Digitizing Dutch Censuses Preliminary results & work in progress Luuk Schreven Netherlands Institute for Scientific Information Services

Structure of presentation 1.Introduction to census project –Efforts to harmonize census data –Remote access to census micro data 2.Tour of the new website 3.Historical GIS for the Netherlands

Introduction to census project : –Scanning 200 books, pages –Data-entry census March 2004: –Validation and correction of census data and 1930 –Digital archiving census 1960 and 1971 March 2003 – December 2005: –Life Courses in Context (see: –Data-entry of census data –Documentation, harmonization, access and research

What has been realized? New website up and running –Only in Dutch!  –Some pages of tabular (aggregate) census data downloadable from website –Documentation is available –Validation and correction are partially complete –Harmonization schemes for certain census variables (restricted) Access to original micro data files for 1960 and 1971 census –Van Tubergen & Maas (2005)

Still to do… Finishing validation and correction Building harmonization schemes for census variables: –HISCO for harmonization of occupations –Standardizing sub municipal divisions –Harmonizing other variables and categories Linking to Life Courses data from the Historical Sample of the Netherlands Better access to the data –Data not only as Excel spreadsheets –StatLine or Nesstar? Or other publication tool? Translation of the website to English!

Population per municipality in 1795 Source: In 1795 Amsterdam is the biggest city with “souls” Klein-Waspik is the smallest hamlet with 3 inhabitants; a total of 1807 municipalities are mentioned in the census.

Boonstra’s NLKaart Dr. Boonstra’s NLKaart; –mid 1980’s onwards –first Historical GIS? –municipal boundaries between –first SAS/Graph based, later MapInfo

HGIN; a Historical Geographic Information System for the Netherlands Project goals: –Converting and correcting Boonstra’s NLKaart –digitizing maps with sub municipal boundaries ‘wijken’ (neighbourhoods) and ‘buurten’ (blocks) (1920 – 1971) –Setting up a gazetteer of historic places –Making the everything available on the web

HGIN details: technical stuff Scalable Vector Graphics Geoserver as basic geographical data server (OpenGIS) User friendly interface in NIWI’s Content Management Software: i- Tor see: or for working preview of the GIS.

HGIN details: results so far Testversion of mapping application is running at NIDI’s website ( and 1971 sub municipal maps available 1930, 1947 and 1956 maps are being digitized (outsourced) NLKaart converted to ArcGIS Work on gazetteer started

HGIN details: religion 1971 (provincial) Percentage Roman Catholic by province, Census 1971

HGIN details: religion 1971 (municipal) Percentage Roman Catholic by municipality, Census 1971

HGIN details: religion 1971 (submunicipal) Percentage Roman Catholic by block / neighbourhood, Census 1971