From childhood illnesses and tubercolosis to heart failure and ailments of old age: thousands of Nijmegen death notices provide a unique insight into the health of previous generations. Research from Radboud University and other institutions are therefore launching a new citizen science project in which volunteers make this special historical source available for research. This project will be launched this coming Sunday, 28 June, during the opening of the exhibition 'Essential Care: Illness and Health in Kinderdorp Neerbosch 1863-2000' at 12.30 pm at the Kinderdorp Neerbosch Museum.
From Sunday onwards, volunteers will be able to start entering data from the Nijmegen death notices via the 'Het Volk' platform. These official death notices were drawn up by doctors from 1865 onwards and contain information about the cause of death of the deceased. Unlike in many other Dutch municipalities, these documents in Nijmegen have been exceptionally well preserved from 1893 to 1972.
"Most people are familiar with death certificates, but these do not usually state the cause of death," says historical demographer Tim Riswick of Radboud University. "Death notices do contain this information. They reveal which diseases were prevalent, which enables us to research which groups were hit hardest and how health changed over time."
More than a medical history
The death notices do not merely provide information about illness and mortality. They also provide insight into the daily lives of Nijmegen's residents. The project will enable researchers to study how health differences corrolate to age, profession, living environment and social circumstances. The Nijmegen collection is an important addition to previous research into historical causes of death in cities such as Amsterdam, Haarlem, and Zwolle. The data will become part of a national infrastructure for research into health, mortality and epidemics in the Netherlands between 1850 and 1950.
Help from local residents is essential
To make these thousands of historical documents accessible, the researchers are relying on the help of volunteers. Using an online data entry system, participants can transcribe data from scans of the original sources from the comfort of their own homes. "Projects like this can only exist thanks to citizen scientists," says Riswick. "Volunteers do not only help with data entry, but they also contribute their knowledge of local history. In doing so, they make a direct contribution to scientific research and to the preservation of Nijmegen's heritage."
Stories behind the numbers
One of the death notices, for instance, describes the death of seven-month-old Wilhelmus Josephus Teunissen. The doctor recorded the cause of death as acute pneumonia and pulmonary oedema. Such documents reveal the health risks faced by the people of Nijmegen over a centry ago and put a face to the mortality statistics. With this new project, the researchers hope not only to preserve an important historical source, but also to engage new generations with the history of their city.
Want to help?
Volunteers can immediately get involved via the Het Volk platform. More information about the project can be found at www.doodsoorzaken.nl.