Henk Kern
Assistant professor
- Name
- Dr. J.H.C. Kern
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 2764
- j.h.c.kern@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Henk Kern is University Lecturer at the institute for History.with an expertise in Russian and Soviet history.
More information about Henk Kern
Spreekuur / Hours
Monday 2pm - 3pm
Fields of interest
Russian and Soviet history
Curriculum vitae
Henk Kern (1960) studied History at the University of Leiden, and studied Russian language while serving in military conscription. Afterwards he worked for a couple of years as a history teacher in secondary education.
In 1991 he became part-time docent for the Leiden University Russian Studies program. And besides that, since September 2000, he also works as docent for the History Department of Leiden, within the section Modern and Contemporary History.
In 2008 he has defended his dissertation on the European perception of the modernization of Russia in the time of tsar Alexander II (1855-1881).
Dissertation
Theme of the dissertation: 19th century Russian transition in European eyes
The subject of my PhD research at the Leiden University is the way Europeans fundamentally changed their thinking about Russia, in the period that Russia changed its internal organization and its orientation towards Western Europe under tsar Alexander II (1855-1881). His so called ‘Great Reforms’ are the starting point for an analysis of the new facts and ideas, as well as the underlying concepts and models, that were established about Russia by a whole new generation of Russia-experts in Europe.
The emancipation of Russia’s serf population, the institution of local self-government, the introduction of modern law-courts and juries, the glasnost in the press, more autonomy in education, the reorganization the army into a civilian conscript one, the publication of the national budget and the liberalization of state enterprises formed an obvious, if still incomplete, turning point in the development of the Russian state and society towards European models. This coincided with a more uncertain and tense diplomatic constellation in the European balance of power since the end of the Crimean War. These were the two basic reasons for a growing interest of Europeans in Russia.
The remarkable point is however that the individual Russia-watchers extended their visions well beyond the simple and pragmatic self-importance that was characteristic of the period before the Crimean War. August von Haxthausen, Anatole Leroy-Beaulieu, and Donald Mackenzie Wallace, as well as a dozen lesser writers, gave a much more penetrating, nuanced and explanatory image of Russia than was ever known before. In this way they laid the intellectual foundations for the modern discipline of Russian Studies. How they did this, and how relevant their observations were and still are, is the theme of my dissertation.
My Dissertation in DSpace
Key publications
'Inleiding: het weerzien van Rusland en Europa', Leidschrift 24/2 (september 2009) 7-13.
‘Rusland en Europa tussen hoop en vrees’, Idee. Tijdschrift van het wetenschappelijk bureau van D66 30/1 (februari 2009) 18-21.
Denken over Rusland. Europese beschouwingen over de Grote Hervormingen (proefschrift) Pegasus Oost-Europese Studies 15 (Amsterdam 2008).
‘Oekraïne en Rusland: een spiegeling van mythen’ (recensie), Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis 121/4 (2008) 475-476.
'Op zoek naar de Russische ziel' (recensie), Mare di Libri (8 april 2004) 3.
‘De ambassade van Dobrynin, een Russische kijk op de Koude Oorlog’, Leidschrift 16/1 (2001) 63-79.
‘Rusland tussen hervorming en reactie’, Novogvardejets 8/1 (januari 2001) 18-23.
‘De Russen van Musterd’, HIC (Historische Informatie Courant) 33/3 (september 2000) 6-9; ook in: Novogvardejets 7/4 (oktober 2000) 25-27.
‘Rook en Damp. De Grote Hervormingen in Rusland, 1861-1881’, Novogvardejets 6/4 (oktober 1999) 18-22.
‘Stalins waan’, Kolokoltsjik 17 (juni 1998) 35-39.
‘De modernisering van Rusland onder Alexander II’, Kolokoltsjik 5 (september 1994) 51-56.
‘Ivan de Verschrikkelijke opnieuw onderzocht’, Kolokoltsjik 2/3 (januari 1994) 11-17. 'Privédomein of keizerrijk? Staatsvorming in het vroegmoderne Rusland’, Leidschrift 9/3 (september 1993) 75-87.
‘“Met eigen ogen aanschouwd.” Drie heren in het Rusland van Nicolaas I’, Leidschrift 5/2 (maart 1989) 47-71.
Assistant professor
- Faculty of Humanities
- Institute for History
- Algemene Geschiedenis
- Kern J.H.C. (2020), Ruslands communisme voor en na: Lezing aan de Universiteit Utrecht voor het programma B&O Klassieken op 10 januari 2020 . [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (2020), Over de film Tsar to Lenin: Lezing ter inleiding op documentaire film voor studieverenigingen HSVL en Déjà Vu op 17 februari in Leiden. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (2020), Maatschappelijke veranderingen in het Russische Rijk van 1850 tot 1917: Lezing voor HOVO Utrecht in de serie De Russische Ziel gehouden op 9 december online in Zoom. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. & Boele O.F. (2020), 'Desinformatie' als thema voor het kerncurriculum in de MA Russian and Eurasian Studies in Leiden: Lezing gehouden voor de Nederlandse Slavistendagen aan de Universiteit Gent op 23-24 januari 2020. [lecture].
