In the first part of this article a description is given of the lunacy reform in the Netherlands in the first half of the nineteenth century. Special attention is given to lunacy law, institutional care and psychiatry.
In the second part an analysis is made of the proces that led to lunacy reform in the above mentioned period. Special attention is given to the role of the government bureaucracy and the role of private individuals.
The main conclusion of this article is that Schroeder v. d. Kolk who is generally known as the man who started the lunacy reform in the Netherlands, played a far less important role than is generally recognized in the literature on the subject.