‘Poor Relief in the Dutch Republic and the Case of Berkel en Rodenrijs, 1745-1812’

Abstract

During the early modern period the poor relief systems of the Dutch Republic were the most elaborate and generous forms of poor relief found anywhere in the world. Poor relief in the Dutch Republic was provided by a myriad of different organizations including churches, civic governments, guilds, private institutions of poor relief, and semi-public administrative boards. Although civic governments played an important role in the provision of poor relief, it remained a limited role and civic governments preferred to delegate responsibility over poor relief to existing institutions. Provincial governments, aside from Friesland, and the national government of the Dutch Republic played even less of a role in the provision of poor relief. The Dutch Republic resisted most attempts at centralized control over poor relief, even as other cities and eventually countries in Europe reformed their own poor relief systems to come under state control.

According to the influential theorist, Abram de Swaan, this lack of centralization should have resulted in a complete collapse of Dutch poor relief systems. However, as later scholars have argued, Dutch poor relief systems thrived and survived without coming under direct state control until the 20th century. In light of the failure of De Swaan’s model, alternative models of poor relief in the Dutch Republic have been proposed, but a universally accepted theory has not yet emerged, partially as a result of several insufficiently studied themes in poor relief in the Dutch Republic.

One of these themes is the experience of poor relief in rural areas. In an attempt to contribute to the field, this thesis will conduct a case study on poor relief in the village of Berkel en Rodenrijs during the crisis period at the end of the 18th century that eventually resulted in the collapse of the Dutch Republic. Despite extreme pressure, and contrary to De Swaan’s predictions, the poor relief system of Berkel en Rodenrijs seems to have survived the chaos.