroep Biografie and its journal Biografie Bulletin(1991). 27 In 2012, this journal became the Tijdschrift voor Biografie (Journal of Biography), which ended in 2017, but will continue as an annual open access journal called Biographical Studies.28 Despite this collaboration, the debate was revived again in the last decade by the Dutch biography scholars Hans Renders and Binne de Haan, respectively professor-director of the Biografie Instituut and his former PhD student. In 2004 the Biografie Instituut (Biographical Institute) was founded as part of the Research Center for Historical Studies at Groningen University. Its mission statement stresses the importance of biography as an academic, historiographical genre. The institute facilitates and supports PhD projects. So far, twenty PhD-theses were completed, for the greatest
26 Banerjee, ‘Life Writing’, 336; Popkin, History, org/10.18352/bmgn-lchr.5219; Huisman, ‘Life Historians, and Autobiography, 15-16; Egelhaaf, writing’, 20. ‘Introduction: Autobiography/Autofiction Across 28 ‘Tijdschrift voor biografie gaat digitaal’, Disciplines’, in: Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf (ed.), Biografieportaal, 8 November 2017, https:// Handbook of Autobiography/Autofiction (Berlin biografieportaal.nl/actueel/laatste-nummer- 2019) 1-7. tijdschrift-biografie/, accessed 14 November 2019. 27 Herman de Liagre Böhl, ‘De volledigheidswaan To date, however, the new annual journal has not van biografen’, bmgn – Low Countries Historical started yet. Review 115:2 (2000) 252-260, 252. doi: http://doi. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 39 (founded in Biography is Biography 30 According to Renders, According to Renders, 31 What is worse, according according is worse, What 34 7 November 2009,, 7 November http://www. The Guardian guardian.co.uk/books/2009/nov/07/author- November 14 michael-holroyd-review, accessed 2019. Renders, ‘Biography in Academia and the Critical 169. in Life Writing’, Frontier In a similar vein, De Haan life writing considers as ‘subjective identity politics’. Binne de Haan, ‘The of Eclipse in: HansBiography Renders in Life Writing’, and of Binne de Haan Discussions (eds.), Theoretical Microhistory, History, from Approaches Biography: 177-194, 2014) (Leiden 194. This Writing Life and published wascontribution also in as a chapter tot kroon Binne dehis Dutch Haan, thesis: Van in perspectief het individuele en Biografie bastaard. 2. chapter (Groningen 2015) geschiedschrijving de and 39. , 23 kroon De Haan, Van De Haan, ‘The 178. Eclipse’, 32 33 34 He acknowledges that biographers make use of He acknowledges the 33 According to Renders, there is a strong opposition opposition is a strong there to Renders, According 29 32 In a similar vein, De Haan argues that biography is a historiographical De Haan argues In a similar vein, the work of academic historians, based on critical research, respecting the critical research, based on the work of historians, academic ‘therapists’ are in contrast, Life writers, codes of transparency. reliability and ‘overwhelming dedicating an by justice’ ‘retrospective offer to who want coloured people, ‘women, as such in history’, attention for the deprived victims of and so on’. the Holocaust, homosexuals, genre, because its legitimacy is founded in its claim to truth and in its is founded in its claim to truth and in because its legitimacy genre, reference to a past reality. same autobiographical texts as life writers, but biographers approach these but biographers approach same autobiographical texts as life writers, The biographer maintains his or ego-documents as one source among many. ofher authority by critically judging the value this personal source material whereas the life writer evaluation, through historical contextualisation and for emancipation’. ‘vehicles considers texts as to De Haan, is the ‘eclipse of has been biography in life writing’: biography ‘eclipse is the to De Haan, marginalised due to the rise of He observes that this development life writing. journal Biography is most obvious in the international academic part biographies. ironically has not been a journal which 1978 at the University of Hawaii), these life writers/therapists ‘with backgrounds in Cultural Studies, Gender Gender Studies, in Cultural backgrounds ‘with these life writers/therapists study individual lives on the basis Literature, Studies and Comparative of the with the ultimate aim to show that autobiographical documents authors of social documents were victimized by their these autobiographical context’. between biography and life writing, summarised as science versus ideology. versus ideology. as science summarised and life writing, between biography these genres. between frontier’ ‘critical a plea for a He makes , https://www.rug.nl/research/ , https://www.rug.nl/research/biografie- Rijksuniversiteit het Biografie Instituut’,‘Over Rijksuniversiteit Groningen 2019;biografie-instituut/, November 14 accessed ‘De biografie als specialisme’, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen 2019. November instituut/specialisme, 14 accessed Hans Renders, ‘Biography in Academia and the Where Biography Critical in Life Writing. Frontier Shifts in: Hans Renders Life Writing’, and into of Binne de Haan Discussions (eds.), Theoretical Microhistory, History, from Approaches Biography: Hans 174; 167-176, 2014) (Leiden Writing Life and Renders, ‘Life writing als ideologie’, Tijdschrift voor 78-81. 1:3 (2012) Biografie Renders, ‘Biography in Academia and the Critical The term 167-176. in Life Writing’, Frontier ‘retrospective justice’ is a quotation from Michael in Biography’, Fashions Holroyd,‘Changing 29 30 31 review article – recensie-artikel
of biography since the 1990s, but of life writing.35 De Haan argues that biography ‘will have to be careful not to fall prey to Life Writing perspectives in interpreting biographies’. He wants a ‘crucial watershed’ between biography and life writing and proposes to start a new international journal titled Biography Studies.36 The problem is that the charges of Renders and De Haan against life writers are generalisations barely backed up with specific references.37 To reject the entire field of life writing by disqualifying it as ‘ideological’ is a caricature. Firstly, the focus on underexposed individuals and groups in history is not unique to the field of life writing, but resonates with broad concerns about diversity and inclusivity, both inside and outside academia.38 In itself, this concern cannot serve as a reason for academic
35 Ibidem, 188-193. Craig Howes, the editor of Review 129:1 (2014). doi: http://doi.org/10.18352/ Biography and moderator of the International bmgn-lchr.9383; Huisman, ‘Life Writing in the Auto/Biography Association (iaba) newsletter, Netherlands’, 22. plead guilty in a recent volume of Renders and 38 Examples in the field of history are the recent De Haan, in the sense that statistics on both conference of knhg (the Royal Netherlands of these mediums back up the claim that ‘the Historical Society) on ‘Exclusion, Silence and study of biography faded into the background Taboo in History’ and the theme ‘Inclusive and Life Writing came to the foreground’. Craig History’ of the conference ‘Historicidagen’ (the Howes, ‘What are we turning from? Research and biennial Dutch Historians’ Days), organised by Ideology in Biography and Life Writing’, in: Hans the knhg in collaboration with the University Renders, Binne de Haan and Jonne Harmsma of Groningen. ‘Jaarcongres, 30 november (eds.), The Biographical Turn. Lives in History 2018, Haarlem. Uitsluiting, stilte en taboe in (Abingdon 2017) 165-175, 166. de geschiedenis’, https://knhg.nl/wp/content/ 36 De Haan, ‘The Eclipse’, 193-194. uploads/2018/07/KNHG-jaarcongres-2018-plan. 37 Renders refers in very broad terms to ‘researchers pdf, accessed 16 February 2020; ‘Uitnodiging in Life Writing centres at universities around the tot bijdragen. Inclusieve geschiedenis’, https:// world’ and ‘the Life Writer’. Renders, ‘Biography historicidagen.nl/wp-content/uploads/ in Academia and the Critical Frontier in Life sites/437/2018/11/oproep-definitief.pdf, accessed Writing’, 169 and 174. In the lemma on ‘Life 14 November 2019. Another indication is that Writing’ in his recent co-authored handbook the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and on biography there are multiple references to Science Ingrid van Engelshoven has briefed a fake memoirs or autobiographies, but these commission headed by historian James Kennedy sources – which indeed may be unreliable, to evaluate the Dutch canon and pay more fictional or ideological – should not be confused attention to ‘the stories and perspectives of with scholarship on these sources. Nigel different groups in society and the dark sides of Hamilton and Hans Renders, The abc of Modern history’. ‘James Kennedy benoemd tot voorzitter Biography (Amsterdam 2018) 102-110. Cf. Margit herijking historische Canon van Nederland’, 31 van der Steen, ‘Hans Renders en Binne de Haan May 2019, https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/ (eds.), Theoretical Discussions of Biography: nieuws/2019/05/31/james-kennedy-benoemd- Approaches from History, Microhistory, and tot-voorzitter-herijking-historische-canon-van- Life Writing’, bmgn – Low Countries Historical nederland, accessed 14 November 2019. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 41 ). , the Thirdly, Thirdly, 39 Van Liempt Van 41 (Dissertation, Rijksuniversiteit After a complaint of journalist
42 Netherlands Scientific Integrity Board of of (vsnu Dutch of universities the association ‘Proefschrift aan standaard Liempt voldoet Van Although the integrity that admitted committee the dissertation inaccuracies contained in the sources, the of complaint acknowledgement was rejected as unfounded because all ‘not means a violation scientific of negligence integrity’. Thereupon, Bart announced Droog he was appealing the decision at the lowi Groningen, 2019). van Liempt ligt van ‘Ad Sander van Walsum, de komt Waar verschillende kanten onder vuur. October, 30 2019, kritiek vandaan?’, Volkskrant de https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/ ad-van-liempt-ligt-van-verschillende- kanten-onder-vuur-waar-komt-de-kritiek- 2019; November 14 accessed vandaan~b12794eb/, Nieuwe nivellering. en Plagiaat Dekker, Rudolf de over geschiedschrijving Nederlandse in de trends (Amsterdam 2019). Wereldoorlog Tweede Gemmeker. Commandant van van Commandant van Liempt,Ad Gemmeker. Kamp Westerbork
42 43 41 43 , Handelsblad
The latest example in this respect is a biography of example in this respect is a biography The latest Albert , 17 November 2017, 2017, November , 17 40 , 16 November 2017, 2017, , 16 November Handelsblad
was accused ofwas critics. plagiarism by several Bart Droog the dissertation was assessed by an integrity committee of assessed by Bart was Droog the dissertation the University of Groningen. incredibility. Secondly, every historical perspective entails a certain worldview. worldview. entails a certain perspective every historical Secondly, incredibility. of conception the has genre a historiographical as biography Consequently, can historical events most importantly that assumptions, its own ideological Renders specifically, More perspective. actor’s from the historical be explained as a method truth armed with microhistory quest for historical and De Haan’s that has argued Huisman Marijke Historian grounds. also has ideological to the 1970s and originated dates back – which they seem to use microhistory of – as an instrument against the implications from Marxist ideologies the linguistic turn for the historical discipline. postmodernism and recent discussions on the credibility ofrecent discussions on were several scientific biographies that demarcation between show that the supposed published as dissertations, can life writing ‘non-scientific’ hence ‘ideological’, biography and ‘scientific’ be disputed. Gemmeker, the German commander of the Dutch transit camp Westerbork, commander of the German Westerbork, transit camp the Dutch Gemmeker, The biography Liempt. Ad van and television producer written by journalist undertaken as a dissertation at the University of with was Groningen, and Hans Renders as supervisors. historians Doeko Bosscher Huisman, ‘Life writing’, 23-25. biografie De dood. de van Onno Blom’s Het litteken published (2017), as a dissertation Jan Wolkers van in the discussion University, ledat Leiden to after Committee, Assessment a new which was formed. Committee Assessment This was on the a debate criteria for a scientific by followed biography: Melle ‘Stammenstrijd Peters, door Mare Wolkers’, biografie over http://www.mareonline.nl/archive/2017/11/16/ stammenstrijd-door-biografie-over-wolkers, 2019; Thomas November de Veen 14 accessed and Gretha Pama, ‘“Er een vormen voor zijn vele biografie”’,wetenschappelijke nrc 10 November 2017, https://www.nrc.nl/ 2017, November 10 nieuws/2017/11/10/er-zijn-vele-vormen-voor-een- wetenschappelijke-biografie-13953193-a1580755, 2019; Marita November Mathijsen, 14 accessed ‘Dit is waar biografie de aan wetenschappelijke nrcmoet voldoen’, https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2017/11/17/dit-is-waar- de-wetenschappelijke-biografie-aan-moet-voldoen- 2019. November 14 accessed 14077998-a1581622, 39 40 review article – recensie-artikel
