oa Inleiding - Een geschiedenis van mensen en (andere) dieren

History is by definition a history of mankind, or at least it seems so. Animals are assumed to play a subordinate part in human life: they are present, but merely as objects in the margin and without a story of their own. In recent years there has been a loud plea for change: animals move from a remote corner to become visible in historical writing. Or, as the American historian of science Harriet Ritvo stated a few years ago, the historical profession is witnessing an ‘animal turn’. But the integration of animals into the history of mankind is not a neutral act, since it undermines the paradigm on which traditional historiography is based. The focus of this thematic issue is on the historic relationship between people and animals, from prehistoric times until today, and the evolving attitudes of historians vis-à-vis the colourful animal world.