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Guidebook “Spitsbergen-Svalbard” now available in Dutch

Posted on 25. October 2020 by Rolf Stange

The guidebook “Spitsbergen-Svalbard” is now also available in Dutch!

In short words: here it is (click on the link to get to my webshop).

The new Dutch guidebook Spitsbergen-Svalbard.

A more complete version of the story:

How come?

A couple of years ago in Tromsø – we were just about to set sail for Bear Island and Spitsbergen – Jonneke van Eijsden said it would be good to have the book in Dutch.

Initiative and main translator: Jonneke van Eijsden

Initiative and main translator: Jonneke van Eijsden.

Sure, no doubt, I could agree on that. But the then ongoing Norwegian translation of the book had already brought me close to my limits in terms of time, money and nerves, so I was not really inclined to open up a new big project, so my slightly reserved reply was something like “fine, go ahead if you want to.”

And Jonneke went ahead and did it. The whole thing, from the table of contents to the appreciations in the end.

Quite unbelievable, isn’t it?

Much appreciated: help from friends and colleagues

But that was, of course, not all. People with solid knowledge of Dutch language and arctic terminology in various fields were needed to help the project on its way towars a book that could be printed. This group of good people included Marion den Bakker, Arjen Drost, Sarah Gerats, Regina Meijndert, Annette Scheepstra, Ronald van Belzen, Tom van Hoof and Ronald Visser. And highly knowledgeable people like Hans Beelen, Louis Beyens and Maarten Loonen, all acknowledged experts in their fields, alowed us to pick their brains.

And my old master Rinie van Meurs was so kind to contribute with a foreword!

A big “thank you” to all of you! This Dutch Spitsbergen guidebook would not exist without you!

Co-author: Michelle van Dijk

The Netherlands have got a long history in relation to Spitsbergen, starting with the discovery in 1596 during Willem Barentsz’ third voyage and the name. That led to a special perspective that is best understood and described from an inside perspective.

Co-author: Michelle van Dijk (on Foynøya). Photo © Birgit Lutz.

So this Dutch book has, for the first time in the by now quite long history of this book, two authors: Michelle van Dijk joined me in the role of co-author and added various sections such as one about Willem Barentsz, one about 17th century whaling, then the whole story of Barentsburg, Rijpsburg and NeSpico, Sjef van Dongen, local information about places such as Smeerenburg, … all Dutch chapters of the Dutch relationship to Spitsbergen (and, of course, not unmentioned in the other editions of the book, but Michelle wrote new versions of these sections, adding more detail and a new perspective). And of course she took off within her own field of knowledge and passion and wrote a new chapter about plants.

In other words, the new book is not just a mere translation of the pre-existing English and German versions (there is also a Norwegian one, but that was not used in the translation process), but a new book with content that the other editions don’t have, at least not as it is here. It won’t surprise that it is the thickest one of the whole family, with an impressie 656 pages.

I am and remain the main author: Rolf Stange.

So, if you speak Dutch (or if you are interested anyway), click here and check it out! Orders can be placed from now and shipping will start soonest, as soon as we get the key rings in that will be shipped with the first 100 books (see below).

spitsbergengids.nl

With spitsbergengids.nl, Michelle has created a new site, dedicated to the Dutch guidebook. There you can, of course, also find Michelle’s other and own book, Sjef van Dongen – Nederlandse Poolhelt.

And an exclusive gift made in Longyearbyen with the first 100 orders

And on top of this: the first 100 orders that come in through my or Michelle’s webshop will be complemented by an exclusively made key ring made in Longyearbyen by master carpenter Wolfgang Zach, who is also the man behind the Spitsbergen driftwood picture frames and the kitchen slats. The key rings are made of two different kinds of wood, both with origins in Spitsbergen: the dark wood is from oak beams that were used in mine 7 to support the roof, and the polar bear is made from driftwood. We have got 100 of these key rings, exclusively made to come with the first 100 orders and, in this exact design, not available elsewhere!

Spitzbergen Reiseführer niederländisch exklusives Geschenk

These beautiful key rings are made in Longyearbyen as an exclusive gift that comes with the first 100 copies of the Dutch Spitsbergen guidebook ordered individually through my webshop or Michelle’s 🙂

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