Van Lottum and Petram will unfold how their project came to be, from initial curiosity to research, making extensive use of the digital archives of the Amsterdam City Archives to reconstruct the experiences of individuals such as Dirkje Andries, who endured life in a workhouse, and Jacob Kerrens, a foundling, and construct vivid stories of their ordinary lives.

The seminar underscores the significance of the ordinary in the history of Amsterdam, and, in fact, any place. By piecing together a series of fragmented histories in their book, Van Lottum and Petram aim to enrich our understanding of Amsterdam’s past, offering a fresh perspective on the city’s development and the diverse characters who have contributed to its story.