Furthermore, Renders and De Haan’s sharp distinction between biography and autobiography is not the current approach in most auto/ biographical research. Instead of a clear-cut distinction, scholars point out ‘the multiple and complex entanglements between autobiography and biography’.44 The widely used slash between ‘auto/biographical’ is an indication of this complex relation.45 To be sure, autobiography and biography are not interchangeable.46 Sources should not be confused with scholarship on these sources. This implies, one could argue, the impossibility of writing an autobiography as a dissertation. But even that assumption can be challenged, for example by the qualitative methodology called ‘auto- ethnography’ or by ‘ego-histoire’, a combination of historical research and autobiography.47 The plea of Renders and De Haan for a ‘critical frontier’ between biography and life writing and between history and literary studies is not productive. Both kinds of researchers make use of autobiographical sources (or texts48) which should be handled with care; these are complex sources, which require critical analysis in relation to other sources. This source critique gains from insights that life writing studies, gender studies,
van wetenschappelijke integriteit’, https://www. 47 The autobiographical plays an important role in a rug.nl/news/2019/12/proefschrift-van-liempt- number of academic disciplines, of which ‘auto- voldoet-aan-standaard-van-wetenschappelijke- ethnography’ is exemplary: a hybrid semi-literary integriteit, accessed 6 January 2020; ‘Beroep in and semi-scientific mode of writing, which plagiaatzaak tegen historicus Ad van Liempt’, combines discursive elements of ethnography https://nos.nl/artikel/2317684-beroep-in- and autobiography. In the last two decades plagiaatzaak-tegen-historicus-ad-van-liempt.html, several dissertations with auto-ethnography as accessed 22 January 2020. methodology have been published. Smartcat 44 Volker Depkat, ‘The Challenges of Biography: (search engine with collections of university and European-American Reflections’, Bulletin of other libraries worldwide) gives twenty-one the German Historical Institute 55 (2014) 39-48, results for auto-ethnographies as dissertation. https://www.ghi-dc.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ For the definition, see: Christian Moser, ‘Auto- GHI_Washington/Publications/Bulletin55/bu55. ethnography’, in: Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf (ed.). zip, accessed 14 November 2019; Smith and Handbook of Autobiography/Autofiction (Berlin Watson, Reading Autobiography, 8-9; Mineke 2019) 232. On ‘Ego-Histoire’ see the thematic Bosch, ‘Experimenten met de biografie: Het issue on ‘History and Autobiography. The Logics congres Rewriting Biography, Groningen, 20 of Convergence’ of Life Writing 16 (2019). oktober 2016’, Tijdschrift voor Biografie 6:1 (2017) 48 For more information on the ongoing discussions 4-14. about the relation of reading autobiographies 45 The slash is used for example by the journal a/b: as texts and/or reading them as sources, Auto/Biography Studies; the International Auto/ see Volker Depkat and Wolfram Pyta (eds.), Biography Association (iaba) and its regional Autobiographie zwischen Text und Geschichts- und chapters and conferences; and several book titles Literaturwissenschaft im Gespräch i (Berlin 2017) as and publications. cited by: Egelhaaf, ‘Introduction: Autobiography/ 46 Smith and Watson, Reading Autobiography, 5. Autofiction Across Disciplines’, 5. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 43 But how Hence, Hence, 49 50 – Writing as a Coping Strategy as a Coping in Times .doc – Writing Innokentij Kreknin,Innokentij ‘Digital Life Narratives/ on the Internet’,Digital Selves/Autobiography (ed.), of Handbook in: Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf (Berlin 2019) 557-564; Autobiography/Autofiction forthcoming special on ‘Storytelling issue and Identity Digital through the Media’ of journal Society. Self, Storytelling, ‘ego Crisisof in Europe’, https://www.c2dh.uni.lu/ projects/egodoc-writing-coping-strategy-times- 2019.crisis-europe, November 14 accessed 52 53 In an interesting project with the telling In an interesting project with the telling 52 53 of Modern Moreover, recent developments in the field of life digital Moreover, 51 Reviewing the field of auto/biographical research in the Netherlands, ofReviewing the field in the Netherlands, research auto/biographical The origins of life writing studies, as explained above, have indeed indeed have as explained above, The origins of life writing studies, should we understand ‘facts’? Which ‘facts’ do biographers select, from which from which biographers select, do ‘facts’ Which ‘facts’? understand should we tradition – although them? It is a good how do they interpret and sources, biographies in the Netherlands – to publish multiple somewhat neglected recent biographies ofTwo draw Napoleon for example of a single person. conclusions about his historical significance, fundamentally different ‘Napoleon the Adam Roberts versus by ‘Napoleon the Great’ summarised as Adam Zamoyski. by petty’ the unbelievably and the bully, bungler, reality and truth claims about ‘facts’ as the key building blocks of as the key building blocks biographies ‘facts’ about reality and truth claims ofneglect the complexity of and narrative character the constructive the historical discipline. more diverse landscape is much the conclusion must be that the academic ofThe study auto/ and De Haan. and complex than portrayed by Renders not only between approach, biography calls for an interdisciplinary that study but also between other disciplines history and literary studies, philosophy and religious as anthropology, such autobiographical texts, studies. led to a strong emphasis on marginalised and often victimised groups and and often victimised groups led to a strong emphasis on marginalised For but this does not mean that other stories are excluded. individuals, the life stories of conclusion, slaveholders, in contrast to Renders’ instance, Africa are government in South Nazis and collaborators with the apartheid (post)colonial history and comparative literature have theorised, considering considering theorised, have literature comparative and history (post)colonial conventions, and narrative cultural ofthe construction identities, selves and denied This complexity is self-censoring, and so on. in the archives, ‘silences’ is built on fact’. like history ‘biography, as such by naive statements narratives and storytelling through digital media, which challenge notions challenge which media, narratives and storytelling through digital of open up entirely new areas of and and truth, authenticity research interdisciplinary collaboration. title ‘Ego.Doc’,title use different digital scholars and other European Dutch strategy to study writing as a coping methods and computational linguistics in times of crisis in Europe. , 108. Biography ‘Napoleon the with Andrew Great? A Debate Roberts, and Jeremy Paxman’, Zamoyski Adam , 24 2014, November https:// Squared Intelligence www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxQ4TcTcPbI; (London Roberts,Andrew Great the Napoleon behind The man Zamoyski, Napoleon. Adam 2014); (London 2018). myth the ‘Introduction:Egelhaaf, Autobiography/ Autofiction’, 5-6. Hamilton and Renders, Theabc
50 51 49 review article – recensie-artikel
studied as well.54 Especially when scholars discuss different perspectives in relation to each other, it can lead to interesting results. Auto/biographical research par excellence can make these different perspectives and their complexities visible. A notable example is the debate on the problematic categories of victims, perpetrators and ‘bystanders’ or ‘implicated subjects’.55 An insightful and nuanced volume like German Life Writing in the Twentieth Century (2010), with contributions by both historians and literary scholars helps to understand the mentalities, self-understandings and blind spots, not only of the victims of genocide, but also of those who allowed it to happen.56 In the Netherlands, the discussion about victims, perpetrators and ‘bystanders’ was fuelled by the publication of a book by the Dutch historian Bart van der Boom in 2012.57 Van der Boom’s monography led to a fierce debate, first in the newspapers and later in academic journals, and unleashed a Historikerstreit about the role of the Holocaust in the Netherlands.58 The aim
54 Cf. Renders, ‘Biography in Academia and the subjects-and-the-question-of-israel-palestine/; Critical Frontier in Life Writing’, 169. Some Michael Rothberg, The Implicated Subject: Beyond examples are: Catherine Hall et al., Legacies of Victims and Perpetrators (Stanford 2019). British Slave-Ownership: Colonial Slavery and the 56 Mary Fulbrook, ‘Life Writing and Writing Lives: Formation of Victorian Britain (Cambridge 2014) Ego Documents in Historical Perspective’, in: doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139626958; Birgit Dahlke, Dennis Tate and Roger Woods Magnus Brechtken, ‘Persuasive Illusions of the (eds.), German Life Writing in the Twentieth Self: Albert Speer’s Life Writing and Public Century (New York 2010) 25-38, 29. Discourse about Germany’s Nazi Past’, in: Birgit 57 Bart van der Boom, ‘Wij weten niets van hun lot’. Dahlke, Dennis Tate and Roger Woods (eds.), Gewone Nederlanders en de Holocaust (Amsterdam German Life Writing in the Twentieth Century 2012). For a summary in English, see: Bart van der (New York 2010) 71-91; Jacob Dlamini, Askari: Boom, ‘Ordinary Dutchmen and the Holocaust: A Story of Collaboration and Betrayal in the A Summary of Findings’, in: Bart van der Boom Anti-Apartheid Struggle (Auckland Park 2014); and Peter Romijn (eds.), The Persecution of the Jews Barbara Henkes, Negotiating Racial Politics in the in the Netherlands, 1940-1945: New Perspectives Family: Transnational Histories touched by National (Amsterdam 2012) 29-54. Socialism and Apartheid (to be published in June 58 Christina Morina, ‘The “Bystander” in Recent 2020 as Volume 11 in the Egodocuments and Dutch Historiography’, German History 32:1 (2014) History Series of Brill). 101-111. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/gerhis/ght098; 55 Christina Morina and Krijn Thijs (eds.), Probing Remco Ensel and Evelien Gans, ‘The Dutch the Limits of Categorization: The Bystander in Bystander as an Implicated Subject’, in: Christina Holocaust History (New York 2019). A stimulating Morina and Krijn Thijs (eds.), Probing the Limits of contribution to trauma theory’s victim-perpetrator Categorization. The Bystander in Holocaust History opposition is the term ‘implicated subject’, (New York 2019) 107-127. See also the discussion recognising the complexity of subject positions in dossier on the value and significance of Chris van the field of violence. Michael Rothberg, ‘Trauma der Heijden’s book Dat nooit meer [Never Again] Theory, Implicated Subjects, and the Question (2011) in bmgn – Low Countries Historical Review of Israel/Palestine’, Profession 2 (2014), https:// 128:2 (2013) 71-108. profession.mla.org/trauma-theory-implicated- vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 45 %88- While the : https://doi. 61 Currently, the Currently, 62 The book was also The book was 59 60 Hans Moll, ‘Het Indië-onderzoek is partijdig’, 2019, September https://tpo. , 13 Online The Post nl/2019/09/13/hans-moll-het-indie%cc onderzoek-is-partijdig, 3 February accessed 2020. The reaction niod of -director van Frank Vree thewas of research published on the website project: https://www.ind45-50.org/sites/default/ files/2019-09/Antwoord%20FIN%204.7.2019.pdf, 3 Februaryaccessed Open Jeffry by letter 2020; and Francisca Pattipilohy (undersignedPondaag people), 124 by http://historibersama.com/ Subproject ‘Witnesses and Contemporaries’ Programme ‘Independence, theof Research in Indonesia, Decolonization, and Violence War https://www.ind45-50.org/getuigen- 1945-1950’, 2019. November en-tijdgenoten, 14 accessed the studies also See that laid the foundation programme: Limpach,for this research Rémy Spoor Generaal van kampongs brandende De (Amsterdam 2016); Gert Oostindie, Ireen ‘TheHoogenboom and Jonathan Verwey, War in Indonesia, 1945-1949: War Decolonization War Egodocuments’, Crimes in Dutch Veterans’ in History 254-276. doi (2018) 25:2 org/10.1177/0968344517696525.
