Introduction
Collecting works on the history of the Low Countries has always been a central priority of the Institute’s library since its inception. In 1921, the same year the Institute was founded, the eminent Dutch historian Pieter Geyl convinced the University of London’s Dutch Studies Committee to transfer the Low Countries holdings of the library of Bedford College for Women to the brand new Institute:
I am very anxious indeed to transfer these books to the institute, as I am convinced that there can be no place where they could be of greater use to the historian in general, and I venture to say they would form a real asset to the institute. - Pieter Geyl, 1921.
Since then this core has been augmented by major donations, notably from the Dutch government, which from October 1925 has presented thousands of items on perpetual loan to the library, many of them from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Other major donations have come from institutions such as the Archive Générale de Belgique, made in the early 1960s, as well as individuals such as Pieter Geyl himself, Koenraad Wolter Swart and Jonathan Israel.
In short, this generosity, as well as decades of purchasing, has resulted in a collection of approximately 4,500 items - one of the richest resources for the research of Low Countries history outside the region itself.
About the Collections
Arrangement of the Collection
The collection has a similar structure to many of the other geographical collections in the Institute: starting with bibliographies, archive guides, and auxiliary subjects (including historiography), then more general primary source and reference materials. Afterwards, due the nature of the history of the region, Dutch (including Dutch colonial history) and Belgian history have their own separate sub-collections. Then, it moves on to local history, going from Frisia in the north to Liège and Luxembourg in the south. Finally, one can find an extensive collection of Dutch and Belgian historical periodicals. For a summary, see below:
- EN.0 Archive Guides & Bibliographic Works
- EN.1-5 General Historical Works and Series on the entire region.
- EN.1 General Works covering all periods
- EN.2 Major Reference Works
- EN.3 The Low Countries to c. 1579
- EN.5 The Low Countries after c. 1579
- ENA History of the Netherlands and the Dutch Empire
- ENB Belgian History
- ENL Low Countries Local History/History of Luxembourg
- ENP Low Countries Periodicals
Archive Guides, Bibliographies and Historiography
The library has a large collection of bibliographies and guides to a number of archives including the main national collections, the Algemeen Rijksarchief of the Netherlands and the Archives Générales of Belgium, as well as those of many cities, towns, and individuals. You can also find a collection on the historiography of the Low Countries at the end of the section.
Examples from this section include:
- Algemeen Rijksarchief. Inventarissen van Rijks- en andere archieven van rijskwege uitgegeven
- Archives Générale. Les archives de l’État en Belgique
- Feith, Hendrik Octavius. Register van het archief van Groningen
- Landwehr, John. VOC : a bibliography of publications relating to the Dutch East India Company 1602-1800
- Knuttel, Willem. Catalogus van de pamfletten-verzameling berustende in de Koninklijke Bibliotheek
- Rijksarchief te Brugge. Inventarissen van gemeentearchieven
Historiography and Historical Cultures
- Demets, Lisa. Onvoltooid verleden : de handscriften van de 'Excellente Cronike van Vlaenderen' in de laatmiddeleeuwse Vlaamse steden
- Geyl, Pieter. ‘Ik die zo weinig in het verleden lief’ : autobiografie 1887-1940
- Lyon, Bryce Dale. Henri Pirenne : a biographical and intellectual study
- Paul, Herman. Het moraes van de geschiedenis : nederlandse debatten over historisme
General Series
The collection includes an extensive run of two vital series for anyone undertaking research in this field: the works published by the Historisch Genootschaap te Utrecth, and the Rijks Geschiedkundige Publicatieën (Grote and Kleine series). Moreover, there is also a large collection of reference works, medieval works on the Low Countries, and sources on the early Habsburg Low Countries and first few decades of the revolt.
Works found in this section include:
- Devillers, Leopold. Cartulaire des comtes de Hainaut de l’avénement de Guillaume II à la mort de Jacqueline de Bavière
- Granvelle, Antoine Perrenot de. Correspondance du Cardinal de Granvelle, 1565-1586
- Groen van Prinsterer, Guillaume…[et al.] Archives ou correspondance inédite de la maison d’Orange-Nassau
- Margaret of Parma. Correspondance…avec Philippe II
- Muller, Samuel (ed.) De registers en rekeningen van het Bisdom Utrecht, 1325-1336
- Rüter, Adolf Johann Cord (ed.) Rapporten van de gouverneurs in de provinciën, 1840-1849
- Staten Generaal. Resolutiën der Staten-Generaal van 1576 to 1609
- Stevens, Fred…[et al.] Constitutional documents of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands 1789-1848
- Van Dooren, J. P…[et al.] Classicale acta 1573-1620 : particuliere Synode Zuid-Holland
- Van Wissing, P. W. Biografisch woordenboek Gelderland
Dutch Republic, from the War with Spain to the Late 18th Century
The material on the United Provinces during the Gouden Eeuw (c. 17th century) and the 18th century is the primary strength of the entire Low Countries collection. This sub-collection includes published letters, diaries, institutional records, and early printed pamphlets highlighting aspects of the political, religious, commercial, and social history of the Dutch Republic, as well as contemporary histories, written during the 17th century, giving a narrative of the Low Countries’ struggle with Spain. Together with the relevant parts of the general, Belgian, colonial, and local collections, this is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the early modern Netherlands.
