DUTCH AT BERKELEY

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The Dutch Studies Program was introduced as a permanent curriculum in the Department of German in autumn 1966. Because the Berkeley campus already had strong offerings in Dutch history, art history, and colonial studies, the introduction of Dutch language and literature was the final step in completing a rounded interdisciplinary curriculum in Dutch Studies.

With the introduction of the Princess (now Queen) Beatrix Chair of Dutch Language, Literature & Culture in 1971, endowed by the Netherlands government, a degree Program in Dutch studies was launched, eventually leading to Bachelor's and Master's degrees, marking Berkeley unique among American universities. The first incumbent of the chair was Professor Johan Snapper, he was succeeded by Ernst van Alphen in 2005. Presently, Jeroen Dewulf holds the position.

In the last thirty years the library holdings in Dutch studies have increased to over 125,000 volumes, making Berkeley's Dutch collection the richest of any American university. In 1982 a second endowed chair was introduced, the so-called Peter Paul Rubens Chair for the History and Culture of the Low Countries. It was the first Flemish chair endowed in the United States by the government of the Flemish Community in Belgium. This enrichment of the Dutch Studies Program allowed a significant expansion of its course offerings by the annual appointment of outstanding faculty from Flemish universities as visiting professor for a semester. Participating universities are Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Hasselt and Leuven. Special agreements enable Master-students and/or fellows from UC Berkeley to do research at the Flemish Universities participating at the Rubens Project.

Besides the addition of the Peter Paul Rubens visiting faculty in a wide range of academic disciplines (literature, linguistics, history, art history, sociology, comparative literature, sociology, dramatic arts, cognitive science, ethnomusicology, journalism, etc.), the Low Countries have provided regular appointments of Dutch writers and artists who complemented existing course offerings. Writers such as Harry Mulisch, Cees Nooteboom, Gerrit Kouwenaar, Esther Jansma, Marga Minco, Bert Schierbeek, Renate Dorrestein, Hugo Brandt Corstius, Leon de Winter, Jessica Durlacher and many others have been actively engaged in the Dutch Studies program. Representatives of film and stage, such as Hans Croisset, Agaath Wittemans, and Tine Ruysschaert have lent further energy and excitement to a truly interdisciplinary program.