UvA historians worked as ‘fact checkers’ for TV programme The Story of Amsterdam
Was there a well-stocked bookcase in the study of every medieval nobleman? Without the historical fact-checkers from the University of Amsterdam, viewers of The Story of the Netherlands - Amsterdam might have mistakenly answered that question with yes. UvA Historians Frans Camphuijsen and Jouke Turpijn talk about their participation in the show.
Dutch actor Daan Schuurmans, who moves through historical drama scenes as an omniscient narrator, takes the viewer by the hand through history. That is the formula for the television programme Het verhaal van Nederland (The Story of the Netherlands, red). In the show experts are also telling stories from their field of expertise. After the history of the Netherlands and that of the House of Oranje-Nassau having already been covered by the TV programme in recent years, it is now Amsterdam’s turn. In honour of the 750th anniversary of the capital, the four-part series uncovers the highs and lows of Amsterdam’s past. UvA historians Frans Camphuijsen and Jouke Turpijn contributed to the programme.
The story begins, as is well known, in 1275. This is the area of Frans Camphuijsen, who specialises in medieval history. “I was initially called to comment on the script,” he says. “For example, in the original script there was a huge bookcase somewhere, to decorate the office of some count or duke. But books were incredibly expensive in that period, even the largest libraries of the time only held a few thousand books. A wall full of books like that is a kind of nineteenth-century fantasy of the Middle Ages, so bookcase did not make it in the final episode. So I acted as a kind of historical fact-checker. Later it turned out that they thought my head was medieval enough to allow me to appear as an expert inbetween the scenes in the first episode as well.”
Middle Ages
The fact that an entire episode was devoted to Amsterdam's medieval past is, according to Camphuijsen, symbolic of an enormous modernisation in the historiography of the city. “What we used to call the Golden Age has always absorbed an incredible amount of attention, as a result of which we missed out on an important prehistory that is also very interesting in itself.”
A characteristic development from that time that, according to Camphuijsen, had never before reached the general public so emphatically, is that of building on stilts. “In the series you see how a master builder struggles with the construction of a small church because Amsterdam was located in the middle of a swamp. Then he sees two girls standing on a wooden peg that has been driven into the ground, and realises that these poles can be used to build stably on marshy ground. That scene makes such a fundamental development very concrete. Without those poles, Amsterdam could never have been built.”
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One hundred percent accurate
For the later episodes, the makers of the series, which is told in chronological order, contacted historian Jouke Turpijn. He specialises in the political and cultural history of the Netherlands over the last two centuries. “The whole process began two years ago when I was asked to contribute ideas about the storylines and scenarios that would be used in the series. The editors came to me with a story and, just like Frans Camphuijsen, I went through everything to see if it was all correct,” he says.
Dramatised history is never one hundred percent accurate, of course. That makes sense, according to Turpijn, and moreover, the stories do not all have to be strictly accurate, he explains. “It is impossible to know for sure exactly how things went, especially with older history. Of course, it also involves fictional characters, so it doesn't have to be one hundred percent factual. Ultimately, they are fictionalised stories, but they are set in a realistic context. So nothing crazy is supposed to happen. That is why it is good that the collaborating historians were sometimes able to add some nuance.”
A lot has been said and written about the history of Amsterdam over the years. Yet, according to Turpijn, the programme makers have succeeded in telling the lesser-known stories as well. “Of course, not everything can be covered in four episodes, but I find the storylines the editors have chosen very interesting. Within my own expertise, for example, I have been able to discuss a number of topics that are not normally discussed. The fourth episode, for example, begins with one of the most outrageous events of the twentieth century: Holocaust victims who had returned to their homes could no longer live in their old houses because they had been sold. From there, a direct line can be drawn to the protest culture of the 60s and 70s, which is also discussed in the series.”
Philanthropists
Various less common subjects have been discussed, says Turpijn. “It is very interesting that the editors have chosen the nineteenth century as their subject. Some people may be familiar with the story of philanthropists such as Samuel Sarphati and Piet van Eeghen who fought against poverty, but the conviction that drove their actions and the impact they had on the lives of Amsterdam residents have been overlooked. We know them in terms of ‘powerful men’ and ‘great deeds’, but they also really meant a lot to the city’s residents at the time. By adding an element of drama, you can show that storyline, and that perspective becomes much more accessible.”
The episodes of The Story of the Netherlands – Amsterdam can be seen on NPO 1 the next three Wednesdays at 8:25 p.m. All four episodes can be watched in advance via the NPO Start website.
An important conclusion after watching the series, according to Turpijn, is that it is anything but obvious that Amsterdam has become what it is today. “It could all have turned out very differently, and the perspective of passers-by is particularly interesting in this respect,” he says. “Amsterdam has always been a city where people came from faraway places, and the city was built on that migration. The series does a good job of capturing the city’s diversity. Minorities have always played a central role, including in the stories that you don’t find in the canon of Amsterdam. Take the Jewish background of Sarphati, the Holocaust victim who married an Indonesian man, or the subcultures of the squatters and the queer community. The history of Amsterdam appears to be more diverse than expected.”
