Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to The Netherlands (country #92), where we were able to experience Amsterdam (the capital) and some of the countryside. Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. Please note that there will be reference to and information about the Holocaust, which could be distressing to some. Please also note that I have made efforts to be conservative and sensitive with regard to information and photos that are shared in this public-facing blogpost about the Holocaust; however, please also note that there are more descriptive photos within the “More Photos” section of this blog.
The Netherlands (often referred to as Holland, even though Holland really only refers to two of the twelve provinces of The Netherlands – North Holland and South Holland) is a country that sits below sea level in northwestern Europe. Because of its position below sea level, its name references “low lands” due to it being a low-lying country. Most people live 7m (23ft) below sea level. In fact, the airport is 4m (13ft) below sea level (twice lower than the depth of an Olympic-sized swimming pool). The highest point in the country is only 300m (984ft) above sea level. Amsterdam dates back to 1240, and became a town in 1300, with a population at that time of 1000. It was also a swamp, which resulted in the need to build a dam. The River Amstel runs through this area, so, they called it “Amstel-o-dam,” and it ultimately became Amsterdam. The native and primary language of The Netherlands is Dutch. There are 500 people per square kilometer in The Netherlands, making it the most populated city in Europe per square kilometer (Italy has 200 people per square kilometer, France has 100 people per square kilometer), and the 7th most populated city per kilometer in the world. The Netherlands is also third in the world (behind the USA and France) in agricultural development and exports.
At the end of the 16th century, the Dutch Naval Company saw that people were exploring the world and they wanted to do the same, but the Netherlands was under the rule of an empire that did not have any money to fund voyages. At the start of the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company (DEIC) was formed and, after sending spies to scout the best routes to take, the Company made its first voyage, which was to Asia (Indonesia). They traded spices with Indonesia, making the DEIC the first multinational company, and resulting in The Netherlands becoming one of the wealthiest nations in the world.
Interesting Fact: The Netherlands has multiple territories, including Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, all in the Caribbean. The Dutch also settled and/or have had strong influence in other countries, including South Africa.
Despite the wealth, The Netherlands continued to struggle with the effects of being below sea level. In addition, Amsterdam suffered several tragic events, including fires (it was burned down twice in the 15th century because everything was built out of wood), floods, and the Black Plague. The symbol above (known as Andrew crosses, which is also represented on city-specific flags) is said to represent those events. Other events that impacted the country included the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, which resulted in the country becoming a monarchy. It started as an Absolute Monarchy, and then became a Constitutional Monarchy, meaning the King is the head of state, has no power, yet has to sign laws after they go to Parliament (a process that is seen as symbolic).
In The Netherlands, people primarily practiced Catholicism. This started to change in the 16th century, when Philip II (who was Catholic) from Spain waged war on other empires and told people to practice outside of the church. This led to the Dutch Revolt, where The Netherlands was in war with the Spanish for 80 years. Philip II won the war and the country became The Republic of the 7 Netherlands (also known as the Seven United Netherlands), where they endorsed/encouraged Freedom of Consciousness, which allowed people to believe as they desired. However, hidden churches were built for those who wanted to practice their own religion (e.g., Catholicism, Judaism, etc.). In the 18th century, they were allowed to build churches again.
Interesting Fact: Czar Peter came to The Netherlands disguised as a peasant and learned information that lowed him to build a strong military. That is how he became (known as) Peter the Great.
Also of interest, Napoleon captured The Netherlands in 1810 and his brother became King of The Netherlands. The Dutch eventually gained independence again and the monarchy was reinstated by the family of Orange, which is why that is the color that their athletes wear in international play (though nobody knows why it is not represented on their country’s flag). Also of note, the current King (Wilhelm Alexander) recently apologized for The Netherlands’ participation in slavery. As a result, people who have names derived from their “masters” are now able to change them for free.
