Stichting tot Bevordering der Notariële Wetenschap

The Stichting tot Bevordering der Notariële Wetenschap (Foundation for the Advancement of Notarial Science) is a Dutch non-profit foundation dedicated to the study and practice of notarial law. It operates as a knowledge and publishing institution for the notarial profession in the Netherlands, maintaining an extensive library and art collection, issuing scholarly and professional publications, and organising continuing education courses for notaries and legal professionals. The foundation's publishing programme includes several well-known titles. Its newsletter is called Ponder, named after a one-armed balance scale that symbolises the equilibrium a notary should pursue. It also publishes the WPNR (Weekblad voor Privaatrecht, Notariaat en Registratie), a long-running Dutch legal journal, and the Ars Notariatus series, as well as the volume De notaris in woord en beeld. The foundation's library holds thousands of books, journals, loose-leaf works, and documents, much of which is accessible online. Its collection is open to students, professionals, and anyone interested in notarial practice or legal history. Beyond publishing, the foundation runs a regular programme of courses and lectures. These cover topics such as real estate conveyancing, anti-money-laundering rules (Wwft), and professional ethics, and they carry study points recognised by the Royal Dutch Notarial Society (KNB), the Dutch Bar Association (NOvA), and other professional bodies. The foundation thus functions as a central hub for notarial knowledge in the Netherlands, combining a research library, a publishing house, and a professional training provider under one institutional roof.

The Stichting tot Bevordering der Notariële Wetenschap is a Dutch foundation established to advance notarial science. Its history is closely tied to the development of notarial literature and professional education in the Netherlands. A key moment came in 1988, when an informal conversation between professors led to the creation of the Stichtingsrubriek (foundation section) in the WPNR, the Weekblad voor Privaatrecht, Notariaat en Registratie. This section filled a gap in notarial literature by offering practice-oriented articles written by academics and practitioners. Over time the foundation expanded its activities beyond the WPNR section. It began publishing its own newsletter, Ponder, named after a one-armed balance scale that symbolises the equilibrium a notary should strive for. It also took on the Ars Notariatus book series and the volume De notaris in woord en beeld. The foundation built and maintained a substantial library and art collection, with a catalogue that is largely available online. It also developed a programme of continuing education courses and lectures for notaries and other legal professionals, with study points recognised by the KNB, NOvA, and other bodies. The foundation remains active as a central institution for notarial knowledge in the Netherlands.

• 2026

  Upcoming courses include 'Koop en levering van vastgoed' on 24 September 2026 and 'Wandelen met de Wwft' on 19 October 2026.

• 2025

  Ponder 49 published on 1 September 2025.

• 2024

  Ponder 48 published on 1 September 2024.

• 2023

  Ponder 47 published on 1 October 2023.

• 1988

  An informal conversation between professors led to the creation of the Stichtingsrubriek in the WPNR.

A non-profit knowledge and publishing foundation serving the Dutch notarial profession through scholarship, publications, and continuing education.

• Ponder

  Newsletter of the foundation, named after a one-armed balance scale symbolising the equilibrium a notary should pursue.

• WPNR (Weekblad voor Privaatrecht, Notariaat en Registratie)

  Dutch legal journal in which the foundation has run the Stichtingsrubriek since 1988.

• Ars Notariatus

  Book series published by the foundation.

• De notaris in woord en beeld

  Publication about the notary in word and image.

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