UHSK - English

Dear UHSK Members, 

Every year, in honor of our honorary member Hermann von der Dunk (1928 - 2018), the UHSK organizes the Von der Dunk Lecture. This year's lecture will be on Oral History: Passing on Stories of Conflicts and War. Oral history offers a deeper understanding of human experience, reveals detailed nuances and acts as an educational tool for future generations, making it a valuable historical resource. Through this lecture, our speakers, Dr. Esther Captain, Dr. Susan Hogervorst and Dr. Lennart Bolliger hope to highlight the importance of the oral history method in relation to the memory of war and conflict. The lecture will take place on May 28th, from 19:30 to 22:30. The lecture will take place in the Senaatszaal of the Academiegebouw.  The walk-in will be held in the Maskeradezaal, in the Academiegebouw at 19:30.

Register now, and see you then! 

Love,

The 98th board

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Our Speakers

Dr. Esther Captain: Oral history can be useful to unpack vernacular memories: voices of those who are not automatically included in the public domain. In my lecture, I will focus on the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies and the subsequent Indonesian Revolution. Two oral history collections will be discussed: the KomMissieMemories (KMM) of Catholic Documentation Centre in Nijmegen and interviews that I conducted myself for the book Indië, een verre oorlog van dichtbij. Herinneringen van vrouwen in bezet Nederlands-Indië (1995). Derived from my own experiences as a historian, the creation of new sources, methodology, responsibility will be part of my talk.

Dr. Susan Hogervorst: Oral history - mondelinge geschiedenis - has become increasingly popular in recent years. New stories are being collected or published online every day, and archives and museums often see oral history as a welcome because “more inclusive” addition to their collections. Yet oral history is not part of the standard methods curriculum when studying history in the Netherlands, even at teacher training colleges. Using her own research practice, Dr. Susan Hogervorst explains why historians usually find it difficult when their sources talk back, but why we should actually all be oral historians.   

Dr. Lennart Bolliger: In my lecture, I will reflect on some of the challenges of conducting oral history interviews with former combatants. More specifically, I will share some personal experiences of interviewing former members of apartheid South Africa’s security forces. In the 1970s and 1980s, these soldiers fought against liberation movements in Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. Some of the challenges I will discuss are: how one’s own background shapes the interview; the narratives that interviewees tap into; and emotionally connecting with deeply racist and violent men.  
 

Time schedule

19:30-20:10: Walk-in - Maskeradezaal

20:10-20:20: Opening speech Jasmijn Cox - Senaatszaal

20:25-21:05: Lecture by Dr. Esther Captain

21:05-21:45: Lecture Dr. Susan Hogervorst

21:45-22:25: Lecture Dr. Lennart Bolliger

22:25-22:30: Final speech Jasmijn Cox