61 62 : https:// 2013.2.B25. Another example in which different perspectives and experiences different perspectives and experiences which Another example in 9789461054777’, Tijdschrift 9789461054777’, research project is still ongoing, it has already been criticised from several it has already been criticised project is still ongoing, research and activists) for being one-sided. victims, sides (veterans, have been uncovered and challenged by using ego-documents been uncovered and challenged have – among other ‘Independence, programme large-scale research Dutch sources – is the recent, undertaken by 1945-1950’, Indonesia, in War and Violence Decolonization, Netherlands Institute of Studies Asian and Caribbean the Royal Southeast the Netherlands Institute of(kitlv), (nimh) and the niod, Military History Holocaust and Genocide Studies. War, Netherlands Institute for of Van der Boom’s book was to find out what ‘ordinary Dutchmen’ knew of Dutchmen’ ‘ordinary out what to find was book Boom’s der ofVan and found no mention diaries wartime 164 Dutch He studied the Holocaust. Dutch that the average so he concluded ofdiaries, in the gas chambers Van der Boom has been criticised ‘final solution’. no idea ofperson had the one-dimensionalfor his naive, reading of not using other the diaries and for in a broader context. to put the diaries source material denounced for fitting into a broader trend in Dutch historiography to ‘parallel historiography to into a broader trend in Dutch denounced for fitting ‘minimizing or ‘levelling’ thereby victims and bystanders’, perpetrators, motives’. feelings and differences in position, Arianne Baggerman and Rudolf Dekker, Arianne Baggerman Dekker, and Rudolf ‘Egodocumenten Groene als bron’, De (24 January https:// Amsterdammer 2013) www.groene.nl/artikel/egodocument-als- bron; Mascuch, and Dekker Baggerman, ‘Egodocuments and History: A Short Account and Egodocuments Durée: the of Longue History’, Morina, 40; ‘The “Bystander” in Recent Dutch Historiography’, For a more 104-107. the book, of Barnouw, review David see: positive ‘Nederland deportatieland! was geen – Bart Van Der Boom, niets van hun lot. Wij weten Gewone Nederlanders en de Holocaust (Amsterdam 2012) 540 p.,29,90 € isbn 287-288. doi (2013) 126:2 Geschiedenis voor doi.org/10.5117/tvgesch Ensel, ‘Wij Gans and Remco Evelien iets weten van hun lot: De Nivellering in de geschiedenis’, 32-35, 2012, December , 13 Amsterdammer Groene Morina, by as cited ‘The “Bystander” in Recent Dutch Historiography’, 104. Dekker, Rudolf Cf. ‘Nivellering en vergrijzing’, in: Idem, Plagiaat Nederlandse in de trends Nieuwe nivellering. en Wereldoorlog Tweede de over geschiedschrijving (Amsterdam 2019) 77-86.
60 59 review article – recensie-artikel
outcomes of the project cannot be assessed. Whatever the outcome may be, researchers in the project Esther Captain, Eveline Buchheim and Remco Raben emphasise the value of autobiographical sources, such as memoirs, diaries, letters and oral testimonies. Insights from life writing and memory studies, such as the complex relationship between private and public personae, the impact of trauma, and the way people construct their identities in relation to class, gender, race, nation and empire are vital to their research.63 It is not surprising that the examples of Dutch debates and research projects above were drawn from the Second World War and the post-war period, as ego-documents have been connected to this period from the beginning. However, research of older ego-documents from the modern, early modern and even medieval periods, also has been thriving since the collaborative efforts of the inventory projects commenced in the mid-1980s.64 The inventory projects concentrated on ego-documents from the period of 1500 until 1914, and generated several monographs, text editions and scholarly discussions on a broad variety of topics, such as reading practices, memory, travel, religiosity, political culture, friendship, sexuality, ageing and illness.65 These studies have situated the ego-documents in a broader cultural
wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Open-brief-27- verleden? Een pleidooi voor transkolonialisme november-2017.pdf; ‘Gesprek met ondertekenaars (Arnhem 2016). open brief’, https://www.ind45-50.org/gesprek- 64 See for example the contributions of the met-ondertekenaars-open-brief, accessed 3 thematic issue ‘Egodocumenten’ in Vooys 36:4 February 2020. (2018): Cora van de Poppe, ‘Nieuwsberichten als 63 Esther Captain, ‘The Gendered Process of stilistisch voorbeeld voor een vroegmoderne Remembering War Experiences. Memories vrouw – Een analyse van het dagboek van About the Second World War in the Dutch Willemken van Wanray (ca. 1573-1647)’, 16-26, and East Indies’, European Journal of Women’s Remco Sleiderink, ‘In de kast: gebaseerd op ware Studies 4:3 (1997) 389-395. doi: https://doi. feiten. Het eigenzinnige oeuvre van Lodewijk org/10.1177/135050689700400309; Harriët Salm, van Velthem’, 63-67. The following handbook on ‘Wat heb je nou aan interviews over een oorlog early modern literary history devotes a separate die 75 jaar geleden is geëindigd?’, Trouw, 31 August chapter to ego-documents: Inger Leemans and 2019, https://www.trouw.nl/verdieping/wat-heb- Gert-Jan Johannes, Worm en donder. Geschiedenis je-nou-aan-interviews-over-een-oorlog-die-75- van de Nederlandse literatuur 1700-1800: De jaar-geleden-is-geeindigd~b7329405/, accessed Republiek. Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse 14 November 2019; Eveline Buchheim, ‘Vrouwen, literatuur iv (Amsterdam 2013) 485-500. https:// vrees, verraad: Collaboratie door Nederlandse www.dbnl.org/tekst/leem012worm02_01/ vrouwen in Nederlands-Indië tijdens de Tweede leem012worm02_01_0030.php, accessed 14 Wereldoorlog’, Leidschrift Historisch Tijdschrift November 2019. 33:2 (2018); Remco Raben (ed.) Representing 65 Herman Roodenburg, ‘The Autobiography of the Japanese Occupation of Indonesia. Personal Isabella De Moerloose: Sex, Childrearing and Testimonies and Public Images in Indonesia, Japan, Popular Belief in Seventeenth Century Holland’, and the Netherlands (Zwolle/Washington 1999); Journal of Social History 18:4 (1985) 517-540. doi: Remco Raben, Wie spreekt voor het koloniale https://doi.org/10.1353/jsh/18.4.517; Monique vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 47 37 (2013) http://demodernetijd.nl/nummers/ (2013) 37 -2013-4/, accessed 14 November 2019. November 14 accessed -2013-4/, Epistolary Culture of the Dutch Elite, 1770-1850 Elite, Dutch the of . Culture Epistolary and HistoryEgodocuments Series 4 (Leiden 2011); Arianne Baggerman, and Dekker Rudolf Time Shaping and Michael Mascuch, Controlling in Autobiographical Self:the Developments (Leiden Century Sixteenth the Since Writing ‘“Papa is weder Vermeer, 2011); Leonieke in negentiende-ongesteld”: Ziektebeleving , Eeuw Negentiende De egodocumenten’, eeuwse http://demodernetijd.nl/ 230-251, (2015) 39:3/4 wp-content/uploads/DNE-2015-34d-Vermeer. 2019. November 14 On travelogues, accessed pdf, and Roeper Diederick Vibeke see Wildeman, van reisverslagen en Journalen papier. op Reizen en kooplieden ontdekkingsreizigers, Nederlandse publications (Amsterdam 1996), of avonturiers Willemijn Gerrit Verhoeven, Dekker, Rudolf Koning, and Anna Geurts, and the thematic issue ‘Op reis in de negentiende eeuw’, Negentiende De Eeuw dne Arianne Baggerman, ‘Lost Time. Temporal Discipline and Historical in Nineteenth Awareness Century in: Arianne Dutch Egodocuments’, Baggerman, and Dekker Michael Rudolf Mascuch Self. the Time Shaping and (eds.), Controlling the Since Writing in Autobiographical Developments 467. 2011) (Leiden 455-477, Century Sixteenth Willemijn Ruberg, ‘The as Medicine: Letter HealthStudying and Illness in Dutch Daily
These studies are related to fundamental These studies 66 67 67 10 (2005) 233-240; (2005) 10 233-240; 66 Another line of ego-documents on Dutch research focuses on bodily experiences, emotions and gender. experiences, and social context. Some of ego-document, a particular focus on studies these context. and social of range on a wider concentrate others important One ego-documents. led time’, ‘Controlling example of is the nwo project approach the latter ego-documents ‘impersonal’ a sharp rise in She observes by Baggerman. pre-printed especially in diaries and calendars century, in the nineteenth Inspired banal details of exact times and people record which everyday life. Baggerman explains this exponential by the theories of Reinhart Koselleck, The sense of of sense growth by a changing historical awareness. time and topic in the field ofindividuality – a controversial autobiography for a long but instead the product of not the cause, this autobiographical time – was impulse. (Tübingen 1996) 13-23; Luuc Kooijmans, 13-23; 1996) (Tübingen (Zutphen 1995); Florence Koorn, ‘A Life of Life of Koorn, Florence ‘A (Zutphen 1995); Literacy in Everyday Life: Reading and Writing Writing and Reading Life: in Everyday Literacy . Egodocuments . Egodocuments Diaries Dutch Modern in Early and History 2009); Series 2 (Leiden van Lotte in the Egodocuments of ‘Research de Pol, Netherlands. Some Thoughts on Individuality, für Frauen- Jahrbuch Querelles. Gender and Texts’, und Geschlechterforschung Correspondence: Willemijn Ruberg, Conventional Stavenuiter, Karin Bijsterveld and Saskia Jansens,Stavenuiter, in het vrouwen Oudere getuigen. stille levens, Lange verleden Painand Struggle. The Elisabethof Autobiography (1600-1661)’, in: Magdalene HeuserStrouven ihrer zu Beiträge Frauen: von (ed.), Autobiographien Geschichte in de het overleven van kunst de en Vriendschap (Amsterdam 1997); eeuw achttiende en zeventiende Dutch in the Choice Judith Religious Pollmann, Buchelius Arnoldus of The Reformation Republic: Aerts, Remieg (1565-1641) (Manchester 1999); Het de JongJanny persoonlijke and Henk Velde, te cultuur politieke en is politiek. Egodocumenten het Buijs, van (Hilversum eeuw Peter De 2002); tijde ten geluk over opvattingen geluk. Nederlandse 1658-1835 (Hilversum 2007); Verlichting, de van Autobiografieën levens. HuismanMarijke , Publieke 1850-1918 (Zutphen boekenmarkt Nederlandse de op 2008); Arianne Baggerman and Dekker, Rudolf Europe Revolutionary Enlightenment: the of Child Diary 2009); (Leiden in a Boyhood Reflected Jeroen Blaak, review article – recensie-artikel
methodological developments in the field of ego-documents, in which life narratives are not merely regarded as representations but as ‘performative’ sources in themselves: what did a text do to both its author and its recipients, and what function did it have?68 In this respect, the cultural historian Willemijn Ruberg has analysed Dutch correspondence practices in the late eighteenth and the early nineteenth centuries in relation to cultural conventions and ideas about health, illness, sexuality and death.69 Another quite specific example of life narratives as performative sources is the way diaries in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries functioned as mediums used to register and control masturbation, and they also reveal ways in which the dominant medical discourse against this life-threatening ‘secret vice’ was changed or resisted.70 This self-disciplining aspect of keeping a diary can be seen as a historical precursor of present-day mobile apps and wearable technologies that allow individuals to track their daily steps, caloric burn, heart rate, sleep, menstruation, fertility and, indeed, their masturbation habits.71 Dutch research on ego-documents has also paid particular attention to children and adolescents.72 The diary of Otto van Eck (1791-1797) is the