Works found in the section include:
- Aitzema, Lieuwe van. Historie of verhael van saken van staet en oorlogh
- Bor, Pieter. Nederlantsche oorloghen, beroerten, ende borgerlijcke oneenicheyden
- Groot placaet-boeck, vervattende de placaten, ordonnantien ende edicten van de doorluchtige, hoogh mog. Heeren Staten Generael der Vereenighde Nederlanden
- Grotius, Hugo. De rebus Belgicis
- Huygen, Constantijn. Mijn leven verteld aan mijn kinderen
- Kenkhuis, Arend. Het schuldboek van Arend Kenkhuis
- Rowen, Herbert Harvey. The ambassador prepares for war : the Dutch embassy of Arnaud de Pomponne, 1669-1671
- Vuyk, Simon (trans.) De Arminiaanse vredeskerk : redevoeringen van Jacobus Arminius (1606) en Simon Episcopius (1618) over de onderlinge verdraagzaamheid van christenen
- Witt, Johan de. Lettres et negociations entre Mr. Jean de Witt…et Messieurs les plenipotentiaires des Provinces Unies des Pais-Bas : aux cours de France, Angleterre, de Suede, de Danemarc, de Pologne, &c
Belgian History
Although relevant items on the area that became Belgium can be found in the sections on the medieval Low Countries and local history, the library has a collection devoted to Belgian history since the Union of Arras (1579) to the twentieth century, with a particular emphasis on the periods from the eighteenth century to the First World War.
Works found in the section include:
- Gachard, M. (ed.) Actes des États Généraux de 1632
- Joseph II Recueil de lettres originales de l’Empereur Joseph II au Général d’Alton
- Juste, Théodore. La revolution belge de 1830 : d’après des documents inédits
- Liste chronologique des édits et ordonnances des Pays-Bas autrichiens : 1700-1794
- Rubens, Peter Paul. The letters of Peter Paul Rubens
- Schmitz, Jean. Documents pour server à l’histoire de l’invasion allemande dans les provinces de Namur et de Luxembourg
- Verlinden, Charles. Dokumenten voor de geschiedenis van prijzen en lonen in Vlaanderen en Brabant
Low Countries Local History
The various cities, towns, religious houses, and social institutions of the Low Countries have left a rich resource of documentation which is reflected in the collection's local holdings. It has already been mentioned how this sub-collection would be of relevance to anyone researching more general topics in Dutch and Belgian history - and indeed anyone interested in wider European themes in urban or commercial history. However as one might expect, it would be equally valuable for anyone with a more local research focus. Overall the collection is strongest for the medieval and early modern periods with particular strengths including Amsterdam and Holland, the city and province of Utrecht, Flanders, and Antwerp.
Works found in this section include:
- Bost, Hubert (ed.) Le consistoire de l’église wallonne de Rotterdam, 1681-1706
- Duijvendak, M. G. J. Geschiedenis van Groningen
- Fairon, Émile. Régistres de la cite de Liége
- Fokkens, Melchior. Beschrijvingh der wijdt-vermaarde koop-stadt Amstelredam
- Frijhoff, Willem…[et al.] Geschiedenis van Amsterdam
- Generale inhoud van alle de placaten, ordonnantien,…begrepen in ses registers op het Groot Utrechts placaetboek
- Hamaker, Hendrik Gerard. De Middeneeuwsche keurboeken van de stad Leiden
- Ketner, F. (ed.) Oorkondenboek van het Sticht Utrecht tot 1301
- Sjoerds, Foeke. Algemene beschryvinge van oud en nieuw Friesland
- Van Severen, Louis Gilliodts. Cartulaire de l’ancienne staple de Bruges : recueil de documents concernant le commerce intérieur et maritime, les relations internationals et l’histoire économique de cette ville
- Vercauteren, Fernand (ed.) Actes des comtes de Flandre, 1071-1128
- Wampach, Camillus. Urkunden- und Quellenbuch zur Geschichte der altluxemburgischen Territorien bis zur burgundischen Zeit
Dutch and Belgian Colonial History
Works on Dutch and Belgian exploration and imperial expansion can be found in the Low Countries collection itself and also the library’s colonial collections. In the Dutch collection there is a sub-section devoted solely to Dutch colonial history, comprising mainly of published letters, travel journals, and the publications of the Linschoten Society, while in the library’s colonial collections one can find material on New Netherland, Dutch colonisation of South Africa and the Belgian Congo.
