Herman Pleij (born 1943) is a professor emeritus of Medieval Dutch literature at the University of Amsterdam.

[2] In 1979 he completed his thesis on De Blauwe Schuit, among other ancient carnival texts.

[clarification needed] In 1981 he became a professor at the University of Amsterdam.

Since then he has published many works on cultural history, such as the issue of national identity.

His interest in the social debate on any available subject is reflected in his frequent participation in talk shows on Dutch television.