Koos van Weringh (Journalist, Criminologist and Collector of Political Prints)
In the world of rare books and political
prints, provenance often tells a story as compelling as the content itself.
Such is the case with a copy of Onder Zwart Regime (Under a Black Regime), a
vintage collection of twelve coloured caricatures by the renowned Dutch
cartoonist Albert Hahn, published in 1905
by H.A. Wakker & Co. in Rotterdam. Hahn, known for his biting satire
and socialist leanings, used his art to critique authoritarianism and social
injustice in early 20th-century Netherlands.
What makes this particular copy exceptional
is the ex libris found inside, a striking illustration showing miniature human
figures diving off the edge of an open binder labeled ARCHIEF (ARCHIVE),
plunging into its pages where the name KOOS VAN WERINGH is boldly inscribed.
The image, signed “KW,” is a personal stamp
of ownership by Koos van Weringh, the Dutch journalist, criminologist, and
celebrated collector of political prints.
The ex libris pasted inside the front-cover
of this rare collection of political caricatures by Hahn is especially fitting,
as van Weringh had a deep scholarly connection to Hahn, having authored a
comprehensive study on the cartoonist in 1969 titled Albert Hahn: Tekenen om te
ontmaskeren (Albert Hahn: Drawing to Unmask). The presence of his ex libris in
this volume underscores van Weringh’s lifelong dedication to political print
culture and his role as both collector and chronicler of visual dissent.
A Collector’s Mark
Koos van Weringh, born in 1934, built a
career that spanned academia, journalism, and cultural preservation. As a
professor of criminology at the University of Amsterdam (1970–1987), he was
known for his sharp analysis and interdisciplinary approach. But his true
passion lay in collecting, amassing over 150,000 political prints from around
the world, transforming his home in Cologne, Germany into a living archive of
visual dissent.
Koos van Weringh’s collection is nothing
short of extraordinary; a sprawling, deeply personal archive of political
expression that spans continents, ideologies, and decades. His home in Cologne
has become a labyrinthine museum of dissent, satire, and historical commentary,
built from over 60 years of obsessive collecting.
What’s in the Collection?
150,000+ political cartoons: Most clipped
from newspapers around the world — Dutch, German, British, French, Spanish, and
beyond. Van Weringh starts his day with coffee and a trip to the local kiosk,
buying international papers to harvest fresh caricatures.
Original
drawings: As his reputation grew, cartoonists began gifting him original works,
adding rare and personal touches to the archive.
7000 political postcards: Including 800
Russian propaganda posters, showcasing the visual language of power and
resistance across regimes.
Books, photos, and ephemera: Among them,
300 photographs of Lenin statues that no longer exist; a testament to his
fascination with the impermanence of political iconography.
How It’s Organized
The system is eccentric but intuitive — a “walk-in brain” of drawers, shelves, and labelled folders. Headlines and phrases are taped to cabinets, sparking spontaneous associations.
Documented Legacy
His archive was featured in the documentary
“Het Prentenkabinet van Koos van Weringh”, which portrays him as a passionate
chronicler of press freedom and political satire. Each year, he hosts
cartoonists for dinner, turning his home into a salon of visual resistance.
A Book’s Journey
Before van Weringh acquired the Hahn
volume, it bore another inscription in blue ink; an undecipherable signature
followed by the date (19)’75 to Mev
(Mrs) A. Cramer-van Dobben, ………
Amsterdam. Though little is known about her, the ownership marks an
earlier chapter in the book’s life, possibly as a personal gift or part of a
private collection.
Then, on 20 September 1999, the book was
formally donated , a schenking, by Koos van Weringh. While the recipient isn’t
explicitly named in the pencil written
inscription, the term schenking (Donation) strongly implies that it was
gifted to an archive, museum, or scholarly institution.
A Life in Print and Partnership
Van Weringh’s intellectual journey is
deeply intertwined with that of his wife, Kathinka Dittrich van Weringh, a
prominent German journalist and cultural diplomat. As director of the
Goethe-Institut in Amsterdam and later cultural councillor in Cologne, she
championed German-Dutch relations and earned the prestigious Von der Gablentz
Prize in 1996. Her scholarly work on German émigrés in Dutch cinema complements
her husband’s focus on exile literature and political art.
Together, they have cultivated a legacy
rooted in cultural memory, resistance, and the power of the printed image. The
Hahn book, with its layered inscriptions and evocative ex libris, stands as a
testament to that legacy — a small but vivid artifact in the vast archive of
dissent they’ve helped preserve.
Textual Sources
Albert Hahn and “Onder
Zwart Regime”
Rijksmuseum Collection
Entry: Onder zwart regime / 12 prenten van Alb. Hahn
(1904–1905) Detailed object record of the original caricature series, including
titles and themes of the prints.
Arine van der Steur Antiquariaat: Original
lithograph listing of Hahn’s work Confirms publication details and satirical
focus on Kuyper-era politics.
CODA Museum Gelderland: Collection record
of Hahn’s 1905 lithographs Notes the publisher (A.B. Soep), format, and
political context.
Koos van Weringh’s Scholarship and Ex
Libris
Albert Hahn: Tekenen om
te ontmaskeren (1969)
Internet Archive edition
De Slegte antiquarian listing Van Weringh’s
seminal study on Hahn, richly illustrated and foundational to Dutch cartoon
historiography.
Documentary: Het
Prentenkabinet van Koos van Weringh
Stichting Beeldlijn: Official documentary
page Produced in 2014, directed by Jasper Huizinga and Lotte Veltman. Offers
visual insight into van Weringh’s archive and collecting philosophy.
YouTube Trailer: Watch the trailer
Vimeo On Demand: Stream the full
documentary
Kathinka Dittrich van Weringh and Cultural
Diplomacy
Wikipedia (Dutch): Kathinka Dittrich van
Weringh Details her career, publications, and award history.
Von der Gablentz Prize (1996): Awarded for
her work at the Goethe-Institut and fostering German-Dutch cultural relations.
Image Reference
Cover image of Kathinka Dittrich van Weringh, featured on Wann vergeht Vergangenheit? (Dittrich Verlag, 2017). Photograph uncredited