arts Erin Chang

3 min reading time

International Activities of Dutch Artists Return to Pre-Covid Levels

With almost twice as many activities as in the two previous years during the corona pandemic, the international cultural participation of Dutch artists and organisations recovered in 2022.

history Tom Christiaens

3 min reading time

Finally, the “Flemish Canon” Has Been Launched

The ‘Canon of Flanders’ is a list of events, people and traditions that, according to the expert committee, define today’s Flanders.

history Elwin Hofman

9 min reading time

Pink Triangles: Adopted Memories of Gay Persecution in Nazi Europe

At Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen, an exhibition highlights the precarious situation of gays and lesbians in Nazi Germany and the occupied countries of France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

literature Alex Sullivan

13 min reading time

Simone Atangana Bekono’s 'Zo Hoog De Zon Stond' Translated Into English

Students from two British Universities translated an extract from the second novel of Dutch poet and writer Simone Atangana Bekono.

language Marten van der Meulen

5 min reading time

'Yes, I Do' and Other Words That Change the World

Linguist Marten van der Meulen had the honour to perform one of the rarest and most extraordinary speech acts: the wedding ceremony.

arts Bart Van der Straeten

6 min reading time

To Simply Be: The Architecture of Marie-José Van Hee

Over a career lasting almost fifty years, the Flemish architect Marie-José Van Hee has developed a personal style at the heart of which is the search for harmony, simplicity and a protective effect.

The L-Spot

society Derek Blyth

1 min reading time

The Dutch Art of Uitwaaien

The Dutch are riding their bikes everywhere, always and in any weather. Even when they have to battle against gale-force winds.

video Masterpieces From the CODART Canon

arts CODART

2 min reading time

A Pair of Wedding Gloves

‘A Pair of Wedding Gloves’ is one of the hundred masterpieces of early modern Dutch and Flemish art in the CODART Canon.

language Ingrid Glorie

8 min reading time

A Matter of Awareness: Language Variation in International Dutch Studies

Dutch is a pluricentric language. That raises the question of which variety of Dutch foreign students might be offered.

history Edward De Maesschalck

10 min reading time

Karl Marx Wrote Global History in Brussels

The Belgian capital marked a turning point in the German philosopher's life. It was there Marx worked with his close friend Friedrich Engels on his Communist Manifesto.

review First Book

literature Dirk Vandenberghe

5 min reading time

‘Schervenstad’ by Hanan Faour: Torn Between Peanut Butter and Molokhia

Hanan Faour, a Dutch author with Lebanese roots, has written a moving story about what it is like to discover the land of her father and brother.

literature Tom Christiaens

2 min reading time

12 Dutch Books to Be Full of the Joys of Spring (2023)

Our selection of Dutch-language books that have been translated into English.

language Miet Ooms

9 min reading time

Why the Final Word on Gender and Language Is Not Yet Said

Gender-inclusive language is not a new phenomenon, but an additional layer has recently been added. Where do we stand today in 2023?

podcast The Low Countries Radio

society Republic of Amsterdam Radio

1 min reading time

Sacrificial Pigs, Sexy Chickens and Scary Shipworms: Animals of the Low Countries

What do black chickens have to do with witchcraft? Why were pigs not allowed to walk the streets freely in the Middle Ages? And should we welcome the return of the wolf or not? You'll hear all about it in this podcast on the history of animals in the Low Countries.

society Joep Janssen

8 min reading time

This Is How Dutch Farmers Are Saving Water

By 2050, Wadden Island Texel will be one of the driest places in the Netherlands. Local farmers are now combining ancient knowledge with innovative techniques to retain freshwater and prevent soil salinisation.

literature Mirjam van Hengel

9 min reading time

A Shadowy Series of Unrealized Books: The Fate of Dutch-American Author Dola de Jong

Dutch-Jewish writer Dola de Jong migrated to New York to escape the Nazis. She was the author of sixteen books for adults and children. But the book that she always intended to write – about how to carry on after the Second World War – never materialized.

Museum Explorer

history Edo Dijksterhuis

5 min reading time

Religious Heritage With an Injection of Contemporary Art at Museum Krona

In an abbey where nuns still live, Museum Krona combines centuries-old crucifixes and monstrances with contemporary paintings and photographs.

arts Maarten Buser

6 min reading time

Yair Callender Brings the Everyday Into Ceremonial Art

The installations and sculptures of this Surinamese-Dutch artist are as philosophical as they are practical.

language Marc van Oostendorp

11 min reading time

Why We Will Never Agree About Dutch

Linguist and Professor of Dutch Marc van Oostendorp debunks the consensus that Dutch would be a pluricentric language.

podcast History of the Netherlands

history Republic of Amsterdam Radio

31 min reading time

#21 – Jacoba of Bavaria, Political Pawn in a Male-Dominated Power Game

Jacoba of Bavaria, Countess of Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland, was a strong leader but went down with power-hungry men, even from her own family.

history Wieland De Hoon

8 min reading time

The Rise of the Citizen Historian

Universities are increasingly calling upon volunteer researchers or citizen historians for large-scale history projects. Do they close the gap between academia and society?

