Royal Netherlands Geographical Society

The Royal Dutch Geographical Society, Koninklijk Nederlandsch Aardrijkskundig Genootschap (KNAG) is an association in the Netherlands for geographers and for those connected with the field geography.

The society supports its members with information, activities and services. The membership consists of teachers and pupils and carries out research, publishes and engages in expeditions. The society also loans items to libraries and museums.

History

The society was founded in 1873 in imitation of similar groups other the major European countries, such as France (1821: Société de Géographie de Paris), England (1830: Royal Geographical Society), Germany (Berlin, 1828, 1836 Frankfurt, Munich, 1869, Bremen 1870 Hamburg, 1873, Leipzig 1861), Russia (St. Petersburg] 1845). The society's first president was P.J. Veth.

A sister association in Belgium (Antwerp and Brussels) was founded in 1876. At that time the meaning of the Netherlands was as political and economic power have only been a fraction of what they were before. Dissatisfaction over there (the Dutch were a proud people become the Golden Age) to include merchants and scientists was a key driver. But the attractiveness of finding rich resources, especially in the then largely unexplored outer regions of the colonies was an underlying cause for the development of Dutch Geographical Society. This thought has to be seen in the then prevailing spirit of imperialism and colonialism, the "enlightened" Europeans a 'virgin' and 'savage' landscape with ditto peoples could convert into a usable civilization. This was generally found to justify such expeditions, sometimes with far-reaching consequences for the local population and area in the long term run. The time when the organization was founded (1873 Pieter Johannes Veth first president) is also referred to as "the great momentum" because of the enormous dynamism that the discipline Geography mainly by socially made.

The organization was at that time quite modern, practical and social intent. The organization that until 1888 "Geographical Society" was called, organized since 1877 numerous expeditions to mostly Dutch colonial places such as the numerous islands of the archipelago of the Dutch East Indies and the interior of Suriname and Borneo (see the expeditions by dr. Anton Willem Nieuwenhuis). This colonial territories were largely often no more than a number of administrative posts on the coast, from where trade was operated by tribes from the interior. The interior had hardly been mapped and were often referred to as "white spots". Expeditions were also conducted on the areas of Dutch farmers in the interior of South Africa and the indigenous peoples (then called Indians) of North America. These expeditions were often set up in collaboration with the colonial and colonial business organizations such as the Society for the Promotion of Scientific Research of the Dutch Colonies (MNK) and the Association for Suriname and there were often years of preparation. Usually such an expedition consisted of scientists from different disciplines, a photographer and a naval officer. The military escort increased as more hostilities were found in front of members of the expedition by local indigenous residents.

Organization

KNAG currently consists of about 3,300 members. The organization publishes two magazines:

Journal of Economic and Social Geography (English, international scientific journal) Geography (Professional magazine for Dutch Geographers) The organization also has an extensive collection of maps (almost 135,000) and atlases (4,500). This collection is preserved since 1880 in the Library of the University of Amsterdam and contains material from the 16th century.

Expeditions

KNAG Pole Expedition, 1882-1883

Not only the colonies were visited. Then in the second half of the nineteenth century, several European countries found some expeditions to the Arctic sins that the Netherlands could not stay behind. Within the Geographical Society a huge lobby was set to launch a Dutch expedition. During meetings held men Koolemans Beijnen and Marin Jansen speeches, while in the Journal of the Society appeared spirited speeches. [1] Although some disagreements between the organizing committee and the AG were launched last still a national collection, which raised enough money to build a schooner and equip. In 1878 Willem Barents went first northwards, to explore under the leadership of Lieutenant Anthony Hubers Svalbard, Jan Mayen and the west coast of Novaya Zemlya. In 1882, the AG would support another expedition, and that the scientific enterprise within the framework of the International Polar Year, the Dutch polar expedition 1882-83.

The members of the organization were not just scientists. The political elite also (ministers, MPs and (former) governor-generals of the Dutch East Indies) and commercial elite (bank managers, factory owners, ship owners and captains of the merchant) were members. The economic but also political interests were big. If an expedition data had an area could be set both routes for the movement, for example, coal or bauxite, but also regions could be placed under effective political governance, which were previously controlled only nominally.

The expedition ended in 1959 with the Star Mountains Expedition in Dutch New Guinea, where the last unknown area map was brought and the Juliana Summit (now Puncak Mandala) was climbed.

The intertwining of economic interests was some scientists in the Netherlands, as did other countries, an eyesore and over time these scientists set up their own organizations. In the Netherlands were the Association for Economic Geography (1909; first magazine for economic geography of the world) and the Geographical Circle (1917; later Geographic Society).

1960s - present

In the 60s turned the tide for all organizations. They became ashamed of its colonial past under the influence of the changing society. The main colonies were independent (Dutch East Indies in 1949, Dutch New Guinea became part of Indonesia in 1962) and the expeditions were stopped. In 1967 headed the Association for Economic Geography and Geographic Society in KNAG 'new style'. The economic backdrop was gone and the organization has since focused science in all areas of geography and geography teaching in secondary schools. At the 130th anniversary in 2003 with an exhibition at the Tropical Museum and a corresponding publication looks back at the history of the expedition organization. In 2005 gives the society together with the Dutch Institute for Military History of the Great Atlas of the Netherlands (1930-1950) off.

References

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