Correspondence, 1770-1850’, Social History 68 Ruberg, ‘The Letter’, 498. For an overview of of Medicine 23:3 (2010) 492-508, 498. doi: the performative turn in history, see Peter https://doi.org/10.1093/shm/hkq012; Leonieke Burke, ‘Performing History: The Importance of Vermeer, ‘“Cheerful Angels Looking Down Occasions’, Rethinking History 9 (2005) 35-52. doi: on Us”: Parental Emotions in Diaries about https://doi.org/10.1080/1364252042000329241. the Illness and Death of Infants and Young 69 Ruberg, Conventional Correspondence; Ruberg, Children (1780-1880)’, European Journal of ‘The Letter’. Life Writing 7 (2018) 133-150. doi: https://doi. 70 Leonieke Vermeer, ‘Tiny Symbols Tell Big Stories. org/10.5463/ejlw.7.265. This line of research Naming and Concealing Masturbation in Diaries also thrives in Belgium: Laura Nys, Liefde, Lijden (1660-1940)’, European Journal of Life Writing en Verzet. Emotionele (tegen)praktijken in het 6 (2017) 101-134. doi: https://doi.org/10.5463/ Rijksopvoedingsgesticht voor lastige of weerspannige ejlw.6.209. meisjes te Brugge (1927-1941) (Master’s thesis 71 Vermeer, ‘Tiny Symbols Tell Big Stories’, 125; in history: Ghent University 2014) https://lib. Leonieke Vermeer, ‘The Quantified Self in Diaries ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/002/162/481/RUG01- (1780-1940)’, iaba Europe Conference, 20 June 002162481_2014_0001_AC.pdf; Nys is currently 2019, Madrid; Fenneke Sysling, ‘Measurement, writing a PhD on ‘Mixed feelings. Emotion, Self-Tracking and the History of Science: An gender and discipline in ego-documents of Introduction’, History of Science (2019) 5. doi: youth offenders (1890-1965)’, funded by fwo https://doi.org/10.1177/0073275319865830; (Flanders Research Foundation). See also ‘Call for Papers: Life Writing in the Digital Age: several early modern history projects at the ku Quantification, Optimization and the Self’, http:// Leuven on emotions and sensory experiences quantified-self.org/life-writing-in-the-digital-age, in which ego-documents are used as important accessed 29 January 2020. source material: https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/ 72 Rudolf Dekker, Childhood, Memory and nieuwetijd/onderzoek/emotiegeschiedenis. Autobiography in Holland: From the Golden Age vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 49 In addition, In addition, , eds. Mirjam 73 – a diary as an instrument – a diary as Moreover, childhood childhood Moreover, 74 : https://doi.org/10.5463/ejlw.7.246; : https://doi.org/10.5463/ejlw.7.246; ‘Conference Beyond Boundaries: Beyond Authorship ‘Conference https://www. and in Life Writing’, Readership Anne Frank, Verzameld Werk Gerhard Hirschfeld and Francine Prose Pressler, On genesis the(Amsterdam complicated 2013). theof text David and its edition history, also: see Barnouw and Gerrold van (eds.), der Stroom (New Edition Critical The Frank: Diary Anne of ed. The The Frank: Diary Anne of rev. 1989), York Philippe 2003); (New York Edition Critical Revised the DiaryLejeune, ‘How Anne Frank Rewrote of Anne Frank’, in: Idem, On Diary (Honolulu 2017) In 2019 the edition of diary, a new under 237-266. Kitty Kittythe title Dear or, was Liebe published due to Austria and Switzerland only in Germany, laws. On the battle betweencopyright publishers and the Anne Frank Fonds, foundation a Swiss the diaries, to ‘Anne see: the copyright that owns Battle’, in Copyright Frank Publishers Locked 2015, November , 17 https://www. The Telegraph telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ netherlands/12001720/Anne-Frank-publishers- locked-in-copyright-battle.html, 3 accessed February 2020. Helma van Lierop, ‘How Matters. the Reader Autobiographies for Young Childhood of 7 (2018) Writing Life of Journal European Readers’, 1-16. doi Shaping Sexual Knowledge: Knowledge: Sexual (eds.), Davidson Shaping Roger in Twentieth Education History Sex of A Cultural 2009) 236-250. (New York Europe Century
77 76 Furthermore, Dutch autobiographies of autobiographies Dutch Furthermore, The most famous Dutch ego-document Dutch The most famous by 76 75 77 : https://doi. memories recounted in autobiographies are also used as a rich, albeit as a rich, are also used recounted in autobiographies memories historical source. complicated childhood published in the 1990s have been interpreted as a challenge to as a challenge been interpreted 1990s have published in the childhood ofthe Romantic conception (a combination of childhood natural goodness, innocence and creativity). first comprehensive diary by a child found in Europe to date. in Europe found child by a diary comprehensive first Alexander van Goltstein’s diary (1800-1808) is one of diary (1800-1808) an written by first the Goltstein’s van Alexander of and an early example adolescent a journal intime of and an outlet for emotions. self-knowledge a child – or rather adolescent – is, of course, the diary of Anne Frank, which which of the diary ofAnne Frank, course, – is, – or rather adolescent a child the including works’, ‘collected as part ofhas recently been republished her different versions of the diary. (London 2008) 252-268. doi Zichzelf te zien leven. Herinneringen Herinneringen leven. zien te Röling,Hugo Zichzelf 1800 – 1970 gezinsleven Vlaams en Nederlands aan (Amsterdam 2006); Röling, Hugo ‘The Experience in the Education Netherlands Sex of and Flanders Memoriesin Childhood from the First Half of Century’, Sauerteig Lutz in: the Twentieth and De vertrouwde van mijn van Jurgen Limonard (ed.), vertrouwde De Goltstein van Alexander hart. van Het dagboek (1801-1808). 4 (Hilversum 1994); Egodocumenten in Autobiography and Memory Childhood, Dekker, ‘1800. zeer Een Vermeer, Leonieke , 50-58; Holland Heermaintiem adolescentendagboek’, van in: Lex Nederland van et al. (eds.), Wereldgeschiedenis Voss , intime (Amsterdam 361-366. 2018) On journal du Journal Origines Philippesee Lejeune, Aux 1750-1815 (Paris 2016). France, Personnel: (Amsterdam 2000); Mineke Romanticism to dagboek biografisch en van Essen,‘Tussen Bildungsroman. Hoe Jaap is de echt jongen Monica 79-86; Bulletin 8 (1998) Kann?’, Biografie Soeting, Nina van Essen, Wijsbek and Rob De schrijven leven hun over Hoe tieners puberdagboeken. (Amsterdam 2017). Arianne Baggerman (eds.), Dekker and Rudolf 1791-1797 Eck, Dagboek . Egodocumenten Otto van Arianne Baggerman (Hilversum 1998); and12 a Dutch Boy: of ‘The World Social Dekker, Rudolf in: Susan The Diary (1791-1796)’, Otto of van Eck 1200- Household, in the Broomhall (ed.), Emotions 1900 org/10.1057/9780230286092.
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The debates mentioned above, as well as the research projects and publications, demonstrate that the field of ego-documents and life writing research in the Netherlands is very productive and exposes a variety of perspectives and experiences. The biography as well is flourishing, also as an academic genre, notwithstanding discussion on some biographies published as dissertations. Several biographers experiment with new approaches, such as abandoning the linear, chronological form for a more dynamic storyline.78 Furthermore, auto/biographical texts play a major role in public and academic debates, especially on the war and post-war period. Several examples show that auto/biographical research is also benefitting from an interdisciplinary approach, including gender studies, memory studies, history of emotions, body history, and collaboration between historians, literary scholars and others. In fact, as pointed out above, collaboration is what occurred in the decades after the ‘childish struggle’ in the early 1990s. Although there is no Dutch equivalent of the many research centres on life writing79, there are several platforms in which Dutch auto/biography scholars of various disciplines collaborate. On a national level, I have already mentioned the Werkgroep Biografie and its journal. Other significant examples are the working group on biography and autobiography at the Huizinga Institute (since 1999)80 and the Biography Portal of the Netherlands.81 On an international level, scholars are working together at the International Auto/Biography Association conferences (since 1999), in the European Journal of Life Writing (since 2012) and in the interdisciplinary expert group ‘Unhinging the National Framework: Platform for the Study of Life-Writing and Transnationalism’ led by Babs Boter (vu Amsterdam) since 2016.82
tilburguniversity.edu/nl/over/schools/tshd/ 80 ‘Projectgroep (Auto)biografie/Egodocumenten’, departementen/dcu/event/beyond-boundaries, Huizinga Instituut, https://www.huizingainstituut. accessed 14 November 2019. nl/projectgroep-autobiografie/, accessed 14 78 Bosch, ‘Experimenten met de biografie’; Maaike November 2019. Meijer, ‘De biograaf laat zich zien’, Trouw, 27 81 ‘Biography Portal of the Netherlands’, Biografisch October 2018. https://www.trouw.nl/cultuur- Portaal, http://www.biografischportaal.nl/en, media/de-biograaf-laat-zich-zien~b39369ef/, accessed 14 November 2019. accessed 14 November 2019. 82 iaba organises international conferences since 79 E.g. Centre for Life-Writing Research, King’s 1999 (biannually since 2008) in Asia, North College London; The Oxford Centre for Life- America, Australia and Europe. iaba Europe was Writing (oclw), Wolfson College, University of founded as the first of the regional branches Oxford; Centre for Life History & Life Writing in 2009, when the founding conference ‘Life Research, University of Sussex; Autobiography. Writing in Europe’ was held at vu University in Forum for Life Writing Research, Amsterdam. https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta. Universität Münster; Mainz Center for Life ca/iaba/conferences; https://sites.google.com/a/ Writing, Johannes Gutenberg Universität ualberta.ca/iaba/home/about-iaba, accessed Mainz. 14 November 2019; ‘Unhinging the National vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 51 , . Other . are not 83 Partly as a result Partly , is searchable by keyword. keyword. , is searchable by 84 It is also unclear whether 85 ‘Repertorium van Noord- van egodocumenten Nederlanders uit de negentiende eeuw’, http:// resources.huygens.knaw.nl/egodocumenten, 2019. November 14 In international accessed perspectivemost as this is exceptional, searchable are not in other countries inventories by keyword. the database the website, to According contains ‘Egodocuments until 1814’ texts’. This 1200 is specified in ‘approximately book publication the recent as precisely 1121 egodocuments. Lindeman et al., Egodocumenten 11. For the database ‘Egodocumenten 1814-1914’ no number can be found In print, on the website. hosted by Huygens ing Huygens by hosted 85 Undoubtedly, many researchers – including myself many researchers gratefully – have Undoubtedly, These developments point towards the increasing importance of importance the increasing towards point developments These The main Dutch database ofThe main Dutch http://www.egodocument. ego-documents, is a result of been undertaken have net/, which the large inventory projects be very valuable. proven to projects have The inventory since the mid-1980s. texts that became part brought to light previously unknown They have of as the autobiography such of discussions, monographs and scholarly from the seventeenth both diary of and the Beck, David Verbeeck Hermanus Some of the ego-documents found are very significant in an century. as the diary of (1786- such Schinne Magdalena van international context, considered to be one of1805), the earliest examples of a journal intime as the diaries of such Otto already been mentioned, remarkable examples have Goltstein. Alexander van and Eck van are also some downsides. there Unfortunately, made use of the database. the databases of manuscripts (1500-1814 and 1814-1914) Firstly, national and international networks of networks and international national several from scholars auto/biography of the opening up next section discusses The ego- backgrounds. disciplinary with digitisation, opportunities associated and and the challenges documents, rather than less collaboration. calls for more also undeniably which searchable by keyword. It is telling that Dekker calls it a ‘list’, because it is ‘list’, Dekker calls it a It is telling that by keyword. searchable database. indeed more akin to a list than to a searchable of it is difficult to know precisely how many ego- of the lack engine, a search documents the manuscript database contains. Framework: Platform Life- for of the Study https://clue.vu.nl/ and Transnationalism’, Writing en/projects/Unhinging-the-National-Framework/ 2019. November also 14 See index.aspx, accessed the interdisciplinary Huisman,Marijke volume: (Heidelberg 2012). in Europe Matters Writing Life http://www. 1814’, ‘Egodocumenten tot egodocument.net/egodocumententot1814.html (repertorium)’,and ‘Egodocumenten 1814-1914 http://www.egodocument.net/repertorium.html, 2019. November 14 accessed ‘Voorwoord’, http://www. Dekker, Rudolf egodocument.net/egodocumententot1814.html. the databasesIn contrast manuscripts, to of the database (1813-1914), printed egodocuments of The inventory projects and beyond: online databases ego-documents of in public, private and beyond: projects The inventory archives and community 83 84 review article – recensie-artikel
any additions have been made. As explained on the website, the list is a ‘preliminary result of the inventorisation’, which is not yet complete and will thus continue to grow.86 Dekker has explained that he keeps track of additions, but that these are not yet entered into the website.87 An update of the website is planned, but that will take time, effort and money. It is Dekker’s deliberate choice to manage the website himself – and to publish the inventories in book form – because websites managed by universities are more at risk of ending up in the ‘virtual garbage can’.88 The website with the inventory of printed ego-documents (1813-1914), hosted by Huygens ing, states that their aim is to integrate the different inventories (both manuscripts and printed ego-documents) and make them accessible, but this combined web portal has not yet been established.89 Secondly, an important lacuna in the inventories and the databases are ego-documents in private archives. Sources outside public archives – such as conversion narratives kept by religious organisations or writings of patients in mental asylums – are especially important for life writing ‘from below’.90 The Centraal Register Particuliere Archieven (Central Register Private Archives, crpa) in the National Archives in The Hague contains approximately 5000 private archives from the period 1965-1996. Unfortunately, this register has not been updated since 1998.91 Since 2007, there have been several pleas by heritage and archival committees that it is the responsibility of the government to safeguard private archives as cultural heritage. The National Archives should take the lead in this and could learn from the British example, the National Register of
