Dr B. Quanjer (Björn)
Specialist in historical microdata - Humanities Lab Faculty of Arts
Björn Quanjer (1991) is a post-doctoral researcher for the Historical database of Suriname and the Caribbean (HDSC) project. His research focusses on inequalities in wealth and health in historical populations. Björn constructs and uses large scale population database to explore social, economic and demographic trends in the past. Within the HDSC project Björn focusses on the island of Curaçao.
Björn’s PhD research entailed a study of early life determinants of adult height within the Netherlands between 1850-1950. In 2024 he defended his dissertation cum laude, using household level data linked to conscription records. His research calls for more attention for the influence of diseases compared to the nutritional aspect of heights alone.
Björn holds both a BA (2014) and a MA (2016) degree in History from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, writing his MA-thesis on the history of the bike in Groningen 1885-1935. This thesis won the History Thesis Prize Groningen in 2016.