bookshops in the Netherlands

[Robert J. Zydenbos]

Jacob Baltuch <jacob.baltuch at EURONET.BE> wrote:

> Anybody knows of a bookstore in the Netherlands with a decent
> Sanskrit section (European publishing and/or Indian publishing
> of e.g. M.R.Kale's editions, etc.) and/or a decent IE (lingu.)
> section?

You should realise that the Dutch government decided years ago that
Indology is not important any more (apparently they believe that
all one really needs to know for India is English and some social
science or the other in a 'globalising' world where nobody cares
about culture any longer) so now the Univ. of Leiden alone has to
hold up the flag of Dutch Indology. So Leiden is the place where
you should look for Indological books. There are a few very decent
second-hand bookstores on Asian subjects there (I was there a few
months ago, but sorry, I forgot their names. Brill is one of them).

Au Bout Du Monde in Amsterdam is basically a new-age affair
(somewhat like De Heremiet in Eindhoven), but I remember that the
last time I was there (maybe 20 years ago - really) they had some
serious linguistic materials: dictionaries, grammars etc. from
India (mainly reprints of old publications). There was another such
shop in Amsterdam at the time, which looked more serious and less
fashionable; I believe its name was Van Gelderen, Van Gennep or
something similar, on one of the canals.

Occasionally one can chance upon some fine second-hand items at De
Slegte (branches in Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Eindhoven,...)

In Germany you could possibly consider visiting Otto Harrassowitz
in Wiesbaden, the *big* Asian bookseller, but I'm afraid that is a
little beyond the 300 km you stipulated from Eindhoven. But first
check whether they have a showroom. I have only ordered books from
them by mail.

RZ