Arianne Baggerman mentions that ‘more than this research project can be found in: Röling, 3833 diaries and autobiographies were written Zichzelf te zien leven. On the potential dangers of by Dutch people born before 1900’ of which 316 digital initiatives, see also: Mascuch, Dekker and were written before 1800. Arianne Baggerman, Baggerman, ‘Egodocuments and History’, 56. ‘Lost Time’, 462. 89 ‘Repertorium van egodocumenten van Noord- 86 Dekker, ‘Voorwoord’, http://www.egodocument. Nederlanders uit de negentiende eeuw’, http:// net/egodocumententot1814.html, accessed 14 resources.huygens.knaw.nl/egodocumenten, November 2019. accessed 14 November 2020. 87 Mail correspondence and interview with Rudolf 90 Ashplant, ‘Life writing “from Below” in Europe: Dekker, 6 December 2018. The additions are, Authors, Archives, Avenues, Arenas’, 17. however, mentioned in the book edition of 2016: 91 The Nationaal Archief Den Haag, Centraal Lindeman et al, Egodocumenten. Register Particuliere Archieven (crpa), inv. 430. 88 Mail correspondence and interview with Rudolf https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/ Dekker, 6 December 2018. Dekker mentioned archief/2.14.26, accessed 14 November 2019; Nouk as an example the website that Hugo Röling Ruitenberg, Mieke van Leeuwen-Canneman and had made of family memories (‘Herinneringen Francine Hartman, ‘Het Centraal Register van aan Nederlands en Vlaams gezinsleven 1770- Particuliere Archieven (crpa)’, Archievenblad, 10 1970’), hosted by the University of Amsterdam, December 2009. which does not exist anymore. The results of vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 53 , : https://doi. : https://doi.org/10.5117/ op de koers en de inrichting van het van inrichting de en koers de op 93 huis. The collection consists ofThe collection private en kvan 2016.3. 96 ‘Nederlands Dagboekarchief’, https://www. 2019. November 14 dagboekarchief.nl, accessed The Nazionale Italian Diaristico (1984) Archivio was the first diary Huisman, Marijke archive. (Wo)man: ‘Monuments for the Common Diary in Europe. Interview Archives with Monica Soeting, co-founder the Dutch of Diary Tijdschrift Genderstudies Archive’, voor doi (2016)19:3 373-387. tvgn ‘European Ego-Documents Archives and Collections Network – edac’ 14 accessed http://www.edac-eu.eu/?p=346, 2019.November 14 November 2019, November and ‘Platform14 Particuliere http://www.familiearchieven.nl/ Archieven’, platformparticulierearchieven.html, 14 accessed Visie van is vooruitzien. 2019; Archiveren November brain (2009) 14. archiefwezen Flinn,Andrew ‘Community Histories, SomeCommunity Opportunities Archives: and Society Archivists the of of Journal Challenges’, 153. (2007) doi 151-176, 28:2 org/10.1080/00379810701611936.
96 97 94 95 As a community archive, the word ‘diary’ ‘diary’ the word As a community archive, 97 Since 1984, several European diary archives have been have diary archives several European Since 1984, and 94 date, there is no Dutch equivalent, although there is growing is growing there although equivalent, Dutch there is no date, To ) was founded in 2009 by Mirjam nda) was ( Archive Diary The Dutch 92 95 However, these efforts do not necessarily depend on government necessarily depend these efforts do not However, awareness ofawareness of the importance archives. private established, which can be considered specific genre-based can be considered which types ofestablished, community archives. donations and contains approximately 1350 ego-documents (1000 diaries, approximately 1350 ego-documentsdonations and contains (1000 diaries, 350 letters) and is still growing. initiatives ‘from above’, as so-called ‘community archives’ show. These show. archives’ ‘community as so-called above’, ‘from initiatives Flinn as Andrew information specialist are defined by archives community ofgrassroots activities exploring community recording and documenting, ‘the control and ownership of participation, community the heritage in which project is essential’. Nieboer and Monica Soeting. In 2014, the collection ofIn 2014, transferred the nda was Soeting. Nieboer and Monica found took the initiative to The nda Amsterdam. in to the Meertens Institute which Collections (edac) in 2015, and a network ofArchives European Diary member institutions. currently has eleven Archives. is defined in a very broad sense, with regard to content as well as material with regard to content is defined in a very broad sense, overseas and has a Historicaloverseas Manuscripts relatingCommission, specifically historical to manuscripts in private archives. http:// http://www. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/; nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/our-role/advisory- council/forum-on-historical-manuscripts-and- academic-research/. Kennisplatform Particuliere Archieven, https://kia. pleio.nl/groups/view/41453152/kennisplatform- particuliere-archieven, November 14 accessed 2019; ‘Landelijke samenwerking in het project Particuliere op de kaart’, archieven https://kia. pleio.nl/groups/view/41453152/kennisplatform- particuliere-archieven/wiki/view/46300342/ landelijke-samenwerking-in-het-project- particuliere-archieven-op-de-kaart, accessed Charles Jeurgens,Charles Herman Bongenaar and verleden. Margreet Windhorst, Gewaardeerd waarderingsmethodiek nieuwe een voor Bouwstenen (2007) https://openaccess. 50, archieven voor leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/15559/ gewaardeerd+verleden.pdf?sequence=2, 2019. November 14 The British register accessed informationcontains about the nature and location archival of collections in the uk
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form.98 A group of volunteers reads and indexes the documents to make them accessible.99 In the project ‘Data from Diaries’ (2016), financed by dans (Data Archiving and Networked Services), the metadata of the collection has been made digitally accessible to researchers, although the database is only available under ‘restricted access’ due to privacy-sensitive information.100 Remarkable examples from the nda collection are published in a series.101 In general, it can be concluded that the important shift promulgated in the field of life writing towards a widening of hegemonic historiography is not yet clearly visible in the databases of Dutch ego-documents. The databases from the inventory projects demonstrate several imbalances: the authors are far more often men than women (the share of the latter is at most 10 percent for the period 1500-1814); they primarily belong to middle and higher classes; and they often lived in the urban, western parts of the Netherlands (Holland and Zeeland).102 These imbalances are obviously inherent to this type of source material, but greater efforts could be made to ‘stretch the archive’ beyond its traditional limitations. For example, Icelandic research has shown that many ego-documents by women have entered in the archives unascribed, or under the names of their fathers or husbands.103 Life writing studies reveal creative
98 There are no content- or author-based criteria 101 ‘Publicaties van het Nederlands Dagboekarchief’, for inclusion. A diary collection may contain one https://www.dagboekarchief.nl/publicatiereeks/, or several diaries, notes, scrapbooks, medical accessed 14 November 2019. records, as well as photo albums. Even objects, 102 Lindeman, Scherf and Dekker, Egodocumenten van like the suitcases or satchels in which these Nederlanders uit de zestiende tot begin negentiende documents were kept, are considered valuable, eeuw, 12-22. These numbers and conclusions refer to but the Meertens Institute which houses and the inventory of manuscripts from the period 1500- owns the collection, has strict rules against 1814. But they probably can be extrapolated to the storing objects. Huisman, ‘Monuments’, 381- inventory of printed ego-documents (1813-1914), at 383. least for the proportion of women: 508 (10 percent) 99 Marloes de Moor, ‘Hoe het Nederlands of the 5033 ego-documents have been written by Dagboekarchief uitgroeide tot een verzameling women. ‘Repertorium van egodocumenten van vol levensverhalen’, 10 June 2019, https://www. Noord-Nederlanders uit de negentiende eeuw’, parool.nl/nederland/hoe-het-nederlands- search option ‘geslacht’ (sex). Within the category dagboekarchief-uitgroeide-tot-een-verzameling- of printed autobiographies the share of female vol-levensverhalen~b24b2668/, accessed 14 writers is slightly higher (17 percent between 1850- November 2019. 1910). Marijke Huisman, ‘Selves in Numbers: A 100 Douwe Zeldenrust, Nina Wijsbek and Menzo Book-Historical Perspective on Nineteenth-Century Windhouwer, ‘Data van Dagboeken (Data from Autobiography in the Netherlands’, Lifewriting Diaries)’, Research Data Journal for the Humanities Annual. Biographical and Autobiographical Studies 4 and Social Sciences 1:1 (2016) 41-47. doi: https:// (2015) 203-221, 205. https://marijkehuisman.com/ doi.org/10.1163/24523666-01000008; ‘kdp Data pdf/huisman-from-lifewriting_4_Book_2_5_2016-2. van dagboeken’, https://easy.dans.knaw.nl/ui/ pdf, accessed 14 November 2019. datasets/id/easy-dataset:67515, accessed 14 103 Alexis Wolf, ‘Introduction: Reading Silence in November 2019. the Long Nineteenth-Century Women’s Life vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 55 108
This 106 107 In addition to 105 , but the case this is not yet. (Letters as Loot): ‘Historical as Loot): (Letters corpora’, https:// www.clarin.eu/resource-families/historical- 2019. November 14 According corpora, accessed Zeldenrustto et al. 100) note (see the ‘Data in projectDagboeken’ should be available also via clarin ‘BiographyThe website Portal the Netherlands’ of 2010. http://www.biografischportaal. since exists 2019; https:// November 14 nl/en; accessed nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biografisch_Portaal, 2019. November 14 accessed since exists www.archieven.nl The website 14 accessed 2002. https://www.archieven.nl/nl/, 2019.November is the involved not publicA large archive Stadsarchief Amsterdam of (Amsterdam City 106 107 108 : : https:// ur Gylfi ur Gylfi ð 104 A combined web portal with a user-friendly search interface, which which interface, search web portal with a user-friendly combined A Moreover, since the funding for the inventory projects has ended funding for the inventory projects has ended since the Moreover, and secondly, www.archieven.nl, on which the collections of on which archives Dutch www.archieven.nl, and secondly, 80 percent ofApproximately all the and publicly accessible. are searchable cooperate on www.archieven.nl. services in the Netherlands archival database mainly contains public archives, but also several private archives. but also several private database mainly contains public archives, brings together all the Dutch ego-documents Dutch brings together all the texts and – both printed would and community archives, private in manuscript form – in public, in this field as well as for the be the ultimate desideratum for researchers This web portal could also be integrated into international wider public. . as Europeana and clarin infrastructures such research in 1996, the continuation and extension of the databases, as well as as well extension of the continuation and in 1996, the databases, interface, as the implementation of search such a user-friendly improvements, to establish It would be logical and very relevant are not guaranteed. inventories of ego-documents in a follow-up from the twentieth century ego-documents argued above, as and in private Furthermore, project. also be incorporated. should community archives the inventories on http://www.egodocument.net/, I consider two possible I consider the inventories on http://www.egodocument.net/, Portal of the Biography firstly, starting points for this combined web portal: an online collection of biographical information on notable the Netherlands, ego-documents; already refers to many which history, figures in Dutch and critical ways to engage with a wide range of sources, both incorporated range ofwith a wide engage to ways and critical sources, there Fortunately, archives. institutional traditional to and peripheral within as the above such in this direction, recent developments are some promising in Archives The Black European diary archives. and other Dutch mentioned example of is another important Amsterdam community a recently established archive. http://www.theblackarchives.nl/, accessed 14 14 http://www.theblackarchives.nl/, accessed 2019.November collections digitised to access Europeana provides archives, libraries European of and museums: https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en, accessed 2019. November 14 clarin Research (European Infrastructure and Resources for Language a collection already contains of Technology) theDutch collection letters: ‘Brieven als buit’ Interdisciplinary Studies in the in the Studies Interdisciplinary Archive’, Writing 6. 1-10, (2018) 27 doi Century Nineteenth Long https://doi.org/10.16995/ntn.841; Sigur Magnússon, ‘Gender: A Useful Category the in Ego-Documents?’, of Analysis Scandinavian 202-222. History doi of (2013) 38:2 Journal doi.org/10.1080/03468755.2013.774291.
