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FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Myth of Dutch Progressiveness

4 December 2020 1 min. reading time Left Luggage

Once in a while, editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere dives into the archives of The Low Countries and pulls out a story that is worth rereading. Consider it left luggage, that reveals a hidden gem. This week: The Netherlands as a ‘Guide Land’.

You need an American historian, with a Dutch mother, who has lived and worked in the Netherlands for many years now, to deconstruct the myth of Dutch progressiveness. James Kennedy explains why for a long time the Dutch called the Netherlands a ‘Gidsland’ (‘Guide Land’), a nation whose moral example could inspire other nations toward better behaviour.

Screbenica’s debacle in 1995 meant the end of that positive self-image. This article dates from 1999. I am curious to know what Kennedy would write today.

Tolle et lege.

Read HERE the entire article that was previously published in the 1999-2000 yearbook The Low Countries № 7.

Luc

Luc Devoldere

former editor-in-chief Ons Erfdeel vzw (2002-2020)

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