Menno Hertzberger Prize 2026: Theodor Dunkelgrün and Andrea van Leerdam to be honoured at the National Library of the Netherlands

Named after the distinguished Dutch antiquarian bookseller Menno Hertzberger (1897–1982), the prize celebrates outstanding contributions to the world of rare books, bibliography and book history.
The award ceremony brings together antiquarian booksellers, collectors, bibliophiles and book historians to celebrate the rich heritage of the printed book and the continuing importance of the antiquarian book trade.

This year's Menno Hertzberger Prize will be awarded to Theodor Dunkelgrün, of the University of Antwerp, for his outstanding contribution to book history, particularly his 2025 publication The Multiplicity of Scripture: The Making of the Antwerp Polyglot Bible.

The Menno Hertzberger Encouragement Prize will be presented to Andrea van Leerdam, of Utrecht University Library, for her 2023 study Woodcuts as Reading Guides: How Images Shaped Knowledge Transmission in Medical-Astrological Books in Dutch (1500–1550).

As member of the jury, Arine van der Steur, explains:

"Dunkelgrün adopts a surprising and particularly fruitful perspective. Rather than focusing on the final printed product, he explores how this complex scholarly and publishing project actually came into being. How did the scholars involved approach their work? Which sources and textual traditions did they consult, how did they make their textual choices, and how did the collaboration between the scholars and the printing house unfold? By placing these questions at the heart of his research, Dunkelgrün sheds new light on a previously overlooked aspect of the history of the Polyglot Bible."

The 2026 award ceremony will take place at the National Library of the Netherlands in The Hague, jointly organised by the KB, the Nederlandsche Vereeniging van Antiquaren (NVvA) and the Menno Hertzberger Foundation.

Further information is available on the National Library of the Netherlands website.

About the Prize:
The Menno Hertzberger Prize was established in 1962 by the Dutch antiquarian bookseller and publisher Menno Hertzberger (1897–1982), who devoted a substantial part of a monetary gift received on his 65th birthday to the creation of a fund for bibliographical scholarship. First awarded in 1965, the prize is presented every three years for an outstanding contribution to Dutch bibliography and the history of the book. An Encouragement Prize, introduced in 2002, recognises the work of emerging scholars. Since Hertzberger's death, the prize has been administered by the Menno Hertzberger Prize Foundation under the auspices of the Dutch Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (NVvA).

Born in Sneek in 1897, Hertzberger established his antiquarian book business in Amsterdam in 1920, combining bookselling with publishing and auctioneering. His publishing activities included major scholarly undertakings such as Wytze and Lotte Hellinga's The Printing Types and the Hollstein series of catalogues of prints. He was instrumental in founding the NVvA in 1935 and, following the Second World War, initiated the international discussions in Amsterdam in 1947 that led to the establishment of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.