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History of Communication Science in the Netherlands

Amsterdam School of Communication Research / ASCoR

The history page currently comprises two contributions. The article by prof. dr. Joan Hemels gives an overiview of the history of Communication Science in the Netherlands, while the publication by dr. Jaap van Ginneken is a biography of the life and work of pioneer Kurt Baschwitz. If you'd like to contribute to this page, please contact the ASCoR secretariat.

  • The History of Communication Science in The Netherlands

    Prof dr. Joan Hemels wrote a concise history of Communication Science in The Netherlands, covering its pioneers, its institutionalisation and recognition as a science.

  • Kurt Baschwitz - Pioneer of Communication Science
    Kurt Baschwitz in 1966

    Kurt Baschwitz (1886-1968) fled to Amsterdam immediately after Hitler came to power in 1933. He was nominated 'private lecturer' on the press in 1935, which was part of at the History Section of the Faculty for Literature and Philosophy at the time. From 1936-1937 onward, he created a press nucleus at the newly founded International Institute of Social History. In 1940, the German occupier imposed his dismissal as a Jew. Upon the liberation of the Netherlands, he was reinstated. In 1945 as a 'private lecturer', in 1946 as an ordinary lecturer, and as professor in 1948. He retired in phases between 1957 and 1959.

    In 2017 dr. Jaap van Ginneken published his biography ‘Kurt Baschwitz – A Pioneer of Communication Studies and Social Psychology’ (AUP), followed in 2018 by the abbreviated Dutch version 'Kurt Baschwitz – Peetvader van journalistiek en communicatie' (AMB).

    A year after the publication of the book, an open access pdf version of the biography has been made available in English.

    ASCoR is pleased that dr. van Ginneken was kind enough to share the notes and documents he used in preparation of writing the biography, as they might be useful for future researchers. Download the Baschwitz files here.

Please note: the content of these contributions is not necessarily authored by ASCoR or members of ASCoR. ASCoR cannot take credit or responsibility for the content of the contributions.