De Gouden Eeuw als ijkpunt van de nationale identiteit. Het beeld van de Gouden Eeuw in verzetsliteratuur tussen 1806 en 1813

Abstract

In tracing the conceptualisation of the Dutch Golden Age to its historical roots, the Napoleonic period (1806-813) can be understood to have played a pivotal role. Key writers of this era, such as Loosjes, Helmers, Tollens, and Siegenbeek, considered the Golden Age to have been instrumental in laying the foundations of Dutch culture and establishing a benchmark for Dutch identity formation. Their representations of the nation's history might be interpreted not merely as attempts at flaunting chauvinistic sentiments, but also as articulations of Dutch resistance against French rule. The dynamics of this relationship between 'foreign' and 'native' can be elucidated by an analysis of the ways in which Amsterdam and Vondel feature in early nineteenth-century literature and literary historiography: both city and poet served not only as potent symbols of a thriving nation, but also as beacons of resistance.