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Unfortunately, searching for ego-documents via the website of www. archieven.nl does not yet function effectively. The website is searchable by keyword, but the search term ‘egodocument’ only gives a fraction of the results one would expect, compared to the inventories of ego-documents.109 Apparently, most archives do not use this term as a specific designation. This is understandable, as the general category of ‘ego-documents’ may appeal to historians, but is not suitable for archivists. Nevertheless, the more specific term ‘dagboek’ (diary) does not function well either.110 Thus, the search options should be improved and the scope of archival services could be expanded, but there are, nevertheless, three major advantages of www.archieven.nl in comparison to the above mentioned databases of ego-documents: firstly, there is a search engine; secondly, it is dynamic, therefore additions will be visible; and thirdly, some manuscripts are digitally accessible, above all the entire collection of diaries and other ego- documents belonging to the niod.111 Ideally, a central ‘dataportal’ with all ego- documents in www.archieven.nl could be created, similar to the one that has been developed for charters created and hosted by Huygens ing.112
Archives). Furthermore, a private archive like ego-documents by individuals; they also contain atria (Institute on gender equality and women’s reports of governmental bodies, companies, et history), which contains a lot of ego-documents, cetera. https://www.archieven.nl/nl/zoeken? and community archives, such as the earlier mivast=0&mizig=0&miadt=0&miq=1&milang= mentioned Dutch Diary Archive and the Black nl&misort=score%7Cdesc&mizk_alle= Archives, is not included yet. dagboek&mif3=4&miview=lst, accessed 14 109 For example, a search in www.archieven.nl November 2019. leads to the conclusion that the collection 111 Dagboeken-niod (Instituut voor Oorlogs-, ‘Egodocumenten’ of the Gelders Archief only Holocaust- en Genocidestudies), https://www. contains sixteen ‘Alba Amicorum’. Although archieven.nl/nl/zoeken?miadt=298&mizig=18, this type of source can be classified as ego- accessed 14 November 2019. A selection of these document, it is not the most typical sort and ego-documents is also available as collection there are several other ego-documents in the of ‘war diaries’: ‘Oorlogsdagboeken’, http:// collection of the Gelders Archief which are not www.geheugenvannederland.nl/nl/geheugen/ classified as such. https://www.archieven.nl/nl/ pages/collectie/Oorlogsdagboeken, accessed zoeken?mivast=0&mizig=83&miadt= 14 November 2019. Obviously, a researcher 37&milang=nl&mizk_alle=egodocumenten& interested in ego-documents related to war miview=ldt, accessed 14 November 2019. On can also visit the niod website directly, but the ‘Album Amicorum’ as ego-document, see: ‘Album advantages of an integrated web-portal are amicorum’, in: Gerrit Jan van Bork et al., Algemeen evident. Many historical studies cover numerous letterkundig lexicon, https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/ ego-documents not limited to one archive. dela012alge01_01/dela012alge01_01_00126.php, Furthermore, several ego-documents related to accessed 14 November 2019. war are not in the collection of the niod, but in 110 The search term ‘dagboek’ (search the entire other archives. database – filter on Materiaal – Archieftoegang) 112 Digitale Charterbank Nederland, https:// leads to an enormous amount of results, but charterbank.huygens.knaw.nl/, accessed 14 these are only partly journals in the sense of November 2019. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 57 has Specific foundations may Specific foundations 114 ’, http://resources.huygens.knaw. The best examples encompass The best examples encompass 117 On ‘digital materiality’,On ‘digital Dahlström, Mats see: and Critical‘Critical in: Editing Digitisation’, Wido van Peursen, Ernst Thoutenhoofd and Comparison (eds.), Text vanAdriaan der Weel Huygens ing Huygens 2019; atria November 14 nl/, accessed egodocuments: 40 approximately digitised https://atria.nl/bibliotheek- ‘Egodocumenten’, 14 archief/collectie/egodocument/, accessed has 2019; the FrysianNovember Tresoar archive made letters Frysian of emigrants available online: ‘Emigranten http://digicollectie.tresoar. brieven’, 2019. November 14 accessed nl/e_brieven/, ‘Dagboek Willem 1811-1844’, de Clercq http:// resources.huygens.knaw.nl/dagboekdeclercq, 2019. November 14 accessed For ‘Rutgers example: van der Loeff’, http://www. rutgersvanderloeff.nl/, November 14 accessed van Maurits2019; (dagboeken) ‘Memoires Jacob http://vanlennep.nl/dagboeken/,van Lennep’, 2019. November 14 accessed
115 116 117 collection shows, ego-documents shows, niod collection As the
113 ree : https://doi. Subsequently, private initiatives and growing public interest private Subsequently, provides digital provides 115 116 The advantage ofThe advantage of online publication in relation ego-documents, – Low Countries Historical Historical Countries – Low connected to the Second World War and the Holocaust are a priority in are a priority and the Holocaust War World to the Second connected this could be the general dominance The reasons for digitisation projects. of and the fact that the study of historiography this topic in Dutch ego- World linked to the Second in the 1950s was documents in the Netherlands other research , in addition to the niod Fortunately, from the beginning. War ing, atria and regional and city as Huygens such institutes and archives, some ego-documents. also digitised have archives, to the printed editions that will be discussed below, is that the visual and is that the visual and below, to the printed editions that will be discussed material aspects of the ego-document come to the fore better and that the options. websites often include search in genealogy and family history have also led to digital editions ofin genealogy and family history have ego- documents. Most of the ego-documents and databases archives in the above mentioned majority of so for the digitised or published, not been sources a visit have is necessary. to the archive stimulate digitisation, such as the Stichting Réveil-Archief which, with the with the Réveil-Archief as the Stichting which, such stimulate digitisation, diary of made the extensive Willem aid of bodies, other partners and funding in poet and leader of available de Clercq, Réveil movement, the Protestant online form. ‘niod Oorlogsdagboeken’, https://www. geheugenvannederland.nl/nl/geheugen/pages/ collectie/Oorlogsdagboeken, 14 accessed 2019; ing Huygens November ‘Resources egodocuments: several to access Archiefsystemen, that facilitates the the company in an interview www.archieven.nl, website I had 2018). with him (22 November Charles Jeurgens estimated in 2013 that only Jeurgens Charles in 2013 estimated about the of analogue 2 percent material housed in Dutch archival institutions was mentioned although he also available digitally, the sustained effort 10 make to archives of digitallypercent available within a reasonable time frame. Jeurgens,Charles ‘The of Scent Dilemmas with Archive the Digital Archive: bmgnDigitisation’, 30-54, (2013) doi 45. 128:4 Review This 10-percentage org/10.18352/bmgn-lchr.9348. number Gerhard mentioned is also by Hijszeler, and ProjectmanagerSenior Consultant at de Publications of Dutch ego-documents: Dutch of online and in print Publications
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both the transcription and the image of the ego-document itself, as well as a search engine, such as that of the diary of Willem de Clercq.118 However, digitisation also has its downsides, because it always leads to a loss of information. Although the representation of visual and material aspects is better than in most printed versions, the ‘scent of the archive’ of the original documents is not transferable to the digital representation.119 As long as the original manuscripts are preserved, this presents no significant problems, but digitisation bears the risk of the original documents being destroyed.120 In recent decades, ego-documents have also been published in two major book series: Privé-domein (Arbeiderspers) and Egodocumenten (Verloren). The Privé-domein series, inspired by the French series Domaine privé, started in 1966. It contains ego-documents of famous writers, artists and intellectuals from the Netherlands, such as Arnon Grunberg and Annie Romein-Verschoor, and also from other countries (in Dutch translation), such as Salvador Dali, Virginia Woolf, Samuel Pepys, Arthur Schopenhauer and Claude Debussy. Currently, the series contains 305 editions.121 According to book historian Lisa Kuitert ‘the whole is more than the sum of the parts’. People collect the series and reviewers often praise the entire series when reviewing a part.122 The series primarily contains memoirs (60 percent), a broad term referring to several kinds of autobiographical texts. The other genres are diaries (20 percent), letters (15 percent), and some miscellaneous texts.123
and Digital Creativity: The Production of Presence www.privedomein.info that used to contain and Meaning in Digital Text Scholarship. Scholarly the catalogue of the series has disappeared. Communication 1 (Leiden 2010) 77-97. doi: Information on the series is now provided on: https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004188655.i-328.29; https://www.facebook.com/privedomein. The Jenny Newell, ‘Old Objects, New Media: website is still accessible via Wayback Machine, Historical Collections, Digitization and Affect’, a digital archive of the World Wide Web: https:// Journal of Material Culture 17:3 (2012) 287-306. doi: web.archive.org/web/20190430052413/http:// https://doi.org/10.1177/1359183512453534. www.privedomein.info/, accessed 14 November 118 ‘Dagboek Willem de Clercq 1811-1844’, http:// 2019. resources.huygens.knaw.nl/dagboekdeclercq, 122 Lisa Kuitert, Het uiterlijk behang. Reeksen in de accessed 14 November 2019. Nederlandse literatuur 1945-1996. Deel 4 Een 119 Besides scent, Jeurgens also mentions other vangnet voor moderne schrijvers. De triomf van de informational aspects, such as the structure and paperbackseries (Amsterdam 1997) 326-332. Some chemical composition of the paper and the ink, collectors wrote personal reflections about their watermarks, the method of binding, weight and ‘collector’s rage’, published as ‘Mijn privédomein’ traces of other users. Jeurgens, ‘The Scent of the on the website: https://web.archive.org/ Digital Archive’, 40. web/20190426181018/http://www.privedomein. 120 Ibidem, 39-43. info/archief/, accessed 14 November 2019. 121 Part 305 (Willem Pijper, In het licht van de 123 The graphic of the percentage per genre eeuwigheid. Een leven in brieven 1917-1947) was is not entirely clear (the total sum is more published in November 2019. The website than 100 percent). https://web.archive.org/ vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 59 : series series However, the However, 125 This form may be 126 are also visible on the website of publishing of visibleare also on the website itself: https://verloren.nl/series/house Verloren nbE6bqSSJf8PXZa2oqSRd3/104686/oude-series- 2019. November 14 accessed niet-meer-actief, des Diaristischen. ‘Materialitäten Gerhalter, Li von Erscheinungsformen Tagebüchern von Mädchen und Frauen Jahrhundert’, im 20. für Zeitschrift Feministische Europäische L’Homme. 24:2 53-71. (2013) doi Geschichtswissenschaft Martyn http://dx.doi.org/10.25595/1166; Lyons Inscribed – World and Rita Marquilhas, ‘A Introduction’, in: Idem (eds.), Approaches to Inscribed A World Culture. Historythe Written of https://link.springer.com/ 1-20. 2017) (Cham accessed chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-54136-5_1, 2019; Ashplant, November 14 ‘Life writing “from Below” Authors, in Europe: Archives, Avenues, Arenas’, 11. series, the Egodocumenten series, 126 It includes autobiographies, diaries, letters, travel travel letters, diaries, autobiographies, It includes 124 series originated in 1988, in close collaboration with the in close collaboration in 1988, series originated Every part of carefully edited to academic the series has been In contrast to the Privé-domein to the In contrast : http://doi.org/10.18352/ standards. The books consist of of a transcription an introduction, the ego- standards. some volumes and explanatory notes, is annotated with which document, The introductions by an index ofinclude a glossary and names at the end. but they all put the authors in in length and scope, editors vary various their socio-cultural on the historical context and provide explanatory notes In recent life writing The volumes are reproductions of the texts. volume. : the ego- focus has also shifted to these texts as artefacts the however, studies, offers which and material form, document as an object with a typical visual information on autobiographical practices. valuable series has never been reviewed as a whole in relation to broader developments reviewed as a whole in relation to broader series has never been in the field of do here. as I aim to life writing, from Verloren publishing house does not concern famous figures. The figures. famous not concern house does publishing Verloren from Egodocumenten inventory projects. inventory as varied as the text it contains: from the familiar pre-printedas varied diaries and but to the more uncommon, on them, sometimes with locks notebooks, and diaries embroidery, as graphic narratives, such fascinating examples, journals and the like from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth and nineteenth eighteenth seventeenth, the like from the journals and to an end, has recently come 33 volumes and The series contains centuries. but it This is a pity, ego-documents. continues to publish Verloren although been several There have the entire series. to evaluate offers an opportunity positive reviews of all highly justified. parts of the series, – Low Countries Historical Review Review Historical Countries – Low web/20190426181102/http://www.privedomein. 2019. November info/verzamelaars/, 14 accessed http://www. Verloren’, uitgeverij ‘Tekstedities egodocument.net/tekstedities-Verloren.html, 2019; ‘Series November 14 en reeksen – accessed oude series (niet meer actief)’, https://verloren. nl/series/nbE6bqSSJf8PXZa2oqSRd3/104686/ oude-series-niet-meer-actief, 14 accessed 2019.November E.g. Wim Pelt, ‘N. Maas, Nederlandsche N.toestanden. Maas, van een Uit lijder, het leven ed.’, bmgn doi 121-122. (1998) 113:1 é Bosch,bmgn-lchr.4653; ‘Een Ren tirannieke oom , 6 April 2001, https:// in Holland’, Volkskrant de www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/een- tirannieke-oom-in-holland~b31e1241d/, accessed 2019. November 14 Selections from reviews 124 125 review article – recensie-artikel
