Emma de Boer is currently completing her Master’s thesis in Public History at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on the perspectives of orphaned children who traveled on VOC ships, examining how their experiences can offer a more nuanced understanding of colonial maritime history. By centering these overlooked voices, she explores how individual lives intersect with larger institutional and colonial structures. 

In her work, Emma approaches history as fundamentally rooted in people, emphasizing lived experiences and the “so what” of history - why it matters beyond theory and how it gains relevance through its human dimension. She works through the lens of multivocality, challenging dominant historiographical narratives by foregrounding underrepresented perspectives. Her broader interests include Dutch colonial history, where she has researched the Indonesian independence struggle, women in decolonization movements, and public awareness of slavery in eighteenth-century Leiden. She is particularly interested in how personal and overlooked stories can reshape established historical narratives. 

As a public historian, Emma aims to make historical research accessible to wider audiences. She thus has presented her work in academic and public settings, including at the Herfstsymposium “Koloniën, Kennis en Collecties” at Leiden University.