763 Allard Pierson letters online
The man Allard Pierson (1831–1896) may not immediately strike a chord with everyone, despite the national recognition of the Amsterdam museum that bears his name. Yet Pierson was a provocative Dutch intellectual who played a significant role in religious, philosophical and literary life in the Netherlands in the late nineteenth century.
A selection of 763 letters from his correspondence is now available online through the Allard Pierson Project, complete with images of the originals and searchable transcriptions. Over the coming years, more than 1,200 additional letters will be added, including those addressed to his father, wife, and friend Adriaan Gildemeester.
‘Your most humble servant, Allard Pierson’
Allard Pierson was modern and open-minded. He believed that scientific discoveries would contribute to a better and humane world. He left behind more than 2,000 letters to contemporaries including theologians, writers and politicians. His correspondence offers a unique insight into the intellectual and religious debates of his era.
The Allard Pierson Project is led by Dr Jan Prins at the NL-Lab, a collaboration between the Meertens Institute and the Huygens Institute under the umbrella of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. NL-Lab conducts research into Dutch culture and identity, past and present, using both traditional and digital methods.
