“Heemkunde” is the study of the home environment. The word “heem” means home or place of origin. “Kunde” is study or science.
Many towns or regions have their own heemkundevereniging, historical societies. They will often give lectures, organize excursions, or have a magazine dedicated to the history of the area. Some heemkundeverenigingen have a genealogy section. They are great places to ask to identify or locate old family photos.
The Stamboomgids website has a list of heemkundeverenigingen with links to their website. Many of these societies have Facebook pages, which makes it easy to ask questions.
View of The Hague in the 1600s. Credits: C. Springer, K. Karsen, collection Rijksmuseum (public domain)
About Yvette Hoitink
