The Economisch-Historisch Jaarboek, launched by Nicolaas Wilhelmus Posthumus in 1915, established a new empirical standard for preserving Dutch merchant records. Beyond his contributions as an economic historian, jurist, and archivist, Posthumus spent his career anchoring the academic infrastructure of the Netherlands, founding key institutions while navigating the volatile political landscape of the mid-20th century.
Academic Foundations and Scholarly Contributions
Born in Amsterdam in 1880, Posthumus pursued studies at the University of Amsterdam, earning a Doctorate of Public Sciences in 1908. His early career included teaching economics and trade law at the municipal trade school in Amsterdam before he secured a professorship of economic history at the Netherlands School of Commerce in Rotterdam in 1913. Between 1918 and 1919, he served as rector magnificus at the same institution. His scholarly output was significant, particularly his exhaustive study, Inquiry into the History of Prices in Holland, which analyzed market prices and exchange rates in Amsterdam from the 16th century through the First World War.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Institutional Development and Preservation
Posthumus acted as a prolific founder of academic bodies. In 1932, he established the Economic Historical Library. Three years later, he founded the International Institute of Social History to protect socialist documentation from emerging Nazi influence. His administrative roles spanned decades, including a tenure as chairman of the Dutch Economic Historical Archive and a period directing the scientific publishing house Brill from 1946 to 1958. His work earned him membership in the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten.
Wartime Resistance and Humanitarian Recognition
During the German occupation of the Netherlands, Posthumus faced professional dismissal in 1942, but he continued his efforts in the resistance. Alongside his second wife, Willemijn van der Goot, he facilitated the relocation of Jewish children to foster families. Between 1943 and 1945, the couple provided direct shelter to a child named Bertha Eveline Koster within their own home. In 2008, Yad Vashem posthumously awarded Posthumus, Van der Goot, and her sister, Diaz-van der Goot, the title of Righteous Among the Nations for these actions.
Fast facts
- Born: 26 February 1880, Amsterdam
- Died: 18 April 1960, Bussum
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Primary Occupation: Economic Historian
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (2008)
- Alma Mater: University of Amsterdam
- Notable Work: Inquiry into the History of Prices in Holland
- Founder: International Institute of Social History
Questions readers ask
What was the N.W. Posthumus Instituut?
It is a graduate research facility in economics founded in 1988 at the University of Groningen to honor his contributions to the field.
Why was Posthumus dismissed from the University of Amsterdam in 1942?
He was removed by the government of the occupied Netherlands during the Nazi occupation.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 2008
- Worked as economist, economic historian and historian
- Educated at University of Amsterdam
