As Latin schools served as bastions of learning from the 16th to 19th centuries, scholars and educators sought innovative ways to inspire and motivate students in their pursuit of knowledge. It was within this context that the tradition of awarding prize bindings (called ‘prijsbanden’ in Dutch) for outstanding performance emerged, as a means to recognise and reward academic excellence. This tradition became popular in Europe and the UK. The oldest preserved prize binding housed in our collection dates back to 1629 and originates from Haarlem. This particular volume contains the poems of Dutch writer and humanist Daniel Heyns and is very special as it is the second oldest prize binding in the Netherlands which is stamped with the city coat of arms. The collection boasts about 150 meticulously restored prize bindings.
