Risky business

“Risky business: pricing, governance, and integration in European insurance markets, c. 1400-c. 1870” is a project funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the Samenwerkende Maritieme Fondsen. The Risky Business database is a newly developed, openly accessible resource that brings together rich information on insurance contracts from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century across markets all over Europe and America. Drawing on both established datasets and newly gathered archival material, it offers detailed insights into insurable routes, premium rates, cargo types, and vessel characteristics. Users can explore an interactive map that visually traces historical trading routes or use the search function to investigate specific questions. All results can be downloaded, and direct links to the original sources are readily available. Principal Investigator of the project is prof. Sabine Go (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam).