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Collection of letters on Dutch history and especially on contemporary Dutch political organisation during the Napoleon years
[STRICK VAN LINSCHOTEN, P.H.A.J.].Vertraute Briefe während eines Durchflugs durch einen Theil der nördlichen Provinzen der Königreichs der Niederlande, im Sommer des Jahres 1817, in topographischer, historischer politischer, literärischer und religiöser Hinsicht, an einen Freund geschrieven von Eleutherophilas.    Germania (= Mannheim, Schwann & Görres), 1818. 3 vols. Small 8vo. Contemporary half calf, spines gilt with orange title-labels. With 3 engraved calligraphed titles. XXII, 359, (5); VIII, 397, (3); XXVI, 434, (2) pp. Rare and interesting collection of letters on Dutch history and especially on contemporary Dutch political organisation, economy and cultural life, written under the disguise of an interested democratic German traveller to a friend in Berlin by a Dutch nobleman, Paulus Hubert Adriaan Jan Strick van Linschoten (1769-1819). Strick van Linschoten had been a member of the first National Assembly of the Batavian Republic and ambassador for the Republic at Wurtemberg in Germany. Here he had met and made friends with most of the prominent German poets and scholars, offering his services to the Prussian government. Recalled after the Netherlands became part of the Napoleon Empire he withdrew on his family-estate near Utrecht, refusing all posts and honours offered him by King Louis Napoleon. In 1807 he was appointed chamberlain by the King of Prussia and in 1808 when the Netherlands were incorporated into France he left to live in Germany and settled at Mannheim. To judge from his correspondance the author still was an ardent democratic liberal and must have taken an interested part in the Prussian democratic movement around Goethe, Grimm, Stein, Görres a.o., writing his travelbook through the Netherlands for his German friends as something of a historical lesson. The first two volumes contain the travelbook proper, the letters minutely describing the author's observations and political-historical and economic reminicencies during his voyage through the Netherlands, from Enschede to Deventer, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leyden, the Hague and Scheveningen, Delft, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Gorinchem, with an excursion to Loevesteyn, Utrecht again, at which point the author inserted an extensive history of the Utrecht bishopry and its relation with Holland from the Middle-Ages to the present time, Tiel, Nijmegen, and crossing the border into Germany at Cleve. From Germany the author then presents to his Berlin friend in long letters, taking up almost the entire third volume, a general survey of the political history of the Netherlands since the French Revolution, the founding of the new kingdom of the Netherlands, enlarged with Belgium, followed by minute descriptions of its organisation in all aspects and at all levels, from the state's constitution to the village community, relating to government, the navy and army, law, finances, trade and commerce, religion, education, etc., etc. The last letter, the 60th, is sent from Coblenz, October 10, 1817. It contains a sketch of the Dutch national character and the author's announcement that he will be home soon. Probably our traveller went home, to Berlin, by way of Coblenz to take part in the action of the German liberals' address to the "Bundestag", instigated by Joseph von Görres who lived at Coblenz, and planned to be signed on October 18th all over Germany. All in all a highly interesting travelbook, the profits of which to his German friends is not to be defined, but the reaction to which in the Netherlands was far from favourable, especially at that time. Strick van Linschoten was felt to have hung out the dirty linen of his home-country, and the well-known bookseller Johan Müller refused to have the travelbook in his shop, while in 1821 Minister van Maanen successfully stopped the book from being translated in Dutch. The first Dutch edition only appeared in 1855-1856. For Germany the book must be a highly interesting document for the history of the German "Vormärz". Good copy.- (Bindings sl. rubbed; small library stamp at bottom of titles).
Jacobsen-Jensen 254; Bodel Nijenhuis 235.
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All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included.
Free shipping for orders over € 2,500. EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.
Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale
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