The L-Spot

society Derek Blyth

1 min reading time

The Flemish Flax in Every Us Dollar Bill

‘In God we trust,’ it says on every United States dollar bill. ‘In Flemish flax we also trust,’ it might add.

Our Colonial Legacy

history Remco Vermeulen

9 min reading time

The Story of the Erasmus Huis (1945-1960): The First Years of Postcolonial Indonesia

Indonesia’s independence in 1949 did not mark the end of Dutch influence. Many Dutch colonial structures remained in use.

The Translator’s Pick

literature Laura Vroomen

5 min reading time

Laura Vroomen’s Choice: P.F. Thomése and Andreas Burnier

A translator from Dutch to English gives literary tips by answering two questions: which translated book by a Flemish or Dutch author should everyone read? And, which book absolutely deserves an English translation?

Our Colonial Legacy The L-Spot

society Derek Blyth

2 min reading time

West India House: The Amsterdam Building Where New York Was Founded

The company that "bought" Manhattan was based in a handsome classical building that is still standing on the Herenmarkt in the heart of Amsterdam.

review

literature Cyrille Offermans

9 min reading time

A Literary Triumph: 'The Ascent' by Stefan Hertmans

In his novel about a Flemish Nazi collaborator, bestselling author Stefan Hertmans presents a sharp image of life under German occupation, which he links perceptively to the personal history of his characters.

Tour of Flanders

society Derek Blyth

12 min reading time

Holy Halle!

On a visit to the Flemish city of Halle, Derek Blyth discovers a miraculous statue, a forgotten Flemish artist and an intriguing street art trail.

language Lode Delputte

11 min reading time

Courses in English at Our Universities? Yes, but in Moderation

Should we consider the increasing anglicization of higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders a good or bad evolution?

video Masterpieces From the CODART Canon

arts CODART

2 min reading time

Triptych of the Last Supper by Dieric Bouts

‘Triptych of the Last Supper’ by Dieric Bouts is one of the hundred masterpieces of early modern Dutch and Flemish art in the CODART Canon.

arts Pieter Trogh

6 min reading time

The War Left Its Mark on Raoul Servais, and Raoul Servais Left His Mark on the War

A new exhibition and publication zoom in on the wartime memories of the internationally award-winning Belgian filmmaker and animator Raoul Servais (1928-2023).

podcast History of the Netherlands

history Republic of Amsterdam Radio

14 min reading time

#20 - Bonds Broken by Battle, Bite and Bridge

In the early 1400s, an English army with longbows, a mad dog and a treacherous bridge would once again make the future of the Low Countries uncertain.

history Tom Christiaens

12 min reading time

Harvest of the University Press (autumn/winter 2022-3)

Our selection of recent university press publications in English on the Low Countries.

history Jozef Asselbergh

10 min reading time

Two Legs of the Same Compass: Freemasonry in Belgium and the Netherlands

While Freemasonry in the Netherlands mainly looks at the Anglo-American tradition, their Belgian Brothers and Sisters adhere to the French or ‘liberal’ tradition.

Our Colonial Legacy

history Reinier Salverda

18 min reading time

Coming Clean: New Postcolonial Light on Dutch East Indies Literature

‘Postcolonial Mirror’ and ‘New Colonial Reading List’ are two new important books on Dutch East Indies literature. Both editions aim at a complete revision of the existing image.

Our Colonial Legacy

history Tom Christiaens

3 min reading time

United Nations Headquarters in New York to Stage Rijksmuseum’s Slavery Exhibition

The exhibition focuses on slavery in the Dutch colonial era, from the 17th to the 19th century – on three continents and in the Netherlands itself.

language Christopher Joby

9 min reading time

An Audible Accent When Speaking Dutch? It Doesn’t Matter

Native speakers of Dutch should adopt a more tolerant and empathetic attitude towards non-native speakers, argues Christopher Joby, a Dutch Studies scholar from Norwich.

literature Anne van den Dool

8 min reading time

The Noble Art of Writing a F*cking Book Title

Book covers are adorned with titles of all shapes and sizes. Author Anne van den Dool looked for trends, delving also into her own book-title-history.

More Vermeer

arts Karin Wolfs

9 min reading time

How Filmmakers Lose Themselves in the Gaze of Vermeer’s Elusive Girls

Many a filmmaker has been inspired by Vermeer's work. A story about the impossible love between master and maid.

More Vermeer

arts Eric Bracke

7 min reading time

Vermeer Through the Scanner: The Serene Painter Constantly Modified His Work

Johannes Vermeer was everything but impulsive. The lab research that preceded the Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum, shows that the artist constantly adjusted his compositions during the painting process.

Friday Verses

literature Rob van Essen

2 min reading time

Rob van Essen: Fields

This week's Friday Verses are written by Rob van Essen. We translated his poem ‘Velden’.

More Vermeer

arts Gerdien Verschoor

9 min reading time

Her World Is a Letter: Vermeer’s Fascination With Writing Women

In Vermeer's paintings of women writing letters, art historian Gerdien Verschoor hears their pens scratching the paper in a world that is otherwise dead silent.

