Thijs Lijster is the winner of the Boekman Dissertartieprijs for Art and Cultural Policy. With his research into art criticism, the philosopher made an important contribution to the debate about the right to exist of art. While Lijster was already finishing his dissertation in 2011, his subject sud
On May 31 and June 1, 1916, English and German dreadnoughts – large battleships – each other near the Danish Jutland. The German fleet made an attempt to break out and the British attacked them. With its WWI newspaper, Het Historisch Nieuwsblad provides an overview of the reporting from that time ab
Predecessors of prehistoric man already manufactured tools. This is shown by the discovery of 3.3 million-year-old carved stones, from the period before hominins of the genus Homo made their entrance on earth. Until now it was thought that the Homo habilis made the first stone tools. Stone tools da
The last nomadic people of the western world have many names. In England they are called gypsies, in France gitans or bohemian. We call them Gypsies, but they call themselves romani or rom, a name that also indicates their language. But where do these people and their language actually come from? ř
Home bakers, confectioners and factories bake many tens of millions of oliebollen for every turn of the year. This successor to the oliekoeck has been the traditional delicacy around old and new since the nineteenth century. Why do we eat oliebollen every year on New Years Eve, even more than apple
The sky shows all the colors of the rainbow on New Years Eve:the effect of thousands of rockets. But that has only been the case since the 1960s. People used to make a lot of noise during the turn of the year. The need to make noise at the beginning of the new year is age old. The Germans already
During an excavation in IJsselstein, archaeologists from ADC Archeoprojecten stumbled upon a Roman burial field. So far, four burial mounds have been uncovered. The discovery of the burial mounds is special because they are virtually undisturbed. They are also well preserved due to a thick layer of
Different ways of seeing, from Western and Japanese perspectives, are the subject of Shifting Perspectives. Willem van Gulik, professor of Art History and Material Culture of East Asia, will say goodbye on Monday 23 November. Curiosity The Japanese are known for often copying foreign influences, ac
The polder model is almost synonymous with the Netherlands. Yet poldering is not a Dutch invention, but a French one. That is the conclusion that NWO researcher Roeland Audenaerde draws in his dissertation on the French thinker Louis de Bonald. Some aspects that we associate with the polder model –
Hundreds of minuscule bronze objects have been found by archaeologists from Leiden University in the unusually rich grave of a prehistoric monarch. The grave is located south of Oss under one of the largest burial mounds in the Netherlands. The young monarch was buried here 2600 years ago in the mid
Climate change in Mesopotamia led to the development of a new shared identity. And the societies of the Zerqa Valley in Jordan have been building irrigation systems for 13,000 years, but the irrigation systems also built societies. Thus the conclusions of two theses in archeology. Although increasi
Today is Erasmus, one of the greatest thinkers of the Netherlands, his birthday. Erasmus was a famous scholar who lived from 1466 to 1537. He was a humanist, philosopher, monk and writer. He was way ahead of his time with his views on women, war and the Christian faith. The themes that Erasmus deal
Willem van der Does was not the first Dutchman at the South Pole. Historical research by the Fleming Jozef Verlinden shows that three gentlemen set foot on the white earth more than 20 years before Van der Does. In an article by science magazine EOS, Verlinden talks about his research into the stor
As if it is the most normal thing in the world:to help people who are being persecuted by an occupier. We might think twice, or at least ask if we can think about it for a night. We all know stories of people in our environment where selfless help ends badly due to violence on the street, for exampl
Besides in the Teutoburg Forest, Rome fought the barbarian Germans many other times. What was the long-term purpose of Roman military efforts? There seems to have been no question of a carefully prepared war of conquest or Germanic politics. The situation is reminiscent of that of the United States
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. At that moment, the power of the East German Communist Party (SED) led by Egon Krenz came to a visible end. But before that happened, the population had to take massive action against the party and the government. It did this by holding ever-larger demonstr
From Saturday 8 May to Monday 10 May, the 93rd edition of the Giro dItalia thunders through the Dutch streets. A good moment to look back on the Giro. The timeline below provides an overview of important and special events in the history of the Giro dItalia. Giro dItalia on Dipity.
Most people are familiar with Hadrians Wall. Its sort of a Roman variant of the Great Wall of China, or the Berlin Wall, if you will. But very few people know that about 120 kilometers to the north, just over the border in Scotland, another wall was built by a Roman emperor. When youre near Newcas
A guest column appears on Kennislink every two weeks. The columnist is always a different researcher, who writes from his or her field about the science behind an event in society or from our daily lives. During the Week of the Classics (15 to 25 April 2010), the focus was on classical heroes. René
Have you ever wondered what the image in the header shows above the subject page of History and Archaeology? It is so-called red-figure Greek pottery. Greek pottery gives scientists a special insight into the formation and imagery traditions of Greek myths. Many scenes on the vases show images of my
April 23, 1014, The Battle of Clontarf , near Dublin, opposed the armies of the Irish king Brian Boru and the men of Leinster associated with Vikings. We remember that the victory made Brian Boru a national hero having driven the Vikings out of Ireland. Is this really what happened? What is myth and
Why in Germany, public opinion is ashamed of having been Nazis (despite some rare exceptions), while from Italy, public opinion is often nostalgic for those years and even in our country there are political forces , not irrelevant, admittedly sympathetic to fascist politics, while not declaring them
For almost seventy years, Great Britain has been ruled by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. In this article we will learn about the various influences and importance her reign of glamor and prestige has given. From humble beginnings, sudden changes and challenges will come a greater understanding of
The media loved him. He received love letters from hysterical female fans. Even when he was in prison, he was convicted of underage seduction, fraud and beatings. Who was Jerzy Kalibabka? An amant with a captivating smile that he took with one to give to others? Or maybe ... an ordinary bandit who h