The Linschoten-Vereeniging (Linschoten Society) is a Dutch scholarly society dedicated to publishing rare or previously unpublished travel accounts and geographical descriptions. It was founded in 1908 by and , by a group of historians and former seafarers regarded as specialists in Dutch maritime history.
The society is named after the Dutch merchant, writer, and explorer Jan Huygen van Linschoten (c. 1563âÂÂ1611), whose works at the end of the 16th century provided merchants from Holland and Zeeland with essential information for navigating the trade routes to the East Indies. The primary aim of the societyâÂÂcomparable to that of the Hakluyt SocietyâÂÂis to promote knowledge of the history of travel and navigation through scholarly editions of contemporary travel narratives. For more than a century, the society has published critical editions of maritime and travel accounts. Over one hundred volumes have appeared to date, and a substantial number of the earlier editions have been digitised.
The best-known publication series of the Linschoten-Vereeniging is the Werken van de Linschoten-Vereeniging (Works of the Linschoten Society). From 1909 to 1981 (vols. 1âÂÂ83) the series was published by Martinus Nijhoff in The Hague. Additional publications include the Registers (index volumes) and the Gelegenheidsuitgaven (occasional publications).