Series
society
society
Derek Blyth
2 min reading time
The Belgian Roots of the American Protestant Church of The Hague
The American Protestant Church of The Hague was originally built for the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels.
society
Lotte Jensen
4 min reading time
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.
Series
Tour of Flanders
society
Paul De Hert
6 min reading time
The Threat Is Approaching from All Sides Now
According to journalist Huib Modderkolk, the Belgian and Dutch governments are taking nowhere near enough protective measures against digital hacking and sabotage.
society
Derek Blyth
11 min reading time
Don’t Worry, Be Hasselt
On a trip to the capital of the Belgian province of Limburg, Derek Blyth finds comforting food, innovative architecture and 25 places to be happy.
The L-Spot
society
Republic of Amsterdam Radio
1 min reading time
Sinners and Saints: Faith and Religion in the Low Countries
In this podcast, you will discover why the story of religion in the Low Countries is much more layered than claiming that the Netherlands is a Calvinist society and Belgium a Catholic one.
society
Derek Blyth
15 min reading time
Horsing Around in Vilvoorde
Derek Blyth discovers a monument to an English martyr, a traditional horsemeat restaurant and a waterfront that looks like Brooklyn.
Postcard
society
Derek Blyth
2 min reading time
A Concrete Pyramid to Pray In
Derek Blyth visits a church that looks more like a pyramid from a science fiction film than a house of prayer.
society
Derek Blyth
14 min reading time
Gear Up For Oudenaarde
Derek Blyth discovers a battlefield that shaped European history, a cafe dedicated to cycle racing and a tapestry with a secret message.
Series
The DNA of the Netherlands
history
Paul M. M. Doolan
9 min reading time
How Dutch Historians Unremembered Decolonization
Irish historian Paul Doolan claims that for many decades, Dutch historians have inadequately investigated the decolonization of Indonesia.
society
Reinier Salverda
15 min reading time
Countering the Forgetting: Dutch Indies Literature in the Twenty-First Century
A lifetime after the end of the colonial era, Dutch Indies literature still plays off colonial myths and realities against each other, and finds words for painful, half-forgotten things.
history
NIOD
5 min reading time
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.
society
Derek Blyth
2 min reading time
Zennegat: Intersection of Water, Artists and Pubs
Discover the tiny village of Zennegat, one of the most remote spots in Flanders.
society
Peter Vermeersch
13 min reading time
Striving for a World Without Bars
His experience as a jury member in a criminal trial led writer Peter Vermeersch to delve into alternatives to imprisonment, and to discover a world that was far removed from naïve dreams or bizarre utopias.
society
Derek Blyth
12 min reading time
Kortrijk Has Come a Long Way Since 1302
Calling Kortrijk a hidden pearl along the river Lys might be too much honour. Yet there are numerous treasures to be found.
society
Derek Blyth
2 min reading time
The Cycle Roundabout in Eindhoven: A Masterpiece of Dutch Design
In a country with five billion trips by bicycle a year, special roundabouts are no luxury. No wonder the Dutch make roundabouts look like design masterpieces. And now they are spreading to progressive cities around the world.
society
Derek Blyth
14 min reading time
The Sweet Pleasures of Lier
Derek Blyth discovers a wedding that changed history, the world’s most complex clock and some of life’s sweet pleasures.
society
Yves Segers
12 min reading time
Between the Muck Heap and the Tractor: The Shifting Image of Farmers
The image of farmers and the countryside in Flanders and the Netherlands has been teetering between positive and negative for decades. Why? And how much wiggle room do farmers have today?
society
Derek Blyth
3 min reading time
Duffel is the Modest Home of a Famous Coat
The British have a longstanding love affair with the Duffel coat. It is named after the cloth made in a small Flemish town, though it is hard to establish a link between the town and the coat.
arts
Bert Puype
9 min reading time
Diving Into the Past to Improve the Future: Postcolonial Themes in Belgian Art
From Marcel Broodthaers to Otobong Nkanga, more and more Belgian artists want to cast a critical perspective upon the colonial past in order to influence ongoing debates.
society
Tom Christiaens
2 min reading time
The Top 5 Society Stories of the Year
Our best society stories of 2021, handpicked by the editor.
