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History of Communication Science in the Netherlands
Amsterdam School of Communication Research / ASCoR
This page serves as a platform for contributions about the history of Communication Science in the Netherlands.
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 Ginnekenis 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.
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).
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.
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