Aanzet

What Aanzet does

Aanzet (legal name: Historisch Tijdschrift Aanzet) is a student-run academic journal founded in 1982 and published by the Utrechtse Historische Studentenkring (Utrecht Historical Student Association), a Dutch non-profit student organization based in Utrecht (Drift 21, 3512 BR). The journal publishes three editions per year, offering history students at Utrecht University a platform to publish popular-scientific research articles, alongside editorial columns (rubrieken) such as reviews, opinion pieces, interviews, and reports. Content is published bilingually in Dutch and English and covers historical periods from prehistory to contemporary times. The publication also operates a podcast channel featuring interviews and historical discussions.

The underlying technology stack is a WordPress-based digital publishing platform (aanzetonline.nl) with full content distributed as free downloadable PDF files, supporting an Open Access model in which all articles are available to readers at no cost. There is no disclosed subscription fee, advertising revenue, or commercial monetization; the publication functions as a non-profit academic outlet with editorial leadership rotating among student members. Distribution channels include the website, Instagram (@aanzetjournal, @aanzetonline), LinkedIn, and an audio podcast. Aanzet is registered with ISSN 0926-1265 and listed as a private non-profit organization under Dutch jurisdiction.

The business model is structurally non-commercial: contributors are unpaid student volunteers, content is offered free of charge, and the entity operates under the umbrella of Utrecht University's student community. The website contains a "Word abonnee!" (become a subscriber) call-to-action, but pricing is not publicly disclosed and no subscription revenue is recognized. As such, Aanzet is best characterized as an academic extracurricular publishing platform rather than a commercial enterprise, with no external investors, funding rounds, or revenue figures in the public record.

Name

Aanzet

Legal name

Historisch Tijdschrift Aanzet

Website

https://aanzetonline.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aanzet (Historisch Tijdschrift Aanzet) is a non-profit, student-run academic journal founded in 1982 in Utrecht, Netherlands, publishing three Open Access editions per year in Dutch and English for history students at Utrecht University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Journal Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE), Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Student academic journal
• Open access publishing
• Historical research publication
• Popular science history
• Bilingual academic journal

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aanzet publishes a student-run, Open Access historical journal three times per year, featuring peer-reviewed scientific articles, reviews, opinion pieces, and other rubrics on history topics. Content is available in Dutch and English through a WordPress website and as free PDF downloads, produced by an editorial team of Utrecht University history students under the Utrechtse Historische Studentenkring. The publication also operates a companion podcast featuring interviews and historical discussions.

Product overview

Aanzet (Historisch Tijdschrift Aanzet) is a student-run academic journal published by the Utrechtse Historische Studentenkring (Utrecht Historical Student Association). Founded in 1982, the journal operates as a unified open-access publication released three times per year, offering peer-reviewed historical research alongside editorial columns (rubrieken) including reviews, opinion pieces, and interviews. Articles appear in both Dutch and English, covering historical periods from prehistory through contemporary times. The publication serves as a platform for history students to publish their research and gain academic publication experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Historisch Tijdschrift Aanzet The main historical journal published three times per year by history students at Utrecht University, offering open access articles, reviews, and opinion pieces in Dutch and English covering various historical periods.
• Aanzet Podcast Audio content companion to the journal, featuring interviews and discussions on historical topics.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Utrechtse Historische Studentenkring (UHSK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Utrechtse Historische Studentenkring (UHSK) is the parent organization that publishes Aanzet. This is the founding student society that established and continues to run the historical journal.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BMGN – Low Countries Historical Review: Established Dutch-language peer-reviewed academic journal covering the history of the Low Countries, published by the Royal Netherlands Historical Society. Overlaps significantly in scope (historical scholarship, Netherlands-focused) but operates at a larger, professional scale rather than as a student-run publication.
• Ons Erfdeel: Flemish/Dutch-language cultural and historical journal publishing essays and reviews on Low Countries history and culture. Overlaps with Aanzet in audience (Dutch/Flemish humanities readers) and bilingual mission, though at professional rather than student scale.
• Brill Publishers (History): International academic publisher headquartered in Leiden with a long-running history and humanities journal portfolio, including Dutch and Low Countries titles. A natural incumbent comparison for any Dutch humanities periodical seeking broader international indexing.
• Amsterdam University Press (History list): Major Dutch academic publisher with a significant history and humanities list, including peer-reviewed Open Access journals. Represents the larger commercial-academic publishing ecosystem Aanzet could partner with or compete against for Dutch history authors and reader attention.

Direct peers

• Groniek: Dutch academic history journal run by and for University of Groningen history students. Same target audience (Dutch university history students), same Open Access publishing model, same volunteer-led student editorial structure, and same generalist-popular-scientific historical scope. The closest structural peer to Aanzet.
• Holland: Historisch Tijdschrift: Dutch academic history journal focused on Holland's regional and cultural history. Shares the periodical-academic-history niche with Aanzet and serves a comparable Dutch humanities readership, though professionally edited and institutionally hosted.
• Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis: Long-running Dutch-language historical journal publishing scholarly and essayistic historical work for a Dutch readership. Comparable on periodicity, language (Dutch), and humanities-scholarly tone, though professionally edited rather than student-run.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historischtijdschriftaanzet
• Instagraminstagram.com/aanzetonline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aanzet