Vroegmodernie

Vroegmodernie is a term used in Dutch-language historiography to refer to the early phase of modernity in Europe. It is not a universally defined period name; it appears in various scholarly works with differing boundaries. The term is primarily used within Western European historical writing and related disciplines, though it sometimes appears in comparative or global histories.

Dating and scope vary; most usages place the period roughly from the late medieval era into the early modern era, often spanning from the 14th to the 17th centuries. The boundaries are contested and depend on the emphasis of the author—political centralization, religious reformations, economic change, or cultural shifts may be foregrounded differently. The term is closely related to, but not identical with, the more widely used "vroegmoderne tijd" or "early modern period."

Common characteristics highlighted under vroegmodernie include the transition from feudal to centralized state structures, the spread of literacy and print culture, urbanization, and new forms of commerce and finance. Intellectual currents such as humanism and the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation and Catholic reform movements, and the beginnings of the Scientific Revolution are cited as drivers of change. The period also witnesses shifts in art, religion, and daily life as societies reorganize around new political, religious, and economic frameworks.

In usage, vroegmodernie appears in textbooks, museum labels, and syntheses of early modern history. It is a flexible label rather than a fixed category and is used differently by authors, sometimes overlapping with other periodizations. As such, it serves as a heuristic tool to discuss transitional processes from medieval to modern society rather than as a single, universally accepted definition.