Person behind the research: Oldfrisist and historical anthropologist Han Nijdam

Wat was een mensenleven waard? Oudfrisist en historisch-antropoloog Han Nijdam (Amsterdam, 1969) zoekt het antwoord op deze vraag in Oudfriese rechtsteksten uit de middeleeuwen. Met nieuwe projecten probeert hij zijn kennis over vroeger te delen. ,,De tema’s fan doe binne noch hieltyd aktueel.”

So begins the interview with Dr Han Nijdam, which appeared in the daily newspaper Friesch Dagblad last Saturday. It is the second article in a series of 12: the Fryske Akademy and the daily newspaper Friesch Dagblad are working together in 2025 to put the people behind science in the spotlight.

For what do scientists do all day, and, better still, why do they do what they do? Where does that passion for the Frisian language and culture actually come from? Every month in 2025, in the Wykein supplement of the Friesch Dagblad, you can read more about what drives our colleagues and why they put their working lives at the service of Frisistics.

The ynterview with Han Nijdam, ‘Han Nijdam slaat een brug tussen de Friese middeleeuwen en nu’, can be read online (after registration). The first edition was an interview with lexicographer Janneke Spoelstra, and can be read here (after registration). Marchje Andringa is the photographer.