Herman Obdeijn, born in Enschede, the Netherlands, in 1938. Ph.D. from the Radboud University Nijmegen. Associate Professor at the Department of Languages and Cultures of the Islamic Middle East and the History of Migration at Leiden University.
Fellow (1 September 2002 – 30 June 2003)
During my stay at NIAS, I worked on three projects. The first was a monograph on Moroccan-Dutch relations over the last four centuries through the eyes of Dutch visitors. I completed the first draft of the manuscript for which I used accounts left by Dutch visitors who stayed in Morocco for longer or shorter periods. The main problem in using such sources is to identify whether the Dutch visitors were aware of what was actually going on in Morocco. Consultations with my colleague at NIAS, Professor Kaddouri, proved invaluable in answering the question to what extent Dutch sources are reliable sources in reconstructing a history of Morocco. The book will be published by Bulaaq, Amsterdam in 2004.
The second project was to compile a Guide to Moroccan history sources held in the Dutch archives. With the help of two Moroccan students who worked in the National Archives, I collected and classified materials. Professor Kaddouri’s advice was of great help. The Guide will be published by the Faculty of Arts of the Mohammed V University in Rabat in 2004.
The third project was the translation of my book Geschiedenis van Morocco into French for publication in Morocco. The book also had to be adapted for a Moroccan readership so parts had to be re-written and expanded upon while other chapters were reduced. The book will be published by Editions La Porte, Rabat in 2005.