Peter van den Dungen – författare

First published on an extremely limited scale in the 1930s, Dr. Jacob ter Meulen's pathbreaking bibliography of four centuries of peace literature remains unsurpassed for the period it explores. The work was originally completed by Dr. ter Meulen, the librarian of the Peace Palace in the Hague, under the auspices of the International Committee of Historical Sciences with the financial support of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. The bibliography lists close to 4,000 titles in chronological order, from the beginning of printing until the end of the nineteenth century and is accompanied by comprehensive author indexes. In his valuable introductory essay, editor Dr. Peter van den Dungen traces the origins and progress of ter Meulen's ambitious and still-unrivaled project, provides a detailed discussion of the bibliography's significance for students of peace and internationalism, and analyzes the growth of the peace literature in a variety of languages during the period covered--1480 to 1898.The bibliography itself is divided into two sections that look at the peace literature from 1480 to 1776 and then from 1776 to 1898. Each part is followed by its own author index. A separate foreword by Arthur Eyffinger provides biographical information on ter Meulen and outlines the history and scope of the Peace Palace Library, ter Meulen's nearly three-decade librarianship, and the project itself. As the primary bibliography for the historical peace literature, this volume should be part of the reference collections of larger university and public libraries and of every college and university with a Peace Studies course. Independent peace organizations both academic and activist, here and abroad, as well as historians will find this reference invaluable to their work.

This book is the first comprehensive study of the history, nature, and purposes of peace museums, comprising twenty-one essays by a leading authority in the field. It presents a powerful argument for the need for this new kind of museum that informs and inspires visitors that a world of peace and nonviolence is both necessary and possible. Whereas there are numerous museums about war and the armed forces, museums about peacemaking and peacemakers are rare; indeed, the very concept of peace museums is still largely unknown. This is a reflection of the traditional writing and teaching of history which is dominated by narratives of war and warriors, with little or no attention being paid to the history of efforts to prevent and abolish war. Peace museums are ideal instruments to bring the long, fascinating, and vitally important history of peace to life for a large public. Among the essays included are histories of two (forgotten and unknown yet) heroic efforts to prevent World War I, and then World War II, through museums that educated and alerted visitors about the disasters ahead if war was not avoided, and ways to steer a different course following the catastrophe that was the Great War. At a time when a barbaric war in Europe, continuing wars in Africa, and ominous threats of war in Asia, are raising the specter of nuclear war and World War III, the need for anti-nuclear bomb and anti-war museums is greater than ever. Such museums are essential for the development of a global culture of peace and nonviolence. The book provides inspiration and hope for everyone interested in efforts to overcome an existential threat to civilization that is wholly man-made.