history
Newcomers to the North
Our Colonial Legacy
Migration, the Other Way Around

The SieboldHuis Displays a Unique Japanese Collection of a Vain Doctor
Thanks to the collection of a German physician, the SieboldHuis in Leiden can provide insight into the daily life of nineteenth-century Japan. But its temporary exhibitions also tie in with current issues.

#23 – Geert Groote and the Modern Devotion’s Fight Against the Excesses of the Church
In the late Middle Ages, innovative ideas entered the Roman Catholic Church thanks to a Dutch priest and his Modern Devotion movement, who rejected the materialism and excesses of the clergy.
History of the Netherlands

The Brussels House of Neel Doff
Neel Doff was a writer of Dutch descent living and working in Belgium. Her life reads like an adventure book.

Edward Winslow: The Forgotten Pilgrim Father
Without the Anglo-Dutch diplomat, the history of the United States would have looked different.
Newcomers to the North

On the Barricades: Protest Movements in the Low Countries
In this podcast, we take a look at some of the major and minor protest movements that have occurred across the Low Countries, which have helped shape them into the places they are today.

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, The Man Who Pushed the Borders of the Visible
The Dutch self-taught scientist died three hundred years ago. The anniversary of his death has led to books and an exhibition that shed light on the life of this wayward pioneer of microbiology.
Our Colonial Legacy

From Clara to Bokito: The Wilderness in Our Zoos
Our fascination for and exploitation of wild animals has a long history that reveals major social changes: from prestige projects for medieval monarchs to experiences for the general public.

The Dutch Windmill Is a Cross Between Iconic Heritage, National Pride and Polder Kitsch
In history, Dutch windmills are often a symbol of freedom, loyalty to the fatherland and pride in the past. Lugard Mutsaers describes how a useful tool became a national icon.
Migration, the Other Way Around

Art for Das Reich: The Forgotten Stories Behind Nazi-Looted Art
Investigative journalist Geert Sels spent eight years researching Nazi-looted art in Belgium. In 'Art for Das Reich', he brings many histories of robbery, collaboration and restitution to light for the first time.

#22 - When a Miracle Turned Amsterdam into a Holy Town
Before Amsterdam made an international name for itself as a port and trading town, it became known as a place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. Thanks to a Eucharistic miracle.

Hotel New York Combines Migration History With Boutique Hospitality
The former headquarters of the Holland America Line in Rotterdam brings together residents, businessmen and tourists in the grandeur of the turn of the century.

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.

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.

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.

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.

#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.

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 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 Story of the Erasmus Huis (1960-1971): The Great Diplomatic Turn
The 1960s saw important diplomatic shifts between the Netherlands and Indonesia, which laid the foundation for the current bilateral relationship, and the opening of the Erasmus Huis in 1970.

The Story of Erasmus Huis (1970-present): Promoting Dutch Culture in the Heart of the Indonesian Capital
Throughout the past decades, the Erasmus Huis has strengthened its role as a centre for cultural diplomacy for the Netherlands in Indonesia.