Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland
Encyclopedia
The Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland (BWN) is a Dutch
biographical dictionary
, in which short biographies of well-known and less well-known but still notable Dutch people
are listed.
The BWN is the successor to the Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek
(NNBW) that was published between 1911 and 1937 in ten parts. This work only included people who died before 1910.
In 1971, historian I. Schöffer from Leiden
took the initiative for a continuation. The first part of the BWN was published in 1979. The sixth and last part was published in 2009.
The biographies in the BWN were written by many different authors. Since 2002 all biographies are available for free online at the Institution for Dutch History, based in The Hague
.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
biographical dictionary
Biographical dictionary
Biographical dictionaries – a type of encyclopedic dictionary limited to biographical information – have been written in many languages. Many attempt to cover the major personalities of a country...
, in which short biographies of well-known and less well-known but still notable Dutch people
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
are listed.
The BWN is the successor to the Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek
Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek
The Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek is a biographical reference work in the Dutch language. It has been succeeded by the Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland....
(NNBW) that was published between 1911 and 1937 in ten parts. This work only included people who died before 1910.
In 1971, historian I. Schöffer from Leiden
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
took the initiative for a continuation. The first part of the BWN was published in 1979. The sixth and last part was published in 2009.
The biographies in the BWN were written by many different authors. Since 2002 all biographies are available for free online at the Institution for Dutch History, based in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.