In 1995 the interdisciplinary Research Group 'The Republic and Europe, 1550-1800' of the Faculty of Arts at Leiden University organized the international conference The North Sea and Culture in Early Modern History in cooperation with representatives of the International Institute of Social History (IISG) in Amsterdam and the Faculty of Arts at Utrecht University. The central question of the conference was whether a cultural unity existed in the North Sea area in the Early Modern Period analogous to the one Ferdinand Braudel defined for the Mediterranean. Results pointing towards a North Sea culture can often be found in scientific literature dealing with subjects including the spread of protestant religion, migration patterns, the organization of civil and family life, law, eating habits, the spread of northern renaissance art and architecture, child education, and literacy, but the topic itself has never been a serious point of debate. Specialists from the countries surrounding the North Sea were confronted with this question, resulting in clear indications that the concept of a North Sea culture in the period from 1550 to 1800 is in fact valid. This book contains most of the papers presented during the conference; the conclusion summarizes the results and conclusions of two days of lively discussions on 'North Sea Culture'.
Contents: I The North Sea 1550-1800, a cultural unity?: W. BLOCKMANS/L. HEERMAN VAN VOSS, Urban networks and emerging states in the North Sea and Baltic Areas: a maritime culture? L. HEERMA VAN VOSS, North Sea culture, 1500-1800 O.S. KNOTTNERUS, Structural characteristics of coastal societies: some considerations on the history of the North Sea coastal marshes E. LORD, Reading the landscape: the moral, political and cultural construction of the North Sea landscape in the Early Modern Period J.L. PRICE, Regional identity and European culture: the North Sea region in de Early Modern Period J.G. RODING, The North Sea coasts, an architectural unity? II The North Sea as a source of income: P. HOLM, South Scandinavian fisheries in the sixteenth century: the Dutch connection J.TH. THÓR, Foreign fisheries off Iceland, c. 1400-1800 I. VISSER, The prison tower at Flushing. Its role in the urban development of an important North Sea harbour A.P. VAN VLIET, The influence of Dunkirk privateering on the North Sea (herring) fishery during the years 1580-1650 III The North Sea as a crossroad for people: J. LUCASSEN, The North Sea: a cross-road for migrants? S. SOGNER, Popular contacts between Norway and the Netherlands in the Early Modern Period IV The North Sea as a crossroad for trade: M.A. EBBEN, Portuguese financiers and the Spanish Crown in the North Sea area in the first half of the seventeenth century V. ENTHOVEN, The last straw. Trade contacts along the North Sea coast: the Scottish staple at Veere M. GULDBERG, Danish proto-industrial peasants. The North Sea and culture: seventeenth to nineteenth century D. KRAACK, Flensburg, an early modern centre of trade. The autobiographical writings of Peter Hansen Hajstrup (1624-1672) V The North Sea as a crossroad for religion: W.J. OP 'T HOF, Piety in the wake of trade. The North Sea as an intermediary of Reformed piety up to 1700 R.A. HOUSTON, The Scots kirk, Rotterdam, 1643-1795: a Dutch or Scottish church? VI The North Sea as a crossroad for culture. a. Scotland and the Netherlands: D.D. ALDRIDGE, The Lauerdales and the Dutch J. LLOYD WILLIAMS, The import of art: the taste for northern European goods in Scotland in the seventeenth century b. England and the Netherlands: T. HOENSELAARS/W. ABRAHAMSE, Theodore Rodenburgh and English Studies CHR. BROWN, Artistic relations between Britain and the Low Countries (1532-1632) A. MOORE, The evidence for artistic contact between Norfolk and the Netherlands 1500-1800 B. RANG, Letters across the North Sea: a Dutch source of John Locke's letters concerning education R. RASCH, Estienne Roger and John Walsh: patterns of competition between early-18th-century Dutch and English music publishing B. WESTERWEEL, Francis Quarles and the Netherlands c. The Netherlands and Northern Germany: R. STENVERT, Conveyed by land, returned by ship: mannerism and sandstone d. The Netherlands and Denmark, Sweden: C. BORDEWIJK, Strolling players along the North Sea coasts A. TJADEN, Maarten Jansz. Coster of Amsterdam (1511-1592): a sixteenth-century physician VII The End of the North Sea Culture: R. DETTINGMEIJER, Th emergence of the bathing culture marks the end of the North Sea as a common culture ground Conclusion About the authors Index