Friday 7 November 2025
Symposium Safety at Sea
On Friday, 7 November 2025, the nineteenth symposium of the Maritime Portal and the New Maritime History of the Netherlands will take place in Den Helder. This year’s theme is maritime safety. The symposium is organised in collaboration with the Dutch Association for Maritime History. The afternoon chair will be Anita van Dissel (Leiden University). Gerhard de Kok of the Huygens Institute will provide an update on the Maritime Sources Network.
Location: De Dukdalf/MBSOV, followed by drinks on board the ram tower ship Schorpioen (Naval Museum Den Helder).
Programme
10.30–12.00 – General Meeting of Members of the Dutch Maritime History Association
13.00–13.30 – Reception with coffee/tea
13.30–13.40 – Welcome speech: Leon Homburg (Naval Museum)
13:40–14:10 – Improving safety at sea in the near future – technological developments
Bas Buchner (Nederland Maritiem Land)
14:10–14:30 – The Return of the Privateer – private security and warfare at sea
Pieter Zhao (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
14:30–14:50 – Policy versus practice: quarantine in the Netherlands and its colonies (1864–1928)
Eileen van der Burgh (Leiden University)
14:50–15:15 – Break
15:15–15:30 – Maritime Sources Network update
Gerhard de Kok (Huygens Institute – KNAW)
15.30–15.55 – Buys Ballot’s storm warnings
Dirk van Delft (Leiden University)
15.55–16.30 – The navy of yesterday, today and tomorrow
Frans Rotteveel Mansveld (Royal Netherlands Navy)
16.45–17.45 – Drinks on the ram ship Schorpioen
About the Maritime Portal
The Maritime Portal offers a single point of access to information about the maritime history of the Netherlands, past, present and future. The website makes organisations, collections and sources visible and accessible to researchers and a broad interested public.
Registration
Please register before Thursday 30 October 2025 using the registration form. Or contact Marja de Keuning. Participation in the afternoon programme is free of charge.
The difficult passage, comic strip (Gordinne, 1894-1959). Sheet with 10 illustrations about a young sailor who manages to hold his own during a storm at sea. Collection of the Rijksmuseum.