De toekomst van historisch Nederlands is internationaal

This article assesses the status of academic education in historical Dutch sources and current research projects in Dutch archives, both within the Dutch speaking countries and worldwide. It stresses the global relevance of historical Dutch sources, and the various and divergent questions that international scholars may have to Dutch language sources. It signals the paradox that due to digitization projects Dutch sources are more accessible than ever, sometimes with better search options, while on the other hand there is growing need among students and scholars to read and understand the texts they are finding. Finally, the article sketches academic initiatives, supported by the Taalunie, to help and to facilitate, online and offline, the global community of historical Dutch sources research.