New Netherland Institute
Exploring America's Dutch Heritage
Founded in 1986, the New Netherland Institute preserves and translates 17th-century Dutch records that illuminate America’s Dutch roots.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Live From New Amsterdam: New Netherland’s Library By New York Historical online March 26th, 2026
Old Masters, New Amsterdam The New York Historical Society, May 1 – August 30, 2026
Discover the records. Follow the names. See the past unfold.
Browse translated manuscripts, inventories, petitions, and court materials that carry real voices across four centuries — merchants, soldiers, farmers, officials, and families.
Enter the archive from any starting point and watch the story expand with each record you uncover.
Dutch Treats
In 1647, residents of Fort Orange were treated to a rare spectacle.
Read More at Times Union
Learn more about Charles Gehring’s legacy in
Dutch Renaissance: Translations Unveil America’s Forgotten Past.
Charles Gehring Retires After 50 Years
After five decades leading the New Netherland Institute,
Dr. Charles Gehring steps down from his position as
Director and Principal Researcher.
New Online Resource
A Tour of Netherlandic Sites in New York State highlights surviving structures that
preserve Dutch features. Visit this new digital tool on the New Netherland Institute’s website.
Digital Exibitions
Examines New Netherland’s Dutch colonial foundations, governance, trade networks, cultural exchange, and influence on New York’s laws, language, and landscapes.
New Research
Features new research revealing slavery, Indigenous relations, daily life, trade, and power structures in New Netherland, reshaping long-held historical narratives.
Netherlandish Sites
An interactive digital tour of Netherland-era sites, highlighting archaeological places, heritage landscapes, and cultural landmarks from early Dutch settlement.
Dutch Americans
Profiles Dutch Americans, documenting influential individuals, biographies, achievements, and contributions across politics, culture, commerce, religion, and society.
Guides & Finding Aids
A guide to New Netherland manuscripts and primary sources held in U.S. repositories.
From the Collections
Translations from the New York State Archives and major collections in Albany, New York City, and Amsterdam.
Genealogical Resources
Curated tools to help locate archives, vital records, and migration pathways for New Netherland research.
Research Tools
Zotero research tools and archive links, including ship lists, routes, and passenger records.
New Netherland
What was New Netherland?
Often overlooked, this Dutch colony whose people, trade, and ideas, profoundly shaped early America.
For Students
Digital exhibitions, books, timelines, treats, and videos bring seventeenth-century New Netherland to life for all ages.
For Teachers
Educator resources highlight New Netherland’s role in shaping America through diversity, commerce, and tolerance.
Map Collection
A collection of historical maps helping students explore New Netherland, geography, change, and colonial connections.
Watch
Scholar-led presentations and archival walkthroughs that bring the records to life.
Read
Essays, translations, book reviews, and stories drawn from the archives—voices of merchants, soldiers, enslaved families, and everyday people who shaped New Netherland.
Listen
Conversations and commentary from historians, translators, and cultural leaders.
