Op reis van Ninive naar Nergenshuizen: de reacties van Janus Verrezen (1795-96) op de politieke situatie van Polen rond de derde deling

Abstract

Janus Verrezen (1795-1796) was a Dutch satirical periodical, which critically commented politics at the end of the eighteenth century. The authors of the journal were not only interested in changing of local circumstances but also commented on the situation of other states and nations, including Poland. In my article I analyze how Janus Verrezen reacted to one of the most crucial moments of Polish history, namely the third partition (1795). I focus on the rhetorical devices used to create a satirical image of the partition and the situation of the inhabitants of Poland in this period. This article not only helps to reconstruct the image of Poland at the end of the eighteenth century, but also sheds light on those, who created this image – the Dutch and their opinions about such topics as freedom, slavery or human rights. These issues were central to public debate during the first years of the Batavian Republic (1795-1806).