Leonieke Vermeer

Leonieke Vermeer (1975) is cultural historian. She studied piano at the Prins Claus Conservatory (1999) and History (2004, cum laude) at the University of Groningen. In 2010 she completed her thesis Geestelijke lenigheid. De relatie tussen literatuur en natuurwetenschap in het werk van Frederik van Eeden en Felix Ortt, 1880-1930 (‘Mental sinuosity’) on the relationship between literature and science.

After receiving her PhD, she was curator of the National History Museum (2009-2011). From 2011 to 2015 she worked at the Open University as lecturer in Cultural History and managing editor of the OU Heritage Platform, a website with information about courses, activities and developments in the field of cultural heritage. 

Since 2012, Leonieke Vermeer has been working as a lecturer at the History department of the University of Groningen, where she has been Assistant Professor since 2015. She lectures on modern history, Dutch history, cultural history, public history, museums and heritage, life writing and the history of the body, illness and health. She also supervises dissertations, theses and internships.

Leonieke Vermeer is the author of several journal articles and other publications, such as the co-authored book Utopianism and the Sciences, 1880-1930 (Leuven: Peeters, 2010). Her recent research and publications focus on life writing, especially in relation to the history of the body, health and illness in self-narratives. She is editor of European Journal of Life Writing and the Dutch historical peer-reviewed journal Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis.

Currently, she is writing the biography of Sophie of Wurtemberg (1818-1877), queen consort of the Dutch king William III. This biography is part of the larger research project Four Dutch Queens in a Time of Nation Building (1774-1934). This research project is funded by the Cultuurfonds, in co-operation with the University of Utrecht, the University of Groningen and Boom Publishers.