The institute is named after Nicolaas Wilhelmus Posthumus (1880-1960), the first professor in economic and social history in the Netherlands and founder of the Netherlands Economic History Archive (1914), the Economic History Library (1932) and the International Institute of Social History (1935).

He held chairs in Rotterdam and Amsterdam and is widely known for his work on price history. Read more [in Dutch] about N.W. Posthumus’ life and career on the website of Huygens ING