A
This diary from the collection of the Nederlands Dagboekarchief (Dutch Diary Archive) demonstrates that these ego- documents are not only texts, but also objects with a typical visual and material form, offering valuable information on autobiographical practices. © Nederlands Dagboekarchief (Dutch Diary Archive) at the Meertens Institute in Amsterdam, and photographer Adrie Mouthaan. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 61 The 127 Such Such 129 49:213 (2017) 427-437. https:// 427-437. (2017) 49:213 (Amherst Hocke, 2; Gustav Rene 1996) Suzanne Bunkers and Cynthia Huff (eds.), BunkersSuzanne and Cynthia Women’s on Essays Critical Daily: the Inscribing Diaries Jahrhunderten: vier aus Tagebücher Europäische (Frankfurt 1991) Anthologie am Main und Motive Stories’. Big ‘Tiny Symbols Tell Vermeer, 162-172; Vader & zoons. Jacob Jacob & zoons. Koolhaas-Grosfeld,Eveline Vader dagboekjes Wzn. (1774-1844) getekende Vos de de en 24 (Hilversum . Egodocumenten zijn kinderen voor 2001). is the diary Alexander of An exception van Goltstein, symbols for shows which masturbation. On and other symbols, these see: The Stories’. Big ‘Tiny Symbols Tell Vermeer, collection the of Dutch Diary contains archive self-censoring of examples some interesting practices, as diaries such in mirror-writing, a sewn up diary, a diary ‘burn with a handwritten note ‘Ongelezen unread’, Vermeer, et cetera.Leonieke verbranden?’, June 30 2015, https://www. historici.nl/ongelezen-verbranden/, 14 accessed ‘De mens Vermeer, 2019; Leonieke November hemd.zonder Symbolen als bron in dagboeken van het lichaam, de geschiedenis voor seksualiteit en ziekte’, Groniek ugp.rug.nl/groniek/article/view/32561/29956, 2019. November 14 accessed
128 129 130 128
Of course, illustrations and facsimiles are costly, but Of costly, illustrations and facsimiles are course, 130 series does not contain such fascinating ‘texts as artefacts’, as artefacts’, ‘texts fascinating contain such does not series Not only do the editions pay little attention to the texts’ material texts’ attention to the the editions pay little Not only do and visual forms, they also could more thoroughly demonstrate that the demonstrate that the more thoroughly they also could forms, and visual The a life behind them. with more complex entities, texts themselves are but changes shown by one sample from the text, is sometimes hand-writing as self-censoring, made by the author erasures or additions such to the text, out crossed covered parts, instance deleted pages, or by later readers (for in the margins) are frequently missing. remarks symbols, words, although an exceptional visual source in the series is the diary that Jacob de is the diary that Jacob source in the series exceptional visual although an for his children. illustrated Vos Egodocumenten written on cigarette papers or on the floorboards of floorboards or on the papers on cigarette written chateau. a French information can offer valuable insights, for example into the boundaries for example into the boundaries insights, valuable information can offer into the history of the body, spheres, the private between the public and also into political contexts of but self-censoring and illness and sexuality, strategies. archival A remarkable a graphic of example narrative is Feith, album Louise of the gives painted which housing the in northernan impression elite of city Groningen around of 1900: ‘Het Feithhuis, https://www. Feith’, door Louise getekend deverhalenvangroningen.nl/alle-verhalen/het- feithhuis-getekend-door-louise-feith, 14 accessed 2019.November The embroidery refers a long to an written aroundletter 1900Bulwer, Lorina by in the workhouse the of Great Yarmouth inmate east England. of It was embroidered on samples differentof kinds she material had which of form multi-coloured of a scroll to together sewn and Marquilhas, cloth, metres long. Lyons five Inscribed’, 1. The refers other example World ‘A on written cigarette diary a tiny to (1943-1945) papers H. by Kalshoven, who was imprisoned in the Tjimahi Bandung. internment to camp close niod, Nederlands-Indische en dagboeken egodocumenten, cat. 401, H. Kalshoven, Dagboek, The final is a hidden example diary 407. (1880- inv. a carpenter by written 1881) named Joachim Martin on chateau. the floorboards a French of Jacques- Olivier Boudon, ‘Les maires d’un canton des Hautes-Alpes vus par Joachim Martin, charpentier Méditerranée la de deau Picomtal’, château Cahiers http://journals.openedition.org/ 29-39, (2017) 94 2019. November cdlm/8522, 14 accessed 127 review article – recensie-artikel
An example of the added value of facsimiles in the edition of the ‘sailing letters’: Adri van Vliet, Een ‘Vriendelijcke groetenisse’: Brieven van het thuisfront aan de vloot van De Ruyter (1664-1665) (Franeker 2007) 124-125. © Uitgeverij Van Wijnen, isbn 9051942915. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 63 However, However, 133 135 series and of series and the inventory Some reviewers of a single part 132 This is also in line with the aim ofThis is ‘Tekstedities uitgeverij Verloren’, http://www. Verloren’, uitgeverij ‘Tekstedities egodocument.net/tekstedities-Verloren.html, 2019. November 14 accessed Sabina Loriga, ‘The Plurality the Past: of Historical Time Biography’, of and the Rediscovery in: Hans Renders, Binne de Haan and Jonne Lives Turn. Harmsma (eds.), The Biographical in History 38. 31-41, 2017) (Abingdon The issue representativityof biographical in relation to has already been in women’s explored research studies Mossink, the Marijke of 1980s: ‘Naar het inleiding’, Een Aertsleven: in: Mieke et al. (eds.), onderzoek biografisch en Feminisme het leven. Naar 14-16. 9-27, (Amsterdam 1988) Pelt, ‘N. Maas, Nederlandsche toestanden’, C.J.M. of ‘Review Lauran122; Toorians, van der Heijden en J.G.M. Sanders (eds.), De levensloop Een van van Adriaan (1766-1841). der Willigen autobiografie uit een tijdperk van overgang (2010) 28-29. 59:8 Cultureel (2010)’, in: Brabant 134
135 133 134
series, that is, to achieve a proportionate representation of a proportionate representation to achieve that is, series, , 10. This, 10. can also (Edingburgh 2013); 2013); (Edingburgh One of of the great assets the Egodocumenten Has this intention been achieved? Firstly, from the perspective of Firstly, Has this intention been achieved? 131 projects is that several texts have become part of scholarly debates, such as as such part of become that several texts have projects is debates, scholarly Magdalena Eck, van Otto Verbeeck, Hermanus ego-documents Beck, by David Goltstein. van Alexander and Schinne van period, a majority ofperiod, ego-documents volumes) dates from the (seventeen to attention is paid much In these seventeen volumes, eighteenth century. between the Orangists and the figures who were involved in the struggle The seventeenth and nineteenth centuries at the end of this century. Patriots The end seven volumes respectively). are less well represented (with four and the Egodocumenten social origin and gender. authors in terms of region, period, more attention to this material form and complicated ‘biography of and complicated form to this material attention more the text’ value of The added of facsimiles including be justified. would ego-documents books on remarkable successful in recent, stunningly clear has been made letters. of significance of the series may doubt the historical the author in question ‘high-qualityor argue that the ego-document literature’. is not as argued above, life writing research has widened hegemonic historiography widened hegemonic historiography has life writing research as argued above, individual life Every lives’. ‘representative concept ofand questioned the An we can view a part of lens through which can be regarded as a history. ofindividual can be representative but can also be a broader development, own uniqueness. studied for his or her (Amsterdam 2019). Another exemplary be concluded frombe concluded citations Scholar: in Google Haags een mijn leven: van Beck,David Spiegel (20 uit 1624 3 (1993) dagboek . Egodocumenten (32 citations); citations); Hermanus Verbeeck citations); Magdalena (245 Otto van van Eck citations);Schinne (40 van Alexander Goltstein been studies these of citations). have Several (28 mentioned in the previous section. Lindeman et al., Egodocumenten Letters of Note. Correspondence Correspondence Note. of Letters Shaun Usher, Deserving of a Wider Audience Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection Collection An Eclectic Note: of Letters Shaun Usher, ii Audience a Wider of Deserving Correspondence of liefdespost Van 2016); P.S. Jet(San Francisco Steinz, Nederlandse opmerkelijkste 150 De hatemail. tot brieven lettersedition of including facsimiles van Adri is: het van Brieven Vliet, groetenisse’: ‘Vriendelijcke Een (1664-1665) Ruyter De van vloot de aan thuisfront 2007).(Franeker
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Volume 16 in the Egodocumenten series of publishing house Verloren. Jeroen Blaak (ed.), Hermanus Verbeeck, Memori- aal ofte mijn levensraijsinghe. Egodocumenten 16 (Hilversum 1999). © Uitgeverij Verloren, isbn 90-6550-163-0. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 65 136 series Harmsen, ‘De van biografie de in de geschiedenis arbeidersbeweging’; Johan Frieswijk, ‘Biografische aspecten van de van de geschiedschrijving 70:3/4 in Friesland’,arbeidersbeweging It Beaken https://www.fryske-akademy.nl/ (2008) 243-262. fileadmin/inhoud/beelden/homepage/Kennis/ It_Beaken/71_2009/It_Beaken_2009_1-2_13-44. 2019. November 14 accessed pdf, Carla van Baalen and Dick de Mildt (eds.), ‘Weest van Brieven’ ‘Kaapse De menschen’. met alle wel 137 or its successor could make more effort or its successor could make more effort , none of, ego-documents the published 139 139 , 13. A separate , 13. , 11; Baggerman,, 11; This lacuna can partly be explained by the underexposure ofThis lacuna can partly be explained 138 Thirdly, in terms of of the representation different social origins, Thirdly, Secondly, as to regional variety, Holland is overrepresented in the is overrepresented Holland to regional variety, as Secondly, In general, it can be concluded that Verloren’s Egodocumenten Verloren’s it can be concluded that In general, most of There the published ego-documents literate elite. were written by the precisely because of and it is their exceptions, some important however, are, as the ego-documents such of to be published, rarity that these deserve the life Nevertheless, and the farmer Dirk Jansz. Verbeeck craftsman Hermanus especially compared to the is not very visible in the series, below’ ‘from writing attention paid to these kind of ego-documents in other European countries, – especially Frisian – memoirs ofand considering that Dutch labourers and been ofpeat workers have importance for the history of great the workers movement. series. There are some ego-documentsThere are some who lived in other from people series. but two Brabant and Zeeland), Groningen, Gelderland, (Friesland, provinces ‘Hollandocentrism’ at all: Limburg and Drenthe. regions are not represented but the uneven historiography, been prominent in Dutch has always to this kind ofdistribution is also inherent because rural and source material, with the fewer ego-documents, produced far have sparsely populated regions province of Friesland as an exception. more or less reflects the broader picture presented by the inventory projects, projects, presented by the inventory more or less reflects the broader picture inherent in this type ofincluding the same above mentioned imbalances Despite this intrinsic inequality in the distribution of source material. as Egodocumenten a series such sources, are a few ego-documentsAlthough there from the the archive. ‘stretch’ to Africa and South journals from instance travel for colonies, former Dutch East Indies letters from the Dutch the nineteenth century and by the absence ofthe nineteenth century and by the absence the twentieth century in the Ego-documents of 6 percent, by women form a minority (24 the 33 series. by comparison with the earlier mentioned but this is above average volumes), imbalance in the inventories. of the eighteenth century witnessed a large increase in autobiographical texts, of texts, in autobiographical increase a large witnessed century eighteenth the of for the overrepresentation one reason could be so this only but period, this century. well into the nineteenth increase continued because this in part, Ashplant, “from ‘Life Below” Writing in Authors,Europe: Arenas’; Archives, Avenues, Lindeman et al., Egodocumenten inventory project Frysian of from egodocuments the sixteenth century has been held 1940 by to Blom, Gosse the Fryske Repertoarium Akademy. Fryslân oangeande egodokuminten fan (Leeuwarden 1992). Lindeman et al., Egodocumenten ‘Lost time’, 462.
