We were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Dr. Ben Slot, former National Archivist and a leading authority on the Eastern archives housed in the National Archives of The Hague. His work encompassed vital historical sources, including those related to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the Levant trade, as well as materials of significant importance to Greek history and Greek-Dutch relations.

Ben Slot was born on 19 June 1941. After earning his doctorate in Byzantine Studies at Leiden University, he began his career at the General State Archives, now the National Archives, in 1970. Over nearly three decades of service until his early retirement in 1999, he rose through the ranks from a paid intern to acting National Archivist. Throughout his career, Ben played a pivotal role in making major archival collections more accessible and user-friendly, notably the archives of the Levant Trade and the Nassau Domain Council.

He was also instrumental in laying the groundwork for the international project TANAP (Towards a New Age of Partnership), aimed at preserving and providing access to VOC archives held around the world. In the late 1990s, he visited several former VOC outposts, including Cape Town, Colombo, and Jakarta, to advance this goal. Although the project (1999–2006) officially launched after his retirement, Ben’s foundational efforts were crucial to its success.

Following his retirement, Ben remained active as an advisor to various museum and archival initiatives in Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Through this work, he developed a close friendship with Sheikh Sultan, the Emir of Sharjah.

As a historian, Ben became a leading expert in Greek-Dutch relations, particularly focusing on the history of the Greek world under Ottoman rule—a subject also explored in his 1982 dissertation “Archipelagus Turbatus, Les Cyclades entre colonization Latine et occupation Ottomane c. 1500-1718”. He published numerous articles based on Dutch archival material relevant to this field.

Ben’s association with the Netherlands Institute at Athens (NIA) began in 2003, when he collaborated with Professor Arnold van Gemert (University of Amsterdam) and Greek historian Kostas Lappas on a workshop involving Greek and Dutch historians. The event focused on the accessibility and research use of Dutch archival sources related to Greece. This meeting laid the foundation for the “Dutch Archives and Greek History” project. As part of this initiative, approximately eight meters of archival documents covering the period surrounding the Greek Revolution and the early years of Greek independence (1814–1862) were digitized and made available to Greek scholars through the NIA.

Another key outcome of the project was the publication of a comprehensive reference guide. Edited by Agnes Dijk and Arnold van Gemert, and with contributions from Ben Slot and Daniel Koster (who covered the Amsterdam City Archives), the guide Ben J. Slot – Daniel Koster, “Dutch Archives and Greek History: A Guide to Dutch Archives and Libraries Concerning the Greeks and the Greek World between 1250 and 1940” was published in 2007, with support from the Onassis Foundation and the UTOPA Foundation. Thanks to Ben’s invaluable input, his deep knowledge of “Greek” archival material has been preserved for future generations.

In his later years, Ben spent much of his time on the Greek island of Naxos, where he owned a second home. In 2006, he was honored with honorary citizenship of the island.

We will always remember Ben as an erudite and witty individual who delighted in simple pleasures—such as a well-earned trip to Athens during his work in the Arab world, where he would smile broadly at the thought of finally enjoying a good porkchop again. The last time we saw him was at the NIA Day hosted at the University of Amsterdam in 2022, an event organized at the initiative of the Greek Embassy in The Hague. Despite his visibly declining health, Ben made the journey from Leidschendam to honor the Institute with his presence.

The Netherlands Institute at Athens remembers Ben Slot with great warmth and gratitude. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones, and wish them strength in this time of loss.

(With many thanks to Prof. Em. A. van Gemert and the staff of the National Archives)