The Netherlands is a land of art and museums. From the Frans Hals and Van Gogh Museums to the Rembrandt House, visitors come each year to admire their genius.

But how many of us ever pause to ask these questions: where are the works of female painters from the Dutch Renaissance and the Golden Age?

How come Dutch museums are only named after famous male painters, and why does nobody ever talk about these women?

An erased legacy displayed in today’s museums

The very first art critics in the (Dutch) Renaissance and Dutch Golden Age eras often made fun of female painters. “Women paint with their brushes between their toes,” one infamously said.

We are all often in awe of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings, Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and Vermeer’s Milkmaid, but I’m sure that there aren’t many people who know the name of a single female painter from that era.

It’s almost as if their legacy has been completely erased from the history books.

Only 13% of art pieces displayed in today’s museums were made by a woman. Only 2% of the art market’s turnover is spent on artworks by female painters. And 10% of international galleries do not represent any women at all.

Alarming figures regularly crop up about the underrepresentation of women in art and not much has been done to change things.

For centuries, women were excluded from the art world in all kinds of ways, yet a number of them managed to become highly esteemed painters, despite the many obstacles they encountered.

Female invisibility in a patriarchal society

A comment you often hear is: “If there are no famous female painters, maybe it’s because they were just not good enough.”

But, the reason why there are so few female painters does not necessarily lie with women not being good enough, but with a patriarchal society that sought to shackle them with repressive social standards.

READ MORE | 11 kick-ass Dutch women you should know about this International Women’s Day

The difference between men and women was very clear in the Renaissance and Dutch Golden Age eras: men were allowed to get an education, chase careers, and be successful, while women were forced to stay at home.

This meant that women were actually not visible in society. They were mainly expected to stay indoors to take care of the household and the children.

Although male painters liked and regularly depicted women on their canvases, it was not socially acceptable for women to practice the profession themselves.

Everything was aimed at excluding them from painting as much as possible. They had less access to education, were not allowed to study nude models to gain knowledge of human anatomy, and were banned from art schools.

This made it extremely difficult for women to learn to paint at a high level.

Against all odds

Considering all these obstacles, it is truly a miracle that there have been women who succeeded in becoming quality painters. This often had to do with the fact that they received a lot of support from their families.

Although the purpose was not for them to make a career, especially in the eclectic world of art, there were still parents who supported their daughters in developing their artistic talent.

Many of the well-known female painters had fathers who were painters, so they were lucky to learn the tricks of the trade from childhood by observing them in their studios.

READ MORE | Hannie Schaft: the Dutch spy who was executed by the Nazis

Others came from well-to-do families and had the means to afford the costly affair of apprenticing to a painter.

As a result, women depended very much on the wealth and approval of their fathers or male guardians for their art education.

This explains why famous female painters in the Renaissance and Golden Age eras were so rare. The freedom and opportunity to develop as a painter belonged exclusively to privileged women.

Yet, their guts, talent, and perseverance must also be praised. By embarking on a career as painters, these women went against the prevailing norms of how a woman was supposed to behave.

By taking the plunge and going for their passion, they lifted painting to a higher level.

Dutch women painters of the 17th century

In the Netherlands, female painters played an important role in the development of art. Still-life painting, a genre typical of the Low Countries, was mostly mastered by women of this era.

Three women painters stood out.

Maria van Oosterwijck

Maria van Oosterwijck (1630-1693) came from a family of painters but did not become an apprentice until she was thirty.

In 1666, Maria moved to Amsterdam, where she became an assistant to still-life painter Willem van Aelst. At his studio, Maria developed into a painter of international repute.

She was best known for her highly detailed still-life flowers and often went to the Hortus Botanicus in search of rare flowers to immortalize.

Her works were highly sought after and sold to heads of state and noblemen, from King Louis XIV and Emperor Leopold I of Austria, to Cosimo de Medici and William III of England.

On December 28, 1667, the Florentine Prince, Cosimo III de Medici said that her still-lifes were just as good as those of the renowned Van Aelst.

When Cosimo III also bought two paintings from her after his second trip to Holland in 1669, Maria became a household name in the art world.

While many painters in Amsterdam and elsewhere struggled to keep their heads above water between 1680 and 1690, Maria’s reputation and the general appreciation for her work remained high, even in the highest European circles.

In 1684, Jan III Sobieski, King of Poland, bought three paintings from her for the capital sum of 2,400 guilders.

READ MORE | The Dutch East India Company was richer than Apple, Google, and Facebook combined

When Johann Georg III, Elector of Saxony, visited The Hague on a trip in 1688 and saw three of her paintings, he was so impressed he bought them for 1500 guilders.

Louis XIV (the Sun King) also had one of her paintings in his “art cabinet”.

Through Constantijn Huygens’ intervention, King-Stadtholder William III and his wife Maria Stuart acquired two paintings from Maria in 1689, one for the price of nine hundred guilders. Both paintings are still part of the English Royal Collection at Hampton Court in London.