Windmills are one of the most recognized icons within The Netherlands. They date back to the 17th century, and were used to help with water management, as they served as water pumping mills to drain big lakes. The country is flat and very windy, providing the wind necessary to turn the windmill. In the simplest of terms, the windmill turns a screw, and the screw sucks up the water, a process that has been helpful for centuries. Many of them have been used for other purposes, including logging, textiles, and oil (e.g., the set of windmills above have been repurposed to be peanut oil mills). There were 30,000 windmills in the country at one point and there are only 1000 left.
Interesting Fact: The painter, Rembrandt (which was actually his first name), was from Amsterdam and his house has been made into a museum, as he was the most known painter in Netherlands history. Rich Amsterdam elites wanted portraits done by him, as his style made him very famous (Van Gogh was reportedly inspired by his style).
Also of interest, New York (in the United States) was settled by the Dutch and was originally called New Amsterdam. As a result, several cities, including Harlem (Haarlem) and Flushing, are Dutch in origin.
The Amstel River is the only natural river in Amsterdam. The ground under the houses is soft and marshy, making the houses sink into the ground. The houses in the photo above are called “dancing houses” and are a national landmark, so, cannot be torn down. They are crooked because they are sinking into the land underneath them. They were built upon wooden poles, and the poles (which have been there for centuries) are deteriorating (and sinking). The Amsterdam canal system became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010; as a result, those who own homes on the canal are responsible for refurbishing the homes themselves. The canals do freeze in the winter, and people can be seen ice skating on them. In fact, The Netherlands has produced several world speed skating champions. The country has a series of dikes (dams) that are used within the canal system to drain and manage the water, as The Netherlands has “too much fresh water.” As a result, there is a water tax to help maintain this system.
The Netherlands is also known for tulips, as they are the largest grower and exporter of tulips; however, tulips are not native to the country. They were brought to The Netherlands by explorers (reportedly from Turkey) 400 years ago. The Netherlands has a reputation for a couple of other “industries,” as well, including Marijuana (which can be purchased in “coffee shops,” as smoking it is legal, but growing it is criminalized), and their world famous Red Light District (where “women sell their services”; it is the oldest part of Amsterdam – even older than the Monarchy – and is also a poor and unsafe part of the city [lots of beggars]; it was a draw for sailors because of the proximity to the harbor, and men at sea were able to “have some fun” after being at sea for months; also of interest – there used to be a Blue Light Street in the district where men offered their services, but it discontinued after a short time.)
Wooden shoes (or clogs, called Klompens in Dutch) are another popular icon associated with The Netherlands. They have been worn for centuries to keep feet dry in the soggy environment of The Netherlands. Farmers still wear them because they are waterproof, insulated, and can be left outside. Over a million clogs are worn daily, and they are made of Poplar or Willow wood, which are wet woods and can be easily molded. Clogs are exported globally due to how water resistant they are, as well as because of how well they help with posture.
Only 40% of those living in The Netherlands own a car, and almost everyone (who can) rides a bike. The Netherlands is a very bike-friendly nation. There are countless bike lanes, and when you walk around or near them, it is critical to keep your head on a swivel, as they have the right of way and will not stop for pedestrians. The number one crime in The Netherlands is stealing bikes (60,000 bikes are stolen each year). We were told (tongue-in-cheek) that if someone steals your bike, you then take someone else’s, and it’s called recycling…lol. There are 18 million inhabitants in The Netherlands and 23 million bicycles, with 10,000 to 12,000 pulled from the bottom of the canal every year (canals are 3-4m [10-13ft] deep).
The Netherlands is also known for its production of cheese, with the Dutch being nicknamed “cheese heads.” Volendam is the cheese hub of The Netherlands. 700 million kilograms (1543 million pounds) of cheese are made every year, and 75% of that cheese is exported. They are able to add 30 special flavors to the milk when they make cheese, allowing for variety. They also produce smoked cheese, which is made using the same methods as smoked ham or smoked fish.
The Netherlands is also known for stroopwafels (strope-vah-ful), which is served as a snack on some airlines. It was created in the 1800s by a woman who was trying to come up with a treat for fishermen and their families.
