https://thesis.eur.nl/col/7038/ List of Publications en https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74603/ Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Hoekstra, Gijs</div> The integration of Mediterranean migrants in Dutch society has received significant scholarly attention, but it has rarely been approached from a bottom-up perspective. This is especially true for migrants in Rotterdam. In this thesis I have partly filled this gap by applying a qualitative analysis to primary sources that reflect migrants’ own experiences. My aim has been to analyse migrants’ social lives to see to what extend their lives overlapped with Dutch society and how (and why) this changed during their stay (and in some cases settlement). I have done so by focusing specifically on Mediterranean migrants that worked in the Rotterdam port, mainly because the port industries were one of the biggest employers. An implicit question that my thesis poses is whether this bottom-up perspective leads to different conclusions than those drawn in earlier historical works on Mediterranean migrants’ integration. The short answer to this is: not necessarily. The general conclusions that I make are the same as those presented in earlier works. Namely, the social lives of migrants became more ‘parallel’ to Dutch people from the 1970s onward. Consistently high recruitment numbers followed by an economic crisis – which hit port industries especially hard – made migrants’ stay more difficult. Their social lives in part turned inward as a protective measure to rising discrimination, but also because this was promoted by failing Dutch policy aimed at helping migrants integrate. However, the bottom-up approach has allowed for more nuance: it shows that there are cases of continuity between the 1960s (the period of early settlement) and the 1970s. The resulting image of migrants’ social lives is more diverse, shows that migrants were not unwilling to integrate and that their lives were never fully ‘parallel’. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74612/ Sat, 24 Jun 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Nouwen, Tom</div><div>Jacobs, E.</div> The first part of this thesis analyses the imageries of Dutch shipping posters that share a link with the Dutch East Indies and were created in the period 1870-1940. This link was either expressed visually – the imagery depicts colonial life in the Dutch East Indies – or by alluding to the colony, in which case the imagery does not depict the colony, but the relationship is made clear in other ways, for example through textual elements. The set of primary sources that forms the base of this research is a set of 39 shipping posters, from the collection of the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. The set includes posters from Dutch shipping companies that were active in the Dutch East Indies: the Rotterdamsche Lloyd, the Stoomvaart-Maatschappij Nederland, the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij and the Java-China-Japan Lijn. The aim is to reveal why these companies advertised with posters and what factors determined their imagery. This research has revealed a common thread in the imageries of Dutch shipping posters with a link to the Dutch East Indies, which is; the combination of underlying commercial messages of the companies and whatever was popular amongst the public. These commercial messages – which could be hidden for the receiver – mostly focussed on placing the shipping company in a positive light, for example by hinting at; a high standard, safety, the speed and/or relaxation of the journey and the power and technological prowess of the ocean liners. To attract as much gazes as possible, the posters also often reflected the trends that were popular amongst the targeted public. Which is why the art styles of these posters shift in accordance with the changing tastes of the Western public, but also why the colonial aspects in these posters were heavily romanticized. In this work, the over-romanticization of colonial life was proven to be, partly, the result of the ability of the Dutch tourism sector to recognize a certain Western tendency; the romanticist feelings of longing back to a more ‘authentic’ and ‘traditional’ society. These posters reflect popular themes and ideas of the time they were made and provide insight into the commercial messages of shipping companies. These aspects make them useful primary sources for historical research and fascinating objects for an exhibition. Therefore, the second part of this thesis focuses on a potential exhibition that could be made with these primary sources. The goal – amongst others – of this exhibition is to have people reflect on the tendency of shipping companies to use shipping posters, and advertisement in general, to over-romanticize colonial life, and in doing so, might have played a role in the maintenance of colonial stereotypes and the colonial system in general. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74625/ Sat, 24 Jun 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Strieder, Fay</div> This thesis is about ‘women employed at ships of the Holland-America Line (HAL) between 1951-1971’. The HAL stopped with passenger lining in 1971, and the twenty years before that marked a period of broadening of entertainment, and thus job opportunities on board. Furthermore, this period was marked by female emancipation in Dutch society. The relevance of this topic is the lack of discussion of women’s efforts in (maritime) history writing overall. The research question is: Which factors determined the social position of women who were employed at the Holland-America Line between 1951 and 1971? In which one’s social position is determined through power, resources, and hierarchy. This question is researched through the archival method, with primary sources such as enrolment books from the Rotterdam City Archive, together with Dutch newspaper articles, and objects from the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. The main findings are that women made less wage than men. Even if they had the same job or tasks on board. They were usually young, worked long days, and chose a career on board motivated by a search for adventure, needing money, or to accompany a relative. Later, women were allowed to be admitted into seafaring schools, and the HAL started to allow women in steerswomen positions as the first Dutch shipping company, leading to more opportunities to work in jobs that were earlier only destined for men. The reached conclusion is that wage, motivations, education, age, marital status, and the content of the work are factors that determined the social position of women employed at the HAL between 1951 and 1971. This thesis is accompanied with an exhibition plan that is written for the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. This exhibition plan is focused on ‘Women employed in passenger shipping from 1946 until 1971’. The difference in demarcation is to cover the whole afterwar period, until passenger shipping became less popular, and to show a greater broadening of the developments in jobs for women, that matches the objects of the museum. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74607/ Sun, 25 Jun 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Kriebl-Bruno, Oliver</div> This master's thesis explores the history of Carnisse, a neighborhood in the south of Rotterdam, from the perspective of its current inhabitants. To do so, it makes use of data collected during a series of 10 walking interviews with current residents of Carnisse, aiming to understand which places and stories residents perceived as most important to the neighborhood's history. Through qualitative thematic analysis, the study uncovered three major themes related to important locations: food/drink, public outdoor spaces, and cultural spaces. It was determined that residents valued places that served as social hubs, fostering connections and community engagement. The study also identified themes in the stories shared by participants, including transitions, (dis)connection to the neighborhood, and perceived gaps in the neighborhood's amenities. Although the small sample size of the project limits the conclusions of the research, it serves as a proof of concept for a new, participatory approach to engaging with Carnisse’s history. Furthermore, the results of the research are adapted into a proposal for a walking tour through Carnisse to help residents discover the offerings in their own neighborhood. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74606/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Koole, Sophie</div> This thesis examines the way Iranian protests have been mediated since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. It hereby draws upon media theory in relation to activism, (historical) visual and textual analyses, and perception analysis through video elicitation. The study compared historical protests mediated in newspapers and the recent protests of 2022, focussing particularly on TikTok. In this way, it scrutinises the role of affordances, censorship, and remediation in this process. Data were gathered through various online sources, including a library of historical Iranian newspapers and the TikTok search engine. The results of this study demonstrate how both older and newer media forms use symbolism to frame their narrative and that though newer media forms have been presented as more democratic, both forms have to adhere to certain rules and regulations. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74600/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Helmink, Thom</div> The Netherlands and Dutch East Indies Under Attack: How American comic creators represented the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies during World War 2. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75129/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Julia Sirkin</div> This research analyzes how girl zines in the 1990s United Kingdom constructed femininity. These self-publications offered girls and women an alternative channel wherein they could challenge traditional patriarchal depictions of femininity. The study situates these zines within the larger field of third wave feminism, which is characterized by a greater freedom of gender expression, a reclamation of hyperfemininity, and DIY (Do-It-Yourself) activism. Within the pages of these zines, femininity is constructed as a multifaceted and layered concept; women are constructed as beings in their own right rather than objects for the ‘male gaze.’ This analysis is framed through the lens of Mikhail Bakhtin’s carnivalesque literary theory, which posits that such materials hold a revolutionary potential to overturn the dominant world order. Through a qualitative analysis of fifteen zines from the 1990s United Kingdom, this research aims to understand how these materials utilized the carnivalesque elements ‘the grotesque body’ and ‘the upside-down world.’ It additionally examines how these zinesters explored realms which have historically been reserved for men, such as anger, humor, profanity, and obscenity. Through this qualitative analysis, certain recurring themes are identified, such as body image, eating disorders, ‘girl power,’ menstruation, and more. Key findings reveal that the constructions of femininity in these girl zines contributed not just to an ever-evolving feminist body of work, but to a carnivalesque canon of literature. Through this analysis, a nuanced picture comes into focus about how ‘90s third wave feminists enacted a wide range of visual and linguistic resistance. Although the girl zine movement of the 1990s had declined by the end of the decade, their constructions of femininity continue to hold significance for modern day feminists. By reconceptualizing this media as a subversive, feminist, and revolutionary art form, these 1990s publications can act as a guide and inspiration for fourth wave feminists to understand how their struggle fits into the larger feminist discourse. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75130/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Anne Knoop</div> The legacy of companies involved in the Holocaust, especially those in the public transport sector, has become a focal point of scrutiny, with the train symbolising the mass deportations to concentration and extermination camps. This thesis examines the Nederlandse Spoorwegen’s (NS) engagement with its historical role in the Holocaust from 1945 to the present. The main question guiding this research is: How has NS managed its public image concerning its role in the transportation of Jews, Sinti, and Roma during World War II in the context of Dutch memory culture since 1945? Utilising historiographical analysis, archival research, interviews with experts and stakeholders, and supplementary historical web research, this study traces and outlines the developments of NS’s public image strategies, with Dutch memory culture of World War II serving as a contextual framework. The research findings illustrate NS’s initial efforts to shape a post-war narrative of resistance while downplaying its wartime collaboration, followed by strategic redirections of public attention and an eventual critical but cautious engagement with its past. The findings highlight NS’s navigations through selective memory and corporate communication strategies to construct and revise its public image. They demonstrate NS’s responses to external scrutiny and internal cultural influences, showcasing shifts from denial to acknowledgment, and the complexities of addressing historical accountability amidst societal expectations and developments. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75128/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Mare Dermaux</div> ‘Agent de toute confiance et de tout premier ordre’ Anne-Marie van Oost, a case study of a woman’s participation in the Belgian resistance during the Second World War Abstract This thesis explores the multifaceted roles and contributions of a woman in the Belgian resistance during the Second World War. The research is based on the case study of Belgian resistance agent Anne-Marie van Oost. While historical narratives have often sidelined the participation of women, this research aims to highlight their critical involvement and the diverse capacities in which they served. Through a comparative analysis of Anne-Marie’s recognition files with those of her male relatives, her personal biography and additional literature, this study examines a woman’s experience and participation in the resistance in an occupied country in Western-Europe. The research reveals that women were instrumental in communication, safeguarding fugitives, and the provision of supplies to resistance fighters. Their efforts were crucial to the success of the resistance operation and it allowed women to transcend gender norms and work with the men on a similar level. It even provided opportunities for female agents to fulfil leadership roles. This thesis also delves into the gender-specific challenges faced by these women, including the difficulties of their recruitment and how societal expectations hindered their position within a resistance group. In addition, the research nuances the contested claims by historian Fabrice Maerten about women’s mere ‘supportive’ roles in the resistance. By shedding light on the contributions of this courageous woman, this study aims to rectify historical misconceptions and provide a more inclusive overview of the Belgian resistance movement. The findings contribute to the Belgian studies on the Second World War and the under researched Belgian resistance historiography. The research highlights the need to re-evaluate traditional historical narratives and recognize the indispensable role of women in shaping the outcomes of wartime resistance efforts. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75127/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Nadja Pudar</div> Yugonostalgia refers to a longing for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), a state that existed from 1945 to 1991. This research investigates How is Yugonostalgia experienced and expressed by the second generation Bosnian diaspora in the Netherlands? Through the use of life-history interviews with ten participants, this research explores how Yugonostalgia influences the identities and experiences of individuals with no direct memories or lived experience of the SFRY, yet retain a sense of belonging and attachment to a perceived Yugoslav past. This research examines, therefore, how they navigate and balance their Bosnian heritage, Dutch upbringing and Yugonostalgic identities. It further looks into the role of inherited family memories, engagements with the homeland, the presence and influence of diasporic associations, as well as cultural connections to the SFRY, particularly Yu-Rock music. Additionally, this research discusses how the unique relationship between BiH and the Netherlands, influenced by collective guilt regarding the legacies of Srebrenica, affects the diaspora's identity formation. Overall, this research shows that Yugonostalgia has a