Tour of Flanders

society Derek Blyth

10 min reading time

All Roads Lead to Tongeren

On a visit to the oldest city in Belgium, Derek Blyth discovers a Roman road sign, a lost river and a hoard of antique hunters.

Calm Before the Storm

arts Sixtine Bérard

2 min reading time

Sixtine Bérard: your search – "william burges" + "people behind william burges" – did not match any documents

Eighteen young writers from Flanders and the Netherlands have brought nineteenth-century artefacts from the Rijksmuseum to life. Sixtine Bérard wrote a poem to accompany a flask.

video Masterpieces From the CODART Canon

arts CODART

1 min reading time

Dollhouse of Sara Rothé

‘The Dollhouse of Sara Rothé’ is one of the hundred masterpieces of early modern Dutch and Flemish art in the CODART Canon.

Friday Verses

literature Els Moors

2 min reading time

Els Moors: everything’s sold or given away

This week's Friday Verses are written by Els Moors, who was appointed National Poet of Belgium from 2018 until 2020. We translated her poem ‘everything’s sold or given away’.

Calm Before the Storm

arts Thom Wijenberg

3 min reading time

Thom Wijenberg: dancers beneath the moon, the moondance

Eighteen young writers from Flanders and the Netherlands have brought nineteenth-century artefacts from the Rijksmuseum to life. Thom Wijenberg shows us the 'Diorama of a Du, Dance Celebration on the Plantation', made by Gerrit Schouten.

The L-Spot

society Derek Blyth

2 min reading time

The Singing Cycle Path

The Dutch artist and cycle activist Mapije de Wit encourages her fellow cyclists to sing while cycling.

Museum Explorer

arts Edo Dijksterhuis

6 min reading time

Nothing Stands Between the Viewer and Art in Food Art Museum LAM

Hidden in the nineteenth-century park behind the world's most famous tulip garden Keukenhof is the only food art museum in the Netherlands.

Calm Before the Storm

arts Mahat Arab

2 min reading time

Mahat Arab: The men

Eighteen young writers from Flanders and the Netherlands have brought nineteenth-century artefacts from the Rijksmuseum to life. Mahat Arab wrote a poem in response to a figure called 'Two Fighting Knights'.

For subscribers

arts Jan Van den Berghe

10 min reading time

Blood or Flowers: Boxing in the Visual Arts

There’s a never-ending list of filmmakers, writers and visual artists who have been, and indeed continue to be fascinated by boxing. In the Low Countries as well.

history

0 min reading time

A Night of Disaster in the South-West Netherlands. 1 February 1953

A personal account of the 1953 North Sea flood that struck the Netherlands, north-west Belgium, England and Scotland.

review First Book

literature Dirk Vandenberghe

6 min reading time

‘De Randen’ by Angelo Tijssens: A Desperate Search for Affection

In pared-back prose, Angelo Tijssens tells the story of a gay man’s laborious search for a speck of love and affection.

podcast The Low Countries Radio

history Republic of Amsterdam Radio

1 min reading time

Dikes, Dams and Ditches: How the Low Countries Learnt to Deal With Water

Discover how the Low Countries, after centuries of battling floods, have gradually learnt to treat water as an ally and a part of the cultural identity of its inhabitants.

Calm Before the Storm

arts Sarah de Koning

2 min reading time

Sarah de Koning: lead makes the mind give way, mrs hamilton

Eighteen young writers from Flanders and the Netherlands have brought nineteenth-century artefacts from the Rijksmuseum to life. Sarah de Koning draws our attention to the white paint on 'Portrait of Alida Christina Assink' by Jan Adam Kruseman'.

literature Tom Christiaens

1 min reading time

13 Dutch Books to Get Cozy Warm This Winter (2022-3)

Our selection of Dutch-language books that have recently been translated into English.

arts Tijl Nuyts

16 min reading time

Mussels, Magritte and Maeterlinck: The Universal "Belgitude" of Stromae

Stromae expresses and depicts the diversity of Belgian society through the collision of his Belgian-ness and Brussels patriotism with a multitude of diverse perspectives.

Tour of Flanders

society Derek Blyth

14 min reading time

Peeling the Onion in Aalst

On a visit to the Flemish city of Aalst, Derek Blyth discovers a Carnival parade that likes to shock, a priest that took on the factory bosses and a utopian library.

literature Marie-José Klaver

11 min reading time

Young Readers Need New Heroes

The heroes of recent Dutch-language books for children and young adults act in groups, differ from the norm and are no longer all white. That’s a win, according to Professor Yra van Dijk and Lecturer Marie-José Klaver.

Calm Before the Storm

arts Lemuël de Graav

2 min reading time

Lemuël de Graav: Come and Dance, Girl

Eighteen young writers from Flanders and the Netherlands have brought nineteenth-century artefacts from the Rijksmuseum to life. Lemuël de Graav found inspiration in Wouter Johannes van Troostwijk’s painting 'The Raampoortje in Amsterdam'.