And What About the Declarants? Professional and Relational Background of the Declarants in the Death Certificates of the Netherlands, 1812–1939

The Historical Sample of the population of the Netherlands (HSN) is a database containing life histories from the 19th and 20th centuries. In total, around 85,600 individuals have been included, starting with the birth certificate. A distinctive feature of the civil registry is the role of declarants and witnesses in official records. In this article, I aim to provide greater insight into the nature and status of declarants in death certificates.