briefwisseling

Briefwisseling is the exchange of letters between individuals, groups, or institutions. The term is Dutch and refers to the practice of sending and receiving letters, as well as to the letters themselves when collected as a body of correspondence. It can also denote the use of letters as a narrative or argumentative medium in literature.

Historically, briefwisseling was a primary mode of communication before modern telecommunication. It covered personal correspondence, diplomatic exchanges, and scholarly networks. The content often included news, requests, reports, opinions, and reflections, and it can illuminate social hierarchies and networks of influence.

In literature, the term also describes epistolary writing, where a story is told through letters, diary entries, or documents compiled as letters. Epistolary novels, collections of letters, and letter exchanges between characters rely on distinct voices and perspectives conveyed through the letter form.

In the modern era, electronic mail and instant messaging have largely supplanted traditional briefwisseling for everyday use, but archival letter collections remain valuable sources for historians, biographers, and literary scholars. The concept persists in studies of communication, diplomacy, and epistolary fiction. See also: correspondence, epistolary novel, diplomatic correspondence.