Willem
I am an independent researcher, with a honorary research fellowship at the Meertens Institute in Amsterdam; they have listed my publications from 2007 onwards.
For a partial earlier list, see: Digitale Bibliografie Nederlandse Geschiedenis: dbng (looking under author: W. de Blécourt gives more results than under Willem de Blécourt).
The present site, when it is finalised, contains the most accurate information, of course.
I studied social anthropology at the University of Amsterdam, obtained my MA in 1983, and in 1990 my Ph.D. from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam on a historical topic (see Witchcraft). Hence I call myself a historical anthropologist.
Anthropology in Amsterdam had an important department (vakgroep) on European Anthropology (or Ethnology); this informed my own work which is firmly focused on the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium without ever escaping the confines of Europe.
I intend to enable access to my publications, if possible directly through PDFs, or by providing a link. This, however, may take some time. I find that open access of articles is imperative and prefer to save my readers the trouble of paying for them, especially since publishers obtained them free of charge and some appropriated the copyright.
I live in East Sussex, UK.
If you have any questions, please write to: wjcdeb[AT]historicalanthropologist.eu
A note on my name
I realise that my name can pose difficulties for some of my readers:
Firstly, there is the accent in my surname which is sometimes omitted. But I would urge people to use the accent aigu (acute accent) to make é, since ignoring it, is really like omitting a letter.
Secondly, there is the infix `de’, or what in Dutch is called a tussenvoegsel. When it appears together with my first name or my initials, the infix should be spelled in lowercase, otherwise it is capitalised: Willem de Blécourt but De Blécourt. The infix should not be omitted.
In alphabetical lists, such as bibliographies (or indeed the telephone book), my name should appear under `B’: Blécourt, Willem de.
Thirdly, my first name is Willem, not William or Wilhelm.
