It can be used as a self-study pack, or as part of a Dutch Studies course. The material provided here is aimed at students with an advanced knowledge of Dutch.

The Novaya Zemlya study-pack is dedicated to the late 16th century Dutch efforts to find a Northern sea passage to Asia. Three voyages were undertaken in the mid-1590s, with the final expedition of Willem Barentsz and Jacob van Heemskerck acquiring canonical status in Dutch historical conciousness.

The entire crew of seventeen was trapped in the ice, and was consequently forced to spend the winter among polar bears and foxes in the so-called Behouden Huys, a log-cabin built with wood from their ship. Twelve men survived the Arctic darkness and the freezing temperatures, and returned safely to Amsterdam in 1597.

This package is centred around fragments of the travel account of Gerrit de Veer, one of the expedition's survivors. His detailed eye-witness report of the wintering at Novaya Zemlya soon became a true best-seller in early modern Europe.

The navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen allows you to go to the various sections of the study-pack. Alternatively, you can follow the links as they appear on the pages, starting with >an introduction to the North-East Passage to Asia, and the objectives of geographers and cartographers, as well as their uncertainties and disputes regarding the expeditions. Throughout the pack you will find excerpts of De Veer's account, with transcriptions and translations which enable you to gradually grasp the meaning of the text. In the quiz you can check your understanding of the remaining material.

Good luck and enjoy the Novaya Zemlya studypack.