Sytse Jan van der Molen as Frysk en Nederlânsk folkskundige

Abstract

The publications of the Frisian folklorist, publicist and journalist Sytse Jan van der Molen (1912-1995) show a fascinating tension between traditional and modernizing influences in folkloristics and cultural science, both before as well as after his collaboration with the German occupation authorities during the Second World War. How did this affect his writing, and how did it influence their reception? This article explores not only the conservative mindset with which he set out in the 1930s, but also suggests the necessity of further research on his wartime activities. Moreover, it points out several themes in his publications after the war which put him at the forefront of Frisian and Dutch folkloristics