Series
society
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.
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.
Series
Tour of Flanders
society
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.
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.
Series
Battle for Laughter
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.
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.
The L-Spot
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.
society
Tom Christiaens
3 min reading time
The Top 7 Society Stories of the Year
Join us in bidding goodbye to 2022 with seven of the finest stories we published this year about Dutch and Flemish society that are worth re-reading or listening to again.
Series
The DNA of the Netherlands
society
Edo Dijksterhuis
6 min reading time
Learn How the Netherlands Stays Dry at the Afsluitdijk Wadden Center
The Afsluitdijk Wadden Center shows how the 32-kilometre-long dam between the provinces of Noord-Holland and Friesland protects a large part of the Netherlands against flooding.
society
Dries Vanysacker
7 min reading time
'Farmers' versus 'Snobs'. The Social Fault Lines Between Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge
The proverbial rivalry between the two football teams from Bruges dates back to the end of the 19th century.
history
Derek Blyth
13 min reading time
Genk Mines Its Own Business
On a visit to the Flemish city of Genk, Derek Blyth discovers restored coal mines, cosmopolitan chickens and one of the world’s great love songs.
society
San F. Yezerskiy
7 min reading time
Sibling Rivalry. Playing Football for the Honour of the Low Countries
Why do the eyes of every Belgian football fan shine every time the Red Devils defeat the Dutch team? There is a sporting and historical reason for that.
society
Derek Blyth
2 min reading time
Lotus Biscoff: The Flemish Biscuit That Keeps on Flying
People all over the world crave a Flemish speculoos biscuit based on wheat flour and candy syrup or caramelised sugar.
society
Jacomine Hendrikse
7 min reading time
Breaking New Ground in Archaeology Using Dutch Satellite Imagery
Rather than digging in the mud, future archaeologists will work from behind their computers using satellite imagery to detect archaeological sites.
society
Dirk Vandenberghe
10 min reading time
Football Can Save the World (A Little Bit)
Football is unquestionably big business, but many clubs and organisations also use their popularity to engage in community service projects.
society
Derek Blyth
10 min reading time
Sinterklaas Is Comin’ to Town
On a visit to the Flemish city of Sint-Niklaas, Derek Blyth discovers the largest market square in Belgium, the biggest cigar in the world and the greatest atlas ever printed.
history
Michiel Leen
19 min reading time
Hospitality, to an Extent. Refugees in the Netherlands
At the beginning of the First World War, one million Belgians fled to the Netherlands. “More so than the Afghans, Ukrainians now are more similar to Belgian refugees back then.”
society
Lode Delputte
12 min reading time
‘We Can’t Do Without Migrants Anymore’: Experts on Migration in Belgium and the Netherlands
Migration offers good pickings for populists, while those who take an honest look at the subject find they are up against a headwind. A double interview with migration specialists.
society
Tomas Vanheste
14 min reading time
Never Completely Dutch: Flemish Writers in the Land of Freedom
Writers Ivo Victoria, Sarah Meuleman and Geert Buelens all found it liberating to move to the Netherlands. But it wasn’t long before they encountered the downsides of their destination country.
society
Tomas Vanheste
4 min reading time
The Promised Land on the Other Side of the Border
In both the Netherlands and Belgium, the number of inhabitants from the other country has grown considerably in the past fifteen years.
