Dutch Approaches to Pluralist and Engaged Historiography in Geography

Kameetve van Muier

doi:10.33581/istoriya.v7i3.101

Authors

Kameetve van Muier Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Geosciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33581/istoriya.v7i3.101

Keywords:

engaged pluralism, historiography of geography, Dutch geography, encyclopaedic approach, scientific communication, disciplinary traditions, Marcus Heslinga, Andries Kouwenhoven

Abstract

This article examines the development of a distinctive Dutch contribution to the historiography of geography, focusing on the “encyclopaedic approach” formulated at the Free University of Amsterdam between 1961 and 1987 by Marcus Heslinga and Andries Kouwenhoven. The study situates this approach within broader disciplinary concerns about the fragmentation of geography and the appeal for an “engaged pluralism” capable of bridging conceptual, methodological, and institutional divides. To meet the journal’s structural format, the paper reconstructs the methodological foundations of the Dutch historiographical tradition by outlining its analytical principles, particularly its emphasis on formal and material objects of geography, conceptual mapping, and the role of scientific communication networks. The results highlight how the Dutch case shaped by long-standing rivalries between geographical schools, borderland intellectual influences, and post-war institutional expansion generated a pluralistic framework that accommodates diversity without disintegration. The discussion demonstrates that the encyclopaedic approach provides a model for contemporary historiography by promoting dialogue, shared intellectual genealogies, and the spatial contextualization of knowledge production. The article concludes that reassessing these Dutch contributions enriches ongoing efforts to cultivate a more connected and reflective geographical discipline. This reframed analysis underscores the relevance of historiographical methods for sustaining the discipline’s coherence and for informing renewed attempts to integrate its varied subfields.

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