Works found in this section include:
- Adrichem, Dircq van. Journaal van Dircq van Adrichem’s hofreis naar den Groot-Mogol Aurangzēb 1662
- Allard, Fernand. Journal du Congo (1905-1907) : un apprentissage missionnaire
- Banning, Emile. Mémoires, politiques et diplomatiques : comment fut fondé le Congo belge
- Broecke, Pieter van den. Pieter van den Broecke's journal of voyages to Cape Verde, Guinea and Angola (1605-1612)
- Fernow, Berthold. The records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674 anno Domini
- Hoorn, Jan Ambrosius. Verdrinken zonder water : de memoires van VOC-matroos Jan Ambrosius Hoorn, 1758-1778
- Jong van Rodenburgh, Cornelis de. ‘Weest wel met alle menschen’ : de ‘Kaapse brieven’ van Cornelius de Jong van Rodenburgh (1762-1838)
- Mello, José Antônio Gonsalves de. Fontes para a história do Brasil holandês.
- Stuyvesant, Peter. Correspondence, 1647-1653 & Correspondence, 1654-1658
- Tasman, Abel. De reizen van Abel Janszoon Tasman en Franchoys Jacobszoon Visscher ter nadere ontdekking van het Zuidland in 1642/3 en 1644
Periodicals
Complementing the entire collection are the library’s holdings of Low Countries periodicals. These consist of long runs of general titles central to the historical research of the Low Countries, specialist titles with a narrower geographical, topical or chronological scope, as well as runs of now rare nineteenth century titles.
Works found in the section include:
- Bijdragen en mededelingen betreffende de geschiedenis der Nederlanden
- Bijdragen voor de geschiedenis van het Bisdom van Haarlem
- Bijdragen voor vaderlandsche geschiedenis en oudheidkunde
- Bulletin de la Commission Royale d’Histoire
- Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis
- Tijdschrift voor sociale geschiedenis (later title Tijdschrift voor sociale en economisch geschiedenis)
- Vrij Nederland
- De Zeventiende Eeuw
Other Collections
Other Relevant IHR Collections
Most of the Low Countries collection is on open shelves and sits alongside some of the Institute’s other European history collections including France, Spain and Germany. Nearby are the United States and British holdings; we hope this will be of benefit to researchers not only of Low Countries history but also for those engaged in comparative, transnational subjects.
Examples of relevant material in other collections:
- Callières, François de. Lettres (1694-1700) of François de Callières to the Marquise d’Huxelles
- Delavaud, Louis Charles Marie. Le marquis de Pomponne, ambassadeur et secrétaire d’état, 1618-1699 : documents publiés pour la Societé d’histoire diplomatique
- La France et la Belgique sous l’occupation allemande 1940-1944 : les fonds allemands conserves au Centre Historique des Archives nationales
- Miege, Guy. The new state of England, under our present monarch K. William III
- Oosterhoff, F. G. The Earl of Leicester’s governorship of the Netherlands, 1586-1587
- Philip II Correspondencia privada de Felipe II con su secretario Mateo Vázquez
- Prestage, Edgar. A embaixada de Tristão de Mendonça Furtado á Holanda em 1641 : com documentos elucidativos
- Public Record Office. Calendar of state papers, domestic series, of the reign of William and Mary
- Ruyter, Michiel Adriaanszoon de. ‘Een vriendelijcke groetenisse’ : Brieven van het thuisfront aan de vloot van De Ruyter (1664-1665)
- Van der Plas, Louis. Kongolees oorlogsdagboek 1916-1918
- Wautier, François-Xavier de. Mémoires d’un officier belge
- Weber, Karl Klaus. Resolutionen der Generalstaaten 1576-1625 : niederländische Regesten zur späten Hansegeschichte
Other useful libraries and institutions in London
- British Library – see the Dutch and Flemish Collections, the Belgian francophone collections and Luxembourg Collection.
- Senate House Library – One of the premier libraries in the country for the study of the humanities; the Elzevier Press Collection would be of particular importance for anyone interested in the Low Countries.
- Warburg Institute - Excellent holdings, especially for the early modern period and on the cultural and intellectual history of the region.
- Courtauld Institute – A leading worldwide centre for the study of art history with large holdings on all aspects of the visual arts in the Low Countries.
- UCL Library – The Dutch Library is a large collection comprising of c.12,000 volumes specialising in the language, literature, history and culture of the Low Countries.
Further Help
Contact us if you would like help on finding or using our collections, or if you have any comments or suggestions about the content of this guide. We are happy to help.
You can also book a tour or training session.