PhD defence S. (Sanne) Steen

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

This dissertation examines the appropriation of Desiderius Erasmus in Rotterdam in order to better understand the origins of contemporary perceptions of Erasmus and to explore how people have related to figures from the past over time. First, through a series of case studies, it provides an overview of the various interpretations of Erasmus from the sixteenth to the twenty-first century. Examples include the Orangists around 1800 and the founders of Erasmus University Rotterdam in the second half of the twentieth century. Textual and visual sources show that perceptions of Erasmus changed over time, while also revealing similarities between historical contexts that differed significantly from one another.

After establishing this historical overview, the dissertation combines the textual and visual sources with theoretical perspectives to gain a deeper understanding of what exactly happens when a historical figure or narrative is appropriated and adapted to a contemporary context. Drawing on insights from fields including philosophy, literary studies, and ecological psychology, it offers a concrete framework for understanding this process. This is important for assessing the fairness of historical appropriation and for developing ways to ensure that such appropriation is carried out in a just and responsible manner.