The VOC – A Capital Error? uitverkocht

The establishment of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602 is often considered a brilliant move to secure a prolonged Dutch presence in Asian markets. But was the world's first permanent joint-stock company really a great success or was it a capital error?
Dr. Oscar Gelderblom  is associate professor Economic History (UU) and member of the Young Academy of the KNAW. In his research he focuses on the evolution of financial markets in pre-industrial Europe (1500-1800). He explains what the finance of the Dutch East India trade and the rise of the Amsterdam Capital Market during the Dutch Golden Age can teach us about economics.