Grand Départ

This article is about Dutch historiography in sports history. What developments, debates, and controversies characterise this historiography? What is the meaning of foreign and interdisciplinary developments for this field of history? And, finally, where is Dutch historiography to be situated? Until recently Dutch sports historiography, publications, and academic structures were dominated by behavioural sciences. Dutch historians have only recently been catching up with international developments in the field, although much work still needs to be done. Several research programs have been set up, and a national network of sports historians has emerged. A central feature in international contemporary sports history, the significance of the cultural turn, is also taken into account in recent Dutch publications and research projects.