19 november 2009 - Today, 19 November, an edited English version will appear of the last part of the seven-part series of ‘Techniek in Nederland in de twintigste eeuw’ (TIN-20), which was concluded in 2003. This way it will also be possible for foreign scientists to familiarize themselves with this special description of our history, says Johan Schot, professor of the History of Technology. Schot and his Eindhoven colleague Harry Lintsen (both affiliated with the Stichting Historie der Techniek [History of Technology Foundation]) together with emeritus professor Arie Rips from Twente took care of the editing of the book, entitled ‘Technology and the Making of the Netherlands. The Age of Contested Modernization, 1890-1970’. The book deals with a broad spectrum of changes: the emergence of the consumer society, the development of a knowledge society and the role of engineers in the modernizing society. A lot of attention is devoted to the formation of networks, which has brought about the material unification of the Netherlands via transport routes, electricity and gas grids.

The book, which was financed by NWO, is published in an edition of 1,000 copies. Schot expects that the necessary copies will be sold in the Netherlands, “but fellow historians of technology in the rest of Europe will certainly buy them as well. In addition, there is a large group of engineers in the United States with a Dutch background, who are bound to take an interest in it.”(HK)