Menno Hertzberger Prize 2026: Theodor Dunkelgrün and Andrea van Leerdam to be honoured at the National Library of the Netherlands

Named after the distinguished Dutch antiquarian bookseller Menno Hertzberger (1897–1982), the prize celebrates outstanding contributions to the world of rare books, bibliography and book history.
The award ceremony brings together antiquarian booksellers, collectors, bibliophiles and book historians to celebrate the rich heritage of the printed book and the continuing importance of the antiquarian book trade.

This year's Menno Hertzberger Prize will be awarded to Theodor Dunkelgrün, of the University of Antwerp, for his outstanding contribution to book history, particularly his 2025 publication The Multiplicity of Scripture: The Making of the Antwerp Polyglot Bible.

The Menno Hertzberger Encouragement Prize will be presented to Andrea van Leerdam, of Utrecht University Library, for her 2023 study Woodcuts as Reading Guides: How Images Shaped Knowledge Transmission in Medical-Astrological Books in Dutch (1500–1550).

As Prize Chair Arine van der Lely explains:

"Dunkelgrün adopts a surprising and particularly fruitful perspective. Rather than focusing on the final printed product, he explores how this complex scholarly and publishing project actually came into being. How did the scholars involved approach their work? Which sources and textual traditions did they consult, how did they make their textual choices, and how did the collaboration between the scholars and the printing house unfold? By placing these questions at the heart of his research, Dunkelgrün sheds new light on a previously overlooked aspect of the history of the Polyglot Bible."

The 2026 award ceremony will take place at the National Library of the Netherlands in The Hague, jointly organised by the KB, the Nederlandsche Vereeniging van Antiquaren (NVvA) and the Menno Hertzberger Foundation.

Further information is available on the National Library of the Netherlands website.