history

Duke Philip the Bold and the Looter’s Rule
Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, initiated a dynasty that would change the Low Countries forever.

Benefit Campaigns for Ukraine Fit Into a Historical Tradition
Charity has a long tradition in the Netherlands and the actions for Ukraine show many parallels to past events.
History of the Netherlands

The Fishy History of Dutch Herring
Eating herring is a Dutch tradition. This silvery, slimy fish is even part of their national identity, thanks to a myth about a humble herring fisherman.

Jacob Kats, a Forgotten Fighter and Pioneer of Brussels Socialism
He was admired by Rosa Luxemburg and visited by Bakunin, Marx and Engels, yet almost no one knows his name today. Nevertheless, Jacob Kats was one of the founders of socialism in the turbulent nineteenth century.
Our Colonial Legacy

When Einstein Stayed on the Belgian Coast
The pretty beach town of De Haan in West Flanders is dotted with reminders of its most famous visitor.

Hidden Slavery Story Translated Into English for First Time
'Quaco – My Life in Slavery', the first major graphic novel about the Dutch history of slavery, is now available in English, thanks to modern languages students at the University of Sheffield.
Migration, the Other Way Around
How Missing Soldiers Regain Their Identity
An exhibition at the In Flanders Fields Museum shows how missing soldiers of the First World War have got their identity back thanks to archaeological and historical research.

Water as a Historical Timeline
A floating exhibition tells the story of a 200-year-old Belgo-Dutch canal Zuid-Willemsvaart.
Going for Gold

The Fury of the Frisian Freedom Fighters
When the counts of Holland wanted to break the autonomy of Friesland, they incurred the wrath of the Frisian freedom fighters.

Hugo Grotius, Patriarch of International Law
He is best known as "the man who escaped from prison in a chest of books". But thanks to a new biography, we know that the seventeenth-century scholar was much more than that.

Ballooning Over Bullets, and Other Escapes From the Siege of Paris
When Paris was besieged by Prussian troops in 1870, the French used hot air balloons to transport mail and people across enemy lines. They also landed in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The Zeeland Slavery Monument: Sober Reminder of an Inhuman Trade
It is still something of a guilty secret, but Middelburg grew prosperous from the slave trade.

The Joys of Succession in Brabant
When John III, Duke of Brabant, died in 1355 without male heirs, his three daughters and their husbands claimed the inheritance with violence.

How Dutch Historians Unremembered Decolonization
Irish historian Paul Doolan claims that for many decades, Dutch historians have inadequately investigated the decolonization of Indonesia.

Netherlands Is Guilty of ‘Systemic Extreme Violence’ in Indonesia
A large-scale investigation shows that Dutch soldiers used extreme violence during the Indonesian War of Independence and that high-ranking officials condoned it.

The Rise and Fall of 'Brewer of Ghent', Jacob Van Artevelde
Meet the man who managed to unite the Flemish cities behind him and dared to defy the French king for the benefit of England and the wool and textile trade in Flanders.

The American War Years of Art Nouveau Architect Victor Horta
When architect Victor Horta was forced to flee during WWI, he travelled to the United States to give lectures. America influenced his ideas about architecture, urban planning, and society.

When Jews Were Blamed for the Black Death
In the 14th century, up to half of the European population died of the Black Death after it first struck in 1348. Jews were often blamed for the plague and subsequently burned at the stake as punishment.

In 16th Century Antwerp, Anything Was Possible and Everything Was Allowed
For a short period in the 16th century, Antwerp was really the centre of the world. Everything was possible, as long as it didn't hinder trade and economy, writes historian Michael Pye in his book The Glory Years.

When Flemish Rabbits Fed the Poor of London
In the 19th century, rabbits from Flanders became a popular source of cheap meat for the poor of London. They came by boat, so they called them 'Ostend Rabbits'.