Thanks to her art sales, Maria was able to buy a house on Amsterdam’s Keizersgracht where she trained other female painters, including her former maid Geertje Pieters and another very talented pupil of Willem van Aelst: Rachel Ruysch.

Constantijn Huygens wrote a poem about Maria in 1677, saying: “Maria van Oosterwijck stands at a rare height and has no equal.”

In 1690, at sixty years of age, Maria withdrew from the painting world.

She moved to Uitdam to live with her nephew Jacobus van Assendelft, who had become a preacher in 1688. She died three years after the move.

In the past two centuries, interest in her paintings has declined somewhat, but presently, her works are attracting more attention again and are sold for high prices.

Rachel Ruysch

Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) grew up in a rather interesting family.

Her father was a well-known anatomist who owned a large collection of rare flora and fauna. Her mother’s family consisted of many painters, as a result of which she came into contact with painting as well as with animals and plants from an early age.

She showed so much talent as a still-life painter that her parents decided to send her to become an apprentice to Willem van Aelst. It is quite possible that her training was largely carried out by Maria van Oosterwijck.

Rachel preferred to paint woodland grounds and compositions with flowers. Because flowers were an immensely popular motive in the Netherlands during the Golden Age, her lively, colourful works soon started to draw attention.

Her paintings sold for such high prices that she could live comfortably by making only a few works per year.

In the summer of 1695, Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatinate, visited Frederik Ruysch’s museum. On that occasion, he doubtlessly also saw the paintings of Rachel, who was now married to the painter Jurriaan Pool.

She had just given birth to her first child, but motherhood did not prevent her from continuing her career as a painter.

At this point in her career, she had become very famous and successful and in 1699 was offered membership into the Confrerie Pictura in The Hague as recognition for her contributions to art.

She was the first woman to receive this honour. As a mother of ten children, she must have had a very busy life, but nevertheless, she continued to paint until her death at the proud age of 86.

Judith Leyster

Although women like Maria van Oosterwijck and Rachel Ruysch had a great influence in the painting world, there is one woman who managed to make quite a big impression.

In 1633, Judith Leyster (1609-1660) was the first woman in the Western world to be recognized as a master painter.

It is quite a mystery how she developed into a painter since she did not come from an artistic family.

At the age of nineteen, she was already known in her hometown of Haarlem as a highly talented, young woman that could compete with the best male painters of her time.

In 1633, she was admitted to the Guild of Saint Luke of Artisans, making her the first woman to be recognised as a master painter.

Her style is very similar to that of Frans Hals and some of her works were once wrongly assigned to him.

Since Judith signed her works with only the letter “J”, it was also rumoured that Frans Hals might have had an unknown brother by the name of Jan.

Leyster specialised in painting cheerful genre scenes. The people in her works often have vivid facial expressions and casual poses.

As far as is known, Judith Leyster is the only woman who made paintings of modern figures, instead of mythological and Biblical scenes.

Unfortunately, very few of her paintings have survived, probably because she only worked as a painter for a relatively short period of time.

In 1635, she married the painter Jan Molenaer, after which she left the art world. Eighteen paintings are attributed to her with certainty. These works largely date from the period 1628-1635.

In 2016, one of her self-portraits surfaced, probably dating from 1653. The painting was auctioned for half a million euros.

Leyster’s works can be found in the Rijksmuseum, Mauritshuis, the National Gallery in London, the Frans Hals Museum, and Museum Boerhaave.

Passion for art and revolution

These female painters were a rarity in a world that left little room for women to develop their talents. They were not supposed to have had the careers they carved out for themselves.

Yet, some of them dared to take the revolutionary step towards an “unconventional” life as professional painters.

These women often found themselves in an environment where they were encouraged to develop themselves, such as a progressive monastery or a family that offered support.

The vast majority of these female painters have long disappeared from our history books, but thanks to feminist historical research, they are increasingly being ‘rediscovered’ today.

READ MORE | The museum town of the Netherlands: 14 great museums to visit in Leiden

The growing attention provides for new exhibitions that demonstrate the importance of these women for painting.

More museums in the Netherlands, Europe, and the world need to have exhibitions showcasing their paintings and telling the story of how much they have contributed to the art world.

I hope we get to a point where little children can learn about these wonderful women just as much as they are taught about van Gogh or Rembrandt.

And that museums are opened and named after them, and their genius works of art are displayed with pride for all to see, enjoy, and admire. They deserve to be celebrated and not forgotten.

Which female Dutch painter is your favourite? Have you ever seen their work in a museum? Tell us about your experiences in the comments.

Feature Image: rijksmuseum.nl/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

In the Netherlands, both men and women are allowed to go to the ballot boxes — because they are equal in the eyes of the law. Seems normal right? Right, but the right to vote for women was only introduced in the Netherlands in 1919.