strong presence among the second generation Bosnian diaspora in the Netherlands, which is maintained in light of individual negotiations and criticism. Yugonostalgia serves as a means to grapple with the impossibility of return to the SFRY, reconciliation with a violent past and the aftermath, as well as fostering a sense of belonging for individuals who position themselves outside of the dominant frameworks of ethno-national belonging. Crucially, however, Yugonostalgia in this research emerges as a placeholder for a utopian hope for a future Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH); one that meets the second generation’s ideals of unity, stability, and prosperity void of ethnic divisions. As a result, this research largely touches on the emancipatory and political potential of Yugonostalgia in shaping a new future, in light of weak, stagnant and divisive conditions in present-day BiH. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75131/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Noah Dekker</div> Contemporary museums increasingly use of the term diversity as a means of self-presentation, often using it as a symbol to align with current morality and societal values. The use of the term is extensively debated by policymakers and politicians, yet these institutions seldom provide a definition of diversity within their museological context. Consequently, this thesis seeks to examine how ethnographic museums in the Netherlands define and implement diversity within their exhibition narratives. Museums have been subjected to extensive research in the realms of visitor-studies, identity construction and decolonisation processes. Despite research into institutional diversity, there remains a gap in understanding how diversity is defined within in the overarching narrative and public perception of museums. To address this gap, this thesis uses a threefold approach that analyses textual elements, displayed objects, and spatial elements in the the exhibitions ‘Colonialism and Rotterdam’ and ‘Out Colonial Inheritance’. Through this approach, the thesis aims to explore how ethnographic museum in the Netherlands utilise the notion of diversity within their exhibition narratives. Three sections have been chosen from each exhibition to illustrate how diversity influences the presentation of colonial history in both local and urban, as well as national contexts. This research adopts a structural and content-based approach, using empirical evidence that consists of interacting with the exhibition, photographing the elements and setting up visual plans for the layout. These methods provide new insights into the nuanced ways in which diversity is implemented. The study challenges the notion of labelling exhibitions with the term ‘diversity’ or proclaiming its value means its presence. The museum of Rotterdam centres its narrative on migration, utilising colonialism as the main driver for cultural diversity within the city. This approach highlights intercontinental migration, resulting in the fusion of foods, languages, and interpersonal interactions. Diversity shifts from a means to highlight uniqueness and differences among people to promoting unity and the acceptance of societal differences. Similarly, Amsterdam reflects these shifts but employs objects and spatial elements to convey them. Unlike Rotterdam’s chronological structure, Amsterdam adopts a thematic approach, allowing a more fluid integration of contemporary and historical aspects. Rotterdam’s chronological focus, while informative, limits the inclusion of more diverse examples. Both museums intertwine historical narratives with contemporary issues, advocating for decolonisation to address present-day issues. They emphasise the need to reevaluate historical memories. Furthermore, diversity presents itself in the need to reclaim and decolonise identities, evolving from a tool to highlighting uniqueness into becoming a unifying force in society. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75126/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Tom Moreland</div> In 1933, Standard Oil of California (Socal) purchased the exclusive concession for the extraction of Saudi Arabian oil, through the subsidiary California-Arabian Standard Oil (Casoc). After a decade marked by initial exploration difficulties and World War II disruptions, Casoc rebranded to Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) in 1944. By 1948, the Aramco ownership comprised four of the seven major oil firms (colloquially known as the Seven Sisters) that dominated world oil - Standard Oil of New Jersey, Socony Vacuum, Texaco, and Socal. This increased ownership reflected a massive expansion in Aramco’s operations which, underpinned by soaring global demand, saw Aramco become the largest producer in the Middle East by the early 1950s. This thesis investigates the sophisticated array of public relations strategies that Aramco employed to maintain its burgeoning position as one of the largest and most lucrative oil operations in the world before the company’s eventual nationalisation by the Saudi Arabian government beginning in 1973. Such strategies were reflective of evolving methods of shaping discourse and narrative through cultural production, which were becoming increasingly common as the twentieth century wore on. This analysis focuses on three prominent themes of Aramco’s public relations strategies: exceptionalism, development and modernization, and relationship management with the Saudi monarchy and labour force. 1. Aramco constructed a distinct cultural identity of exceptionalism, in part by appropriating pre-existing narratives of American exceptionalism, portraying itself as an enlightened and mission-driven entity. The company sought to entrench this corporate identity within American and Saudi cultural imaginaries, in order to distinguish themselves from accusations of imperialism and exploitation. 