138 137 136 review article – recensie-artikel
have been written by enslaved persons, contract labourers or other colonised people. Such first-hand accounts are rare, but recent scholarship shows that they have been unearthed around the globe – albeit often with the aid of oral history.140 Ego-documents can even make the perspective of illiterate people visible, as the ‘Sailing Letters’ research project, initiated by the National Library of the Netherlands, in cooperation with the National Archives, Leiden University and Samenwerkende Maritieme Fondsen (Collaborative Maritime Funds), shows. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the English fleet captured many Dutch ships and confiscated all of the papers on board, including the private letters of sailors and passengers. These letters were often dictated by illiterate people and show traces of a variety of spoken dialects.141 Furthermore, ego-documents from patients, people with disabilities and ‘wounded storytellers’, written in the centuries before the ‘memoir boom’ of the 1990s, also deserve more attention from publishers.142
Cornelius de Jong van Rodenburgh. Egodocumenten Zuid-Afrikaans verwantschapsnetwerk’, in: Caspar 28 (Hilversum 2012); Gerrit Jan Schutte (ed.), Seer Dullemond, Barbara Henkes and James Kennedy teder beminde Heer Vader en Vrouw Moeder! Brieven (eds.), ‘Maar we wisten ons door de Heer geroepen’: van de Groninger familie Fockens in de Oost, 1748- Kerk en apartheid in transnationaal perspectief 1783. Egodocumenten 30 (Hilversum 2014). (Hilversum 2017) 171-196. 140 Pamela Pattynama, ‘Herinnerd Indië: 141 ‘Sailing Letters’, http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/ Autobiografische teksten van Indische index/nt00424, accessed 14 November 2019; migrantenschrijvers’, Tydskrif vir Nederlands en Roelof van Gelder, Sailing letters. Verslag van een Afrikaans 10:2 (2004) 270-284; Margriet Fokken, inventariserend onderzoek naar Nederlandse brieven Beyond being Koelies and Kantráki: Constructing in het archief van het High Court of Admiralty Hindostani Identities in Suriname in the Era of in The National Archives in Kew, Groot-Brittanië Indenture, 1873-1921 (Groningen 2018); Étienne (The Hague 2006); Van Vliet, Een ‘Vriendelijcke Naveau, ‘Le propre des textes autobiographiques groetenisse’; Marijke van der Wal and Gijsbert indonésiens’, in: François-Joseph Ruggiu (ed.), Rutten (eds.), Touching the Past: Studies in the The Uses of First Person Writings/Les usages des Historical Sociolinguistics of Ego-documents écrits du for privé. Africa, America, Asia, Europe (Amsterdam 2013); Mascuch, Dekker and (Brussels 2013) 77-105; Marijke Huisman, ‘Beyond Baggerman, ‘Egodocuments and History’, 31. the Subject: Anglo-American Slave Narratives in 142 Roy Porter, ‘The Patient’s View: Doing Medical the Netherlands, 1789-2013’, European Journal of History from Below’, Theory and Society 14:2 Life Writing 4 (2015). doi: https://doi.org/10.5463/ (1985) 175-198; Thematic issue ‘Body Language: ejlw.4.153; Yvette Kopijn and Hariëtte Mingoen, Illness, Disability, and Life Writing’, Life Writing Stille passanten: levensverhalen van Javaans- 13:1 (2016). doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/1448452 Surinaamse ouderen in Nederland (Amsterdam 2018). 8.2016.1132376. The term ‘wounded storyteller’ Barbara Henkes has combined ego-documents refers to the title of an influential book on and oral history in her research: Barbara Henkes, illness narratives: Arthur Frank, The Wounded Heimat in Holland: Duitse dienstmeisjes 1920-1950 Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics (Chicago (Amsterdam 1995); Barbara Henkes, ‘“Dan neem 1995). On Dutch ego-documents in relation jij iets van die Skepper in jou eie hand”: Botsende to health and illness, see: Ruberg, ‘The Letter’; betekenissen van ras en religie in een Nederlands- Vermeer, ‘“Papa is weder ongesteld”’. See also vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 67 Cf. Huisman,Cf. ‘Life 22. Writing’, 14 November 2019, https://www. November and the14 website 2019. November 14 displace.nl/, accessed
143 series is of series and quality outstanding The other way around, I have shown that insights I have around, The other way 143 Taken into consideration that the Netherlands has followed its into consideration that the Netherlands has followed Taken All in all, the Egodocumenten all, All in Collaboration is also needed for the opening up and publication of The aim of inventory projects the Dutch to evaluate was this review article and situate these of in print and online, ego-documents and their outcomes, results in the broader context of life writing and auto/biography research use of shown how the was it certain concepts Firstly, in the Netherlands. on different national auto/biography) depends life writing, (ego-documents, lines important research Secondly, traditions and the period being studied. field of including and discussions in the Dutch life writing were outlined, and debate on biography between historians and literary scholars, the Dutch between biographers and life watershed’ ‘crucial the recent plea to establish a this plea goes against current international conceptions However, writers. of field and against increasing interdisciplinary the auto/biographical literary and other scholars. collaboration between historians, coinage of the with Presser’s own trajectory of auto/biographical research, in the 1950s and the pioneering inventory projects ‘ego-documents’ term of argue that I would ego-documents and others, in the 1980s by Dekker efforts and in play an important role in these collaborative scholars Dutch to the field ofenlarging the necessary historical dimension life writing and organisations like iaba. has presented formerly unknown ego-documents unknown formerly has presented and the to scholars both with and other publishers, Verloren only hope that One can broader public. to publish will continue aid ofthe necessary funding, and research scholars gain could even These initiatives ego-documents to these academic standards. from life writing studies and insights by taking discussions in importance of to pay more attention to the variety into account in order ego-documents as and to ego-documents‘in the making’, that shed light on texts and artefacts in history. been underexposed that have groups and perspectives ego-documents, and to face the challenges and opportunities presented by and to face the challenges ego-documents, the Dutch By comparison with similar international initiatives, digitisation. brought to light an They have inventory projects are exceptional in scope. enormous number of of ego-documents, several are very significant which formed the basis ofhave they Furthermore, in an international context. from life writing studies are very valuable for the historical study of for the historical study from life writing studies are very valuable ego- documents and auto/biography. -project ‘Digital Disability Archive’, the nwo https://www.nwo.nl/onderzoek-en-resultaten/ accessed onderzoeksprojecten/i/43/29943.html, Conclusion review article – recensie-artikel
numerous auto/biographical studies on a whole range of topics, such as time and historical awareness, body history and childhood. I also discussed examples of research on the twentieth century – a period outside the scope of the inventory projects – on the Holocaust and decolonisation, to indicate crucial national and transnational public and academic debates on auto/ biographical sources. Furthermore, I made some critical remarks and suggestions about how the digital accessibility of ego-documents could be improved. Although the database of the inventory projects has been a huge step in the right direction, one requirement for future research would be the creation of a combined and searchable web portal of ego-documents in public, private and community archives. The development of community archives, such as the Dutch Diary Archive, shows the importance of private initiatives. It also demonstrates shortcomings in the existing public archives and databases. Funding bodies like nwo seem to prioritise digitisation above inventorisation, whereas ego- documents from the twentieth century (except from the Second World War) and ego-documents in private and community archives are not yet included in the existing databases. Another improvement lies in the publication of ego-documents. Both digital and printed editions of ego-documents deserve high acclaim, as they make these texts more accessible, both to academics and a broader audience. Verloren has published several ego-documents from the inventory projects in its Egodocumenten series, which is of outstanding quality. Nevertheless, these and other printed editions could pay more attention to the visual and material quality of the sources and to a greater diversity of experiences. To conclude, ego-documents are important and fascinating sources, which offer insight into a multitude of experiences and which should be studied from different perspectives using the insights of various disciplines, including historians and literary scholars. ‘History and autobiography may be fated to live together as members of the same extended family’, as Jeremy Popkin has put it, ‘but like many family relationships, theirs will continue to be fraught with tension and a certain amount of distrust’.144 This overview of auto/biographical research in the Netherlands demonstrates that the conversation between these disciplines in research projects, journals, conferences, inventorisation, digitisation and book publications, is more productive and insightful than their disciplinary demarcation. Collaboration between scholars and archivists is also a prerequisite for stretching the archive beyond its traditional constraints and opening up a wider range of autobiographical sources than before.
144 Popkin, History, Historians, and Autobiography, 32. vermeer stretching the archives. ego-documents and life writing research 69 https://doi.org/10.5463/ejlw.7.265, and ‘1800. Een zeer intiem and ‘1800. zeer Een https://doi.org/10.5463/ejlw.7.265, (Amsterdam 2018) 361-366. E-mail: [email protected]. (Amsterdam 361-366. 2018) E-mail: De Moderne Tijd. De Lage Landen, 1780-1940 Landen, Tijd. publications Lage include: De . Recent and Moderne De (1975) is assistant professor of Modern is assistant of History professor (1975) at the University Vermeer Leonieke Groningen.of her PhD-thesis She completed on the relationship between literature in 2010, was which publishedand science in the Academisch Literair Garant series of in het natuurwetenschap en literatuur tussen relatie De lenigheid. Publishers as Geestelijke Ortt, Felix en Eeden 1880-1930 van (Antwerp/Apeldoorn Frederik 2011). Her recent van werk and publicationsresearch on focus ego-documents and life writing, especially in relation Life of Journal the historyto health and illness. the of European She is editor the of body, Writing ‘“CheerfulParental on Us”: in Diaries Down Emotions about Looking the Illness Angels Writing Life of Journal European (1780-1880)’, Children and Infants of Death and Young doi: 133-150, 7 (2018) Wereldgeschiedenis van van et al. (eds.), Wereldgeschiedenis Heermaadolescentendagboek’, van Voss in: Lex Nederland