- Kern J.HC. (2020), Russia Faraway and Nearby: Lecture for the event of Light on Russia organized by the NIP at the UvA on December 10 in Amsterdam. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (20 September 2016), Het Russische verleden en Peter I in Sint-Petersburg [Scholengemeenschap HML, The Hague, September 20, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (20 September 2016), Rusland en Europa in de negentiende eeuw [Universiteit van Amsterdam, September 20, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (19 October 2016), De Russische Revolutie [HOVO, Utrecht, October 19, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (6 October 2016), Catharina de Grote (1729-1796) en de kracht van ambitie [HOVO, Leiden, October 6, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (16 March 2016), De Russische beer: Misha of Macho? [Studentenverenigingen Panoplia and Prometheus, Leiden, March 16, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (17 March 2016), Het Russische verleden en Peter I in Sint-Petersburg [Scholengemeenschap HML, The Hague, March 17, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (4 April 2016), Empire and Nation in Russian foreign policy [SIB, Amsterdam, April 4, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (28 May 2016), Path dependancy in Russian foreign policy [JOVD, Amersfoort, May 28, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (28 September 2016), De Russische intelligentsia [HOVO, Utrecht, September 28, 2016]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (4 April 2015), Rusland – 1812 [Leidschrift symposium, Leiden, April 4, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (17 May 2015), Russia and the West. for Onvoltooid Verleden Tijd (OVT) (NPO Radio 1). [interview].
- Kern J.H.C. (2015), 1812 [Leidschrift excursie, Hermitage aan de Amstel, Amsterdam, October 9-10, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (26 October 2015), Ruslands samobytnost [Kulturhus, Holten, October 26, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (25 November 2015), Het geopolitiek gedrag van Rusland [LAP lecture, Leiden, November 25, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (30 January 2015), Rusland in 1914 [LAPPTOP, Leiden, January 30, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (5 February 2015), Ruslands last van het verleden [HOVO Tilburg, February 5, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (8 May 2015), Russia in World War II. for MOM (NPO Radio 1). [interview].
- Kern J.H.C. (2 June 2015), Ruslands last van het verleden [AEGEE, Leiden, June 2, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (15 September 2015), Rusland en Europa in de negentiende eeuw [Universiteit van Amsterdam/NRC, Amsterdam, September 15, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (23 September 2015), Heren en boeren in Rusland in de negentiende eeuw [HOVO Utrecht, September 23, 2015]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (1 October 2014), World War I and Revolution [Studium Generale, Leiden, October 1, 2014]. Studium Generale. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (17 May 2014), Tsaar Alexander II [Merlijn, Leiden, May 17, 2014]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (16 February 2014), Olympic Games in Sotsji, Russia. (Unity FM). [interview].
- Kern J.H.C. (22 January 2014), Russian history [Prometheus, Leiden, January 22, 2014]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (15 October 2014), Foreign politics of Russia [CDJA, Leiden, October 15, 2014]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (16 November 2014), Introduction about Ukrainian history [Blinibioscoop, Rotterdam, November 16, 2014]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (23 November 2014), Introduction for the movie ‘Come and See’ [Catena, Leiden, November 23, 2014]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (11 March 2014), Baltic region [Historical Study Association Leiden (HSVL), Leiden, March 11, 2014]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (8 November 2013), 5000 Roebel en positie van homoseksuelen in Rusland [Debate Forum, Amsterdam, November 8, 2013]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (18 May 2013), Peter de Grote en het leger [Hermitage aan de Amstel, Amsterdam, May 18, 2013]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (26 August 2013), Peter de Grote en het nieuwe Rusland [HOVO, Leiden, August 26, 2013]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (29 January 2013), Communisme, perestrojka en transitie [SCHUNK*, Heerlen, January 29, 2013]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (4 April 2013), Van Stalin naar Chroesjtsjov [Student Association Franciscus Gomaris, Leiden, April 4, 2013]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (4 September 2013), De last van het Russische verleden [Novum Gymnasium, Voorburg, September 4, 2013]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (2012), Nina and Stalinism (2 lectures) [Proefstuderen, Leiden University, February 10 and 17, 2012]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (10 April 2012), The Historical Burden of Modern Ukraine [Historical Study Association Leiden (HSVL), Leiden University, April 10, 2012]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (20 May 2012), The Blockade of Leningrad [Blinibioscoop at Podium O950, Rotterdam, May 20, 2012]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (18 November 2012), The Great Socialist October Revolution of 1917 [Blinibioscoop at Podium O950, Rotterdam, November 18, 2012]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (17 April 2012), The Cold War: contribution to the Professorendiner [Historical Study Association Leiden (HSVL), Leiden University, April 17, 2012]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (15 January 2012), Russian Transition [Blinibioscoop at Podium O950, Rotterdam, January 15, 2012]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (2012), The History of Two Russia’s (8 lectures) [HOVO, Leiden, March-May 2012]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C. (21 February 2012), Forum debate: Choice and Change in Russia [SIB Amsterdam (UvA), February 21, 2012]. [lecture].
- Kern J.H.C.. Het Sovjetexperiment. Hoorcollege over de moderne geschiedenis van Rusland. Den Haag. [inaugural address].