2. Aramco’s public relations output also heavily focused on the themes of development and modernization, positioning the company as a partner in growth. This narrative was also articulated within the broader context of American developmentalism, ubiquitous during the cold war period. Aramco’s development posture emphasized technological superiority and the transformative effect of western modernity, which they represented, on Saudi Arabia. These depictions served to dramatize Aramco’s role as a catalyst for Saudi progress, fostering a sense of technological paternalism. 3. Aramco crafted a positive image of the Saudi monarchy, particularly through the valorised depiction of Saudi Arabia’s founding monarch, King Ibn Saud. Aditionally, the company sought to construct an internal corporate culture to influence its American employees, and by extension its Saudi labour force, attempting to shape a perspective aligned with that which the company sought to inculcate in its workforce. In doing so they sought to mitigate political and industrial opposition within the kingdom. Overall, this thesis provides insight into the strategies of cultural production that underpinned Aramco’s attempts to maintain control over Saudi oil resources, highlighting the enduring relevance of these tactics in contemporary global energy dynamics. Understanding the construction of these cultural narratives is crucial as ever, as the world grapples with continuing oil dependency. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76564/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Vader, Marnix</div> This thesis examines how populism in the twenty-first century of the United States evolved from the decentralized Tea Party Movement in 2009 to the leader-centered political style of Donald J. Trump during his presidential campaign from 2015 to 2016. While both movements share a distrust of elites, emotional appeals to 'the people,' nostalgic visions of a lost national ideal, and a utopian dream of restoring that nostalgic past, they differ in structure, style, and rhetorical strategy. This study asks: How have nostalgia, utopian ideals, and populism evolved from the Tea Party Movement to the first presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump? The context for this transformation is rooted in economic, political, and cultural anxiety. The Tea Party Movement emerged as a grassroots protest movement grounded in anti-establishment sentiment and constitutional nostalgia but lacked centralized leadership. Trump absorbed these energies and turned them into a media-driven, charisma-based movement now referred to as Trumpism. To analyze this evolution, the thesis uses a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis with qualitative analysis on books, social media posts, and televised performances. Theoretically, the study draws on the definition of populism by Paul Taggart in combination with populism as political style by Benjamin Moffitt, and the concept of charismatic leadership as explored by Clemens van Herwaarden. The analysis reveals three major transformations. A shift from decentralized protest to personalized leadership. An evolution from anger and opposition to emotionally resonant, future-oriented charisma. And from spontaneous, reactive media engagement to sustained political performance across platforms. While the Tea Party Movement was fragmented and anti-institutional, Trump rebranded this style of conservative populism into a coherent spectacle of leadership, using nostalgia and utopian ideals to unify grievances under his personal brand. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76616/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Mainer Millan, Nuria</div> This thesis examines the way that migrants have created and maintained their cultural identities through formal and informal integration in Rotterdam. As a country with a long and strong history of migration, the Netherlands has seen various developments in its legislation to control and organise its migrant population. These laws have affected the way in which migrants are expected to integrate into Dutch society and in turn are able to express and define themselves, but how exactly this occurs remains unclear. Using semi-structured interviews with migrants who arrived between 1989 and 2020, this study reveals that migrants see their identities as fluid and, more often than not, split between two cultures. Social connections are crucial in their ability to become independent and self-reliant, but also to connect to the cultures they interact with. Meanwhile, integration programmes are well organized and have positive effects on the self-sufficiency of migrants, but is solely focused on assimilation rather than integration. These findings provide practical guidelines and possible outlooks for integration programmes that account for migrant experiences to achieve more successful participation and a sense of belonging in Dutch society. The research suggest that integration programmes strengthen their networking guidance so that migrants can develop strong social bonds together with the native population and through that explore their cultural identities to better adapt. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76640/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Kooij, Noah</div> This thesis explores the evolution of waste management visual communication in Rotterdam from 1876 to 2013, focusing on how municipal campaigns reflected and shaped public attitudes toward sustainability, civic engagement, and environmental responsibility. Through a qualitative analysis of visual materials, including posters, pamphlets, and public advertisements produced by Rotterdam's waste management services (notably Roteb), the study traces how messaging evolved from authoritative, regulation-based appeals to more inclusive, awareness-driven strategies that encouraged voluntary participation and civic pride. An applied component of this research is the design of an exhibition, Dirty Work, Clean City: A Visual History of Waste and Citizenship in Rotterdam, which translates the academic findings into an interactive public history format. The exhibition aims to engage a broad urban audience, fostering reflection on the historical relationship between waste, citizenship, and environmental ethics, while inspiring dialogue on contemporary urban sustainability. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76641/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Hardam, Tijs</div> Wie deed het licht aan in de stad? Wie was de meest machthebbende partij in het Eindhoven van na de Tweede Wereldoorlog? Dit onderzoek richt zich op de totstandkoming van het 'Masterplan' tussen de gemeente Eindhoven en het bedrijf Philips. De onderhandelingen over het Masterplan begonnen kort na de Tweede Wereldoorlog en in 1954 werd er eindelijk een deal gemaakt. Met deze publiek-private samenwerking kwam er een doorbraak in de wederopbouw van de stad en kreeg de gemeente meer grip op de ontwikkeling van Eindhoven. Ook kreeg de stad een meer moderne identiteit en bewoog het weg van haar industriële karakter. In het Masterplan werden afspraken gemaakt over de economische bezittingen van het bedrijf Philips en de gemeente. Als belangrijkste bedrijf in de stad had Philips een enorme concentratie aan land en middelen in zijn bezit die de verdere ontwikkeling van de stad in de weg stonden. De publiek-private samenwerking, vormgegeven in het Masterplan, moest hier verandering in brengen. Aan de hand van verschillende primaire (archief)bronnen is in dit onderzoek bekeken hoe dit Masterplan tot stand kwam en wat dit zegt over de naoorlogse politieke economie van Eindhoven. Hierin wordt gebruik gemaakt van theorieën uit de literatuur over (urbane) politieke economie en publiek-private samenwerking. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat de gemeente met deze vorm van publiek-private samenwerking een flinke verschuiving in de machtsverhoudingen wist te bewerkstelligen. De stad kon mede via het Masterplan een succesvolle wederopbouw tot stand brengen en een moderner stadscentrum bouwen. Eerdere geschiedschrijving heeft de rol van het Masterplan in de stedelijke ontwikkeling van Eindhoven onbesproken gelaten. Met dit onderzoek wordt zo een historiografisch gat opgevuld en een ander beeld geschetst van de rol van Philips in de totstandkoming van het hedendaagse Eindhoven. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76698/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Have, Fenna ten</div> Since 1974 Playmobil produced a fair amount of historically themed sets. The three biggest historical themes are the Wild West, pirates and knights. These historical themes often articulate perceptions about history that are subconsciously validated in our society. The perception of history reiterated through these toys can be analysed by using the concept visual historical culture. Historical culture offers a framework through which to deconstruct the current myths, narratives and perceptions about history. Visual culture enabled the identification of signs and semiotic meanings embedded within the visuals in the catalogues. By examining the relationships between these signs, it was possible to uncover underlying historical myths, which could then be contextualised within broader ideas of historical culture. Thereby providing an answer to the Research Question: How has the visual representation of the Wild West, pirates, and knights in Playmobil catalogues changed since 1974, and to what extent are these changes indicative of changes in broader historical culture? The research analysed the three biggest historical themes presented in the annual catalogues published by Playmobil from 1974 to 2024. The visualisation of the Wild West was analysed in reference to changing postcolonial critique and focussed on the visualisation of the Indians and American cavalry. The Wild West shows a significant shift during the mid-1990s from visualising colonial myths, to a more nuanced, albeit stereotypical, presentations of the Indians as a cultural entity. The pirate theme was analysed in relation to changing visualisations of pirates in the cinematic industry. The pirate theme illustrates a shift from a focus on historical myths, influenced by the film Treasure Island, towards a more mythical and fantasy shift influenced by the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The knights theme was analysed in relation to changing narratives in the literary genre. The knight theme shows how the visualisation moved from historical myths to the inclusion of fantasy and mythical elements, influenced by changes in the Fantasy genre. This study concludes that Playmobil's historical themes are actively shaped by and reflect historical culture of their time. The thesis demonstrates that visualisation of children's toys are not neutral but carries implicit narratives that inform and reproduce historical myths. Understanding these visual narratives through the lens of historical culture provides insight into how perceptions of history are constructed through play. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76722/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Ventzke, Jonathan</div> This thesis investigates how Banat Swabian identity was constructed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries through Adam Müller-Guttenbrunn's novella Der kleine Schwab. Situated in the multiethnic Banat region of the Habsburg Empire, this study combines conceptual history with narrative analysis to examine how the categories of Volk, nation, and state were mobilized to articulate notions of belonging. Using Riessman's narrative analysis, it explores thematic, structural, and interactional dimensions of the text, highlighting how autobiographical storytelling becomes a vehicle for cultural identity. The novella emerges as Volksbildungsliteratur, shaping collective memory by transforming local Swabian experiences into broader narratives of Germanness. Positioned between Heimatroman and Bildungsroman, it reflects both the ambivalence of borderland identities and the socio-political transformations of the Sattelzeit. The study contributes to scholarship on German minorities in Eastern Europe and demonstrates how literature functioned as a site where identity, memory, and political concepts converged. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76723/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Berloth, Zoey</div> Storytelling and politics have a complicated and intertwining history, especially when looking at the period deemed as the Golden Age of Piracy. Since pirates did not have great military power, they relied on different tactics. By creating stories to scare the merchants they preyed on into surrendering their cargo, they managed to mainly avoid an actual battle. Due to this common practice among pirates it has been increasingly difficult for historians to separate the facts from the legends within primary sources. However, historians have seldom looked at the political implication of these 'pirate legends' and how they were received among the public and the government in their time. The focus of this research is what these sources, whether semi-fictional or not, imply and how they were used by both the pirates themselves and the government that prosecuted them. This brings us to the question: To what extent did the mythmaking and 'pirate legend' of Henry Every and Edward Teach shape English political decision-making about the prosecution of piracy during the Golden Age of Piracy (1694-1724)? The issue has been addressed according to the method of Discourse Analysis of multiple and various primary sources concerning both the mythicization of these two pirates and the prosecution of piracy at the time, such as letters, proclamations and newspaper articles. Secondary sources were used in order to create a deeper sense of understanding of historical context in which these primary sources ought to be read. Furthermore, there has been made use of two case studies, that of Henry Every and Edward Teach (alias Blackbeard) to establish a chronological trend in the influence and usage of narrative of the 'pirate legends' of these two pirates. Throughout the analysis and discussion of the sources we have found that the English government was not only influenced by the mythicization and 'pirate legend' of Henry Every and Edward Teach with regards to political decision-making concerning the prosecution of piracy, they equally made use of these legends. All in all, a certain trend of progression in the tactics by means of using 'pirate legends' by the English government has been established according to the two case studies, showing an advancement in the using narrative to influence public opinion with regards to piracy. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76737/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Chris Klarenbeek</div> This thesis explores the influence of third-wave feminism on Dutch museums between 1990 and 2005, with a focus on the positionality of three prominent art museums: Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Centraal Museum Utrecht, and Museum Arnhem. The research investigates how these institutions integrated feminist principles into their policies and exhibition practices, particularly concerning the representation of female visual artists. In the late 2000s, feminist theorists have already promoted a new feminist museology where the museum practices are central. Therefore, this thesis studies the following research question: How did museums position themselves vis-à-vis the third feminist wave and female visual artists in the Netherlands during the period 1990-2005? This project employs both qualitative analysis and cultural performance theory on the museum policies, promotional material and more general documentation of the museums, like meeting notes. The analysis shows that there is a growing awareness of the inequality of female visual artists. Actual change is limited, and it comes from individuals or is focused on the internal structures and the management of the museum. Municipalities and organisation that work together with the museums do see the need for social change and women's emancipation. This is however limited to changes in leadership and not changes in the exhibition program. The analysed exhibitions display social situations, which are convincing the visitor of societal messages implied in the art and the messages of the art. With this analysis, the main finding in this thesis is the museums becoming more aware of gender inequalities in the art world. The museums make efforts to highlight female visual artists and societal themes in exhibition programs, but the overall representation remains disproportionally low. This thesis presents the need for museums to engage with feminist theories. Additionally, museums can play a crucial role in raising awareness on social inequalities and promoting gender equality in the art world and cultural sector.