In this article I discuss the representation of two images at the end of the 18th century: that of the Dutch and that of the Poles, portrayed in Dutch spectators, analysing the imagological theories of Joep Leerssen. Journals like De Borger, De Leerzame Praat-Al and De Vraag-Al focused both on the political and the social situation of Poland in the last years of its independence, but expressed mainly the opinion that it were the Poles themselves who blamed their fate and lost freedom. I also examine the rhetoric that was used by the Dutch authors who differentiated between the ‘Civilised West’ and the ‘Fierce East,’ often writing about the ‘Wild Sarmatians.’
Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland, was forced to abdicate in 1795. In the literature of those times his image is very ambiguous. In my article this ambiguity is very evident. For some (mostly Dutch) authors Poniatowski is a disloyal person, who betrayed Poland and caused the final partition of the Kingdom of Poland. For others he remains a man of enlightenment, who tried to develop Poland and its culture, but still was dependent on the dominant political strengths as Russia or Prussia. For some reasons Poniatowski is one of the most interesting persons for the European literature at that time. The literary image of Poniatowski reflects a tragedy of Poland with its moral weakness, chaos and political dependence. This makes him an literary allegory, which can explain the growing popularity of this individual in the Dutch and European literature of the 18th century.
The so-called ‘moral reorientation’ (Dutch: ‘morele heroriëntatie’) was a large-scale Dutch project, aimed at an improvement of ethical standards of society in the 18th century. It was also a reaction to the decay of the Dutch Republic reflected in the literature at the end of the 18th century. Using magazines, drama’s and novels, authors provided example of a right behaviour and criticized all those phenomena, which led to a moral malaise in society. One of these phenomena was a boundless love for France, its culture, fashion, literature and philosophy. In literature it was presented as a grave danger for Dutch identity. The term ‘francophilia’ was invented. Also two Dutch female writers, Betje Wolff and Aagje Deken reacted on the dangerous symptoms of the ‘francophilia’ and warned against it in their novel Sara Burgerhart (1782). In my article I discuss some rhetorical devices, used by the authors to warn against the ‘francophilia.’ I analyse how they defined and further criticized this phenomenon.
De bedoeling van deze bijdrage is te laten zien hoe de ontwikkeling van de republikeinse gedachten in Nederland in de laatste decennia van de achttiende eeuw verliep. Daarvoor presenteer ik drie casussen van het Nederlands republicanisme die volgens mij het meest cruciaal waren voor de vorming van de Nederlandse identiteit in de vroegmoderne tijd. Bij de analyse van de casussen probeer ik weer te geven hoe de republikeinse boodschap tot stand kwam: ik kijk zowel naar de ideologie die in de republikeinse concepten opgesloten lag, als naar de retorische weergave van de republikeinse ideeën – hoe ze, in de vorm van teksten en prenten, aan de lezer werden gepresenteerd.
EN
The purpose of this contribution is to show how republican thought in the Netherlands developed during the last decades of the eighteenth century. To this end, I present three cases of Dutch republicanism, which, I believe, were the most crucial in the formation of Dutch identity in the early modern period. When analysing these cases, I try to show how the republican message came about: I look both at the ideology that was embedded in republican concepts, and at the rhetorical representation of republican ideas – how, in the form of texts and prints, they were presented to the reader.
PL
Wolność, zaangażowanie obywatelskie i krytyka absolutyzmu. Kilka przykładów niderlandzkiego republikanizmu w Oświeceniu W niniejszym artykule przedstawiam rozwój myśli republikańskiej w Niderlandach w ostatnich dziesięcioleciach osiemnastego wieku. W tym celu prezentuję trzy przykłady postaw republikańskich, które moim zdaniem wywarły największe piętno na tworzenie się niderlandzkiej tożsamości narodowej w czasach przedwspółczesnych. Analiza przykładów ma za zadanie oddać sposób, w jaki powstawało republikańskie myślenie w umysłach Niderlandczyków. W tym celu badam zarówno ideologię republikańskich ideałów, jak i ich warstwę retoryczną – to, w jaki sposób przekazywane były w formie tekstów i obrazów ówczesnemu odbiorcy. De bedoeling van deze bijdrage is te laten zien hoe de ontwikkeling van de republikeinse gedachten in Nederland in de laatste decennia van de achttiende eeuw verliep. Daarvoor presenteer ik drie casussen van het Nederlands republicanisme die volgens mij het meest cruciaal waren voor de vorming van de Nederlandse identiteit in de vroegmoderne tijd. Bij de analyse van de casussen probeer ik weer te geven hoe de republikeinse boodschap tot stand kwam: ik kijk zowel naar de ideologie die in de republikeinse concepten opgesloten lag, als naar de retorische weergave van de republikeinse ideeën – hoe ze, in de vorm van teksten en prenten, aan de lezer werden gepresenteerd.
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