The Nationaal Archief has published a digital guide on 16th to 18th century shipwrecks. The guide ‘I am looking for information on a shipwreck’ is a tool for archival research on vessels of the Dutch East India and West India Company and the Admiralty, and is now online available.
News
Performance parameters for archival boxes
Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas (IPT, the Brazilian institute for technological research) and Scientia Pro Cultura and Arquivo Nacional (Rio de Janeiro) have cooperated in a MCH research project concerning characteristics of archival boxes. Aim was to present a set of quality parameters that contemplate the archival box and its intended use. The technical report on the first phase of the enquiry was released in May 2012.
Limited service Reading Room
Renovation work at the Dutch Nationaal Archief in The Hague started in 2008. This renovation programme is divided into two phases. The offices have been renovated in the first phase.
On 15 October 2012 the second phase of the renovation will start; the public areas will be renewed and remodelled. The renovation is expected to be completed in mid 2013.
Working Program for Dutch records in Guyana
Recently the National Archive of Guyana and the Mutual Cultural Heritage team (MCH) of the Dutch Nationaal Archief have signed a so called Working Program on the preservation and use of the Dutch records in Guyana. Guyana still has approximately 7 meters of Dutch archive from the 18th and 19th century; when Guyana had a Dutch-Roman judicial system. Material from this archive is used for the West Indisch Plakkaatboek (rules and regulations of the Directors General of the West India Company) published later this year by the Huygens ING Institute.
Colonial archive as subject of research
Hot from the presses: Colonial Legacy in South East Asia. The Dutch archives. This new annual of Stichting Archiefpublicaties focuses on the colonial archive as subject of research instead of merely mining it as a source of historical information. Archives are not static but constantly changing. Created and molded by actors like governments, organizations, commercial enterprises, churches, families and individuals, the archives are again recreated and reconstructed by archivists and other custodians. It is important to realize this when using the information these archives contain.
Review Mutual Cultural Heritage Program
This year, the first MCH program (2009-2012) will end. Both Dutch authorities responsible for the MCH policy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science, have requested a review on the MCH program in order to establish to what extent its political objectives are met. For this inquiry, a group of 27 individuals involved with MCH have been interviewed.
Visit of the Ambassador of Ghana
On March 30th the Nationaal Archief had the honor to receive Her Excellency Aanaa N. Enin, Ambassador of Ghana. Mrs. Enin was welcomed by Martin Berendse, National Archivist of the Netherlands and Director of Nationaal Archief, and Roelof Hol, Managing Director of the Mutual Cultural Heritage team (MCH) of Nationaal Archief.
Cultural heritage management tour Sri Lanka delegation
From 21 to 24 May, a cultural delegation of Sri Lanka visited the Netherlands. The Sri Lanka government wants to increase its know how on management and commercial exploitation of its cultural heritage. The visit was initiated by the Dutch Embassy in Colombo and organized by SICA Dutch Centre for International Cultural Activities.
India revisited: VOC Archives and Indian Dutch Heritage Symposium
From 9 to 16 April Ms. Jinna Smit and Mr. Roelof Hol of the Dutch Mutual Cultural Heritage Program (MCH), Nationaal Archief, went on a working trip to India. Main purposes of the visit were the assessment of Dutch East India Company (VOC) records, discussing the exchange of digitized MCH archives, and attending the Indian Dutch Heritage symposium.
Taiwanese visitors explore VOC and Formosa
Tuesday the 28th of February the Nationaal Archief welcomed the Taiwan Minister of Indigenous Affairs: Professor Dr. Sun Ta-chuan. He was accompanied by more than 50 representatives. Among them were the chiefs of the twelve indigenous Taiwan tribes. Also present was a small delegation of the Taipei Representative Office in the Hague. The guests were shown VOC documents on Taiwan. The VOC (Dutch East India Company) traded from Formosa – Taiwan - for roughly forty years. VOC records are important sources for the study of the pre-Chinese history of Taiwan.
