Symposium: Rethinking the Dutch East India Company?

The National Archives of the Netherlands and the History Department of Leiden University invite you to the panoramic symposium ‘Rethinking the VOC? Old genres, new trends in research and analysis’, to discuss a variety of themes from new historiographical perspectives.

The unique archives of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) continue to inspire historical research and academic programmes. The symposium brings together leading experts from across the world to share their insights in the potentialities of the VOC archives. What is the current state of research based on the VOC archives? How can historical research be enriched by including cross-cultural and non-western perspectives? What does this mean for our perception of the VOC as a cosmopolitan trading company and imperial power? To what extent can or should the colonial archives of the VOC be decolonised and what are the implications for researchers and their audiences?

The National Archives has completed the digitisation of its VOC collection and is therefore showcasing the archives of the Dutch East India Company in 2017. During the symposium, you are welcome to visit The world of the Dutch East India Company exhibition.The lectures will be in English and admission is free. Please register beforehand: www.gahetna.nl/rethinkingvoc.