Before 1492, the Jewish Quarter was thriving, as Jews came to Amsterdam (in addition to Antwerp in Belgium) because it was more tolerant. They had designated areas (Jewish Neighborhoods) for those who practiced Judaism, and they were called Ghettos. In 1492, Jews were told that they had to either convert to Catholicism or they could not own property. They were allowed to be bakers, merchants, financiers, or work in diamonds, as these were unprotected sectors. Those who were not able to work in one of these industries were very poor. Jews were able to live in Amsterdam until the start of World War II (WWII), and only 8,000 of the 100,000 Jews that had originally been living there survived the Holocaust.
The Frank family was from Germany, and Anne was born in 1929 in Frankfurt. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, served in the German army during World War I (WWI). The Germans lost that war and had to pay restitution, which sent them into bankruptcy. The Communists and Nazis blamed the new government for this, and placed specific blame on Jewish people. The Nazis subsequently said they wanted to rebuild the country and make Germany strong again, and believed that the way to do this was to make the nation “pure.” This meant that they wanted to eliminate Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Social Democrats, People of Color, Handicapped people, and individuals who did not identify as heterosexual. When the stock market crashed in 1929, the entire Western World was impacted, and Germany bore the brunt of it because they could not get loans from the United States anymore to pay back their debts. Their solution was to have a closed economy and destroy those who would oppose them. In 1933, Adolf Hitler became the Vice Chancellor in Germany, the Nazis were in charge, and this plan of having a closed economy and “purity” was put into action.
The Frank family knew that this was not going to be good for them, so, they escaped to Amsterdam, where Otto was able to build a thriving business making jam, and the family was able to do quite well for themselves. Then, in 1935, race laws came into effect, and research was done to determine who was Jewish and who was not, after which Jews were required to wear a yellow star to show that they were Jewish. In 1939, WWII started in Europe, and in 1940, Amsterdam was taken over in 5 days and occupied for 5 years. Otto had to run his business in secret because Jews were no longer allowed to be in charge of anything, and discrimination based on race and culture was legal. After the Bonsai Conference of 1942, where the decision was made to deport Jews, a subsequent summons for the oldest Frank daughter (age 16) to work at a Nazi labor camp resulted in the Frank family putting into action their plan to hide. The family went into hiding in the summer of 1942 in a building behind that which housed Otto’s business. It was shielded from the street behind another front-facing building, and became the perfect place to hide in plain sight.
The Frank family was joined by another family of three and a single man. They had “Helpers,” who had been associates of the Frank family, who secured food, clothing, and outside news for them. The Helpers risked their own lives, as they could have been sent to concentration camps for helping the Frank family and their friends. Anne wrote in her diary as an outlet for venting, to talk about things that happened in the house, and to express her feelings about what she was missing, as well as her fears that they would be discovered. Then, on August 4, 1944, her worst fear came true, as all 8 people who were hiding in their house were arrested and deported. It is unknown how they were discovered. They were taken to Auschwitz and separated by gender, which is when Anne saw her father for the last time. She was with her mother and sister for a while, and then Anne and her sister were taken to another camp, where they died from Typhus (which was actually a byproduct of not having food, water, or medical attention). The Helpers were also “imprisoned,” but one of them was able to return to the secret annex, found the diary, and kept it, with the plan to give it back to Anne after the war. Otto was the only person from his family who survived the Holocaust, and when he returned, the diary was given to him. He published it in 1947, and also worked to make the Anne Frank House what it is today.
In The Netherlands (and in other places that experienced similar atrocities), there are plaques (called “tripping stones” in The Netherlands) that can be found on the sidewalk (often in or near former thriving Jewish areas). They have the person’s name, date of birth, and date and place of death written on them, and have been placed as a memorial to those who died in the Holocaust. They are also a symbol of hope that nothing like this ever happens again.
The Netherlands is a country that has a rich history and colorful culture, and has thrived despite a series of significant adversities. We were humbled to have been able to visit this wonderful country, and look forward to returning one day to visit some of the surrounding areas (and maybe see those famous tulips in bloom!). Until next time, take care and be well…