Dutch institutional reading culture in the early nineteenth century: an exploration and a comparison

In recent decades there has been an increase of literary-historical research into Dutch (institutional) reading culture. In this article the focus lies on institutional reading culture in the Netherlands during the years 1815-30. Although a great deal of research has been conducted into regional Dutch reading culture, a broader comparison with national and international developments does not exist as yet. We will argue that some manifestations of Dutch institutional reading culture were unique in an international context. The institutional reading culture of early-nineteenth-century Netherlands will be set against foreign research in order to explore what different institutions of reading in Leiden can teach us about Dutch institutional reading culture in general.