This year ASH received 13 nominations for the Valorisation Award, reflecting a great variety of activities, ranging from students’ oral history projects in Amsterdam working-class neighbourhoods, to teaching modules for secondary education, contributions to a block buster exhibition about Waterloo, a beautifully written blog about the timeliness of the Middle Ages, and contributions to the heated debate about slavery.

The selection committee was unanimous in its decision to award the prize to Frans Grijzenhout for his research into and identification of the Straatje van Vermeer. The project stands out because of its appealing and wide-ranging outreach activities, because it was clearly guided and inspired by Frans Grijzenhout’s own research, but above all because it demonstrates how years of meticulous archival research can lead to new insight and publications that appeal to a wide audience, also beyond academia.

About the award

The ASH Valorisation Award is presented annually to (a) member(s) of the Amsterdam School for Historical Studies. The award recognises an individual or team’s ability to reach new audiences, demonstrating a lasting impact on the public. The award is accompanied by a prize of € 250.