The bicentennial of '1813-1815' and national history writing: remarks on a new consensus

In this article the problem of (dis)continuity after 1815 is addressed from the perspective of the Northern Netherlands. First, the contemporary view is examined. Because of the impossibility of finding a useful national past, the United Kingdom was founded on a promise for future. Secondly, the perspective shifts to the bicentennial of 1813-1815. The article argues that the bicentennial saw the establishment of a new historiographical consensus: the formerly ignored Batavian revolution is now firmly incorporated in the national historical narrative of ‘1813’. Nevertheless, many subjects such as the Napoleonic era, the interaction between social and political history, conservatism and the security state still deserve further research. De tweehonderdjarige herdenking van ‘1813-1815’ en de nationale geschiedschrijving.