How did Walter Scott influence Dutch historical novels?

Sir Walter Scott exerted a profound influence on Dutch literature by providing the essential model for the development of historical national Romanticism in the Netherlands.1

During the 19th century, as Dutch writers sought to explore their national identity, Scott’s historical novels served as a primary template. This influence was formalized in 1826 when David van Lennep published a paper explicitly calling for the creation of Dutch novels modeled after Scott’s works.1

The impact of this call was immediate and significant:
* Jacob van Lennep, son of David, became the first major writer to respond to this movement with his 1833 novel De pleegzoon (The Adopted Son).1
* Aernout Drost also adopted this literary spirit, producing works that aligned with the historical and Romantic trends popularized by Scott.1
* The movement eventually helped shape the broader Dutch literary landscape, influencing later critical efforts to define the historical novel and integrate it with national Protestant ideals.1

By demonstrating how to blend historical settings with vivid storytelling, Scott helped establish the historical novel as a cornerstone of 19th-century Dutch literary culture.21