Thomas von der Dunk

(Soest, NL 1961) is a cultural historian and writer. For a number of years he worked as a researcher at various universities. Since 2002 he has been a freelance writer and political commentator. His often merciless columns, in which he frequently goes for the player, not seldom lead to controversy. In 2011 he was commissioned to do the Dutch Willem Arondéus lecture. When it appeared that he mercilessly attacked Dutch politician Geert Wilders' populist party, he was asked to leave out several passages. Von der Dunk refused and hence the lecture was called off. Von der Dunk decided to read it out anyway, with a turnout of 1,200 listeners. In his lecture he argued that there is a new taboo on comparisons with WWII, while these can be instructive and relevant in our times. Von der Dunk has published some fifteen books on as many cultural and historical subjects, varying from a German political portrayal of life and customs of ten centuries to a history of the Moses and Aron Church in Amsterdam.