More than 90 years ago, women going to the ballots to cast their votes wasn’t seen as a very “normal” thing.

So let’s talk about the history of women’s suffrage in the Netherlands and see how far the country has come.

The early days of the women’s suffrage movement in the Netherlands

The Constitution of 1848 did not explicitly state that the right to vote applied exclusively to men.

According to the law, one had to pay a certain sum of taxes to vote and to be in possession of that right as a citizen — which women did not.

READ MORE | Hannie Schaft: the Dutch spy who was executed by the Nazis

Women were not allowed to vote and were taken for granted by the legislature. According to Dutch law, they were emotionally unreliable and quite incompetent and, therefore, had no civil rights.

Introducing Aletta Jacobs

In 1883, the physician Aletta Jacobs tried to make use of the lack of the explicit exclusion of women in the electoral law.

She tried to register herself as a candidate in Amsterdam but was blatantly refused.

This led to a constitutional revision in 1887, in which it was explicitly stated that the right to vote applied only to men.

Attendance protests

The ‘First Feminist Wave’ led to protests in the United States and Great Britain in the 70s of the 19th century.

This was mostly centred around the lack of suffrage for women. These protests also came to the Netherlands in the late 1980s, as various associations for women’s suffrage were established.

READ MORE | 11 kick-ass Dutch women you should know about this International Women’s Day

Some examples include:

• The Vrije Vrouwen Vereeniging (1889-1903, Free Women’s Association), started by Wilhelmina Drucker, and
• The Vereniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (1894-1919, Association for Women’s Suffrage), started by Wilhelmina Drucker, Annette Versluys-Poelman and Aletta Jacobs.

The rise of the middle-class bourgeoisie

In the period after 1870, a certain feminist consciousness developed among the ‘well-to-do’ women in the Netherlands, under the influence of the international women’s suffrage movement in England and the United States.

This women’s movement fought against the deprived position of women in Dutch society.

The aim was access for women to all forms of education, the right to work in the public service under the same conditions as men, and the same right to management as well as sexual liberation for all women.

Which women’s organizations were involved in women’s suffrage?

Vrije Vrouwen Vereeniging (VVV) (1889-1903)

On October 2, 1889, the Vrije Vrouwen Vereeniging (VVV) was established.

The aim of the association was “to promote the social importance of women” as well as fight for their “mental and political development”.

Four years later, the VVV organized a public meeting with its main theme as ‘women’s suffrage’.

READ MORE | Activism in the Netherlands: International Women’s Day

They also got some support from socialist circles. Due to the fact that only rich men could vote, socialists who were fighting for general suffrage teamed up with the VVV to fight for the general right to vote.

The collaboration was short because prominent socialists of that time — such as Henri Polak and Frank van der Goes — thought the demands of women were over the top and that they had gone too far.

Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (1894-1919):

On 5 February 1894, a number of women from various religious and political backgrounds set up the Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht in Amsterdam.

In the beginning, the society had great difficulty recruiting new members. In Amsterdam and other neighbouring cities, spouses, family and friends often exerted pressure on women not to become members of the society.

Men were allowed to join but not on the board. Due to the efforts of the association, an understanding of the struggle for women’s suffrage gradually became a reality.

By the year 1900, the society could count more than 1,089 members spread over 15 cities in the Netherlands.

Due to the huge success and the subsequent attention from the Congress of the World Women’s Suffrage Union in Amsterdam in 1908, the society saw a sharp increase in its number of members.

Nederlandse Bond voor Vrouwenkiesrecht:

A number of members who had left the Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht founded the Nederlandse Bond voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (Dutch bond for women’s suffrage) on 25 February 1907.

This association’s aim was to ‘fight for women’s suffrage’. They thought that women first had to learn how to lead and judge independently, and only then could they participate in political life.

READ MORE | Being a feminist in the Netherlands: surprisingly, it’s a challenge

Neutrality and impartiality were better guaranteed here. The difference between this Association and the other ones was that they allowed men in management positions, and as a result, succeeded in gaining wider support for women’s suffrage with the general public.

They believed that in order to achieve women’s suffrage, men also had to join the fight!

Members of this Association were generally of ‘better descent’ and gentler than the members of the Society for Women’s Suffrage.

The Constitution Revision of 1917

In 1917, the various protests and public speeches by women ultimately led to a constitutional amendment whereby women were given the right to be elected.

This meant that they were allowed to stand for election, but still were not allowed to vote for others. In 1918, Suze Groeneweg was elected as the first woman in the Lower House for the SDAP.

The right to vote in 1919

Passive women’s suffrage was followed in 1919 by a bill by Henri Marchant, which introduced general women’s suffrage.

This bill was accepted by the Lower House, and on 18 September, Queen Wilhelmina signed a law that gave women full suffrage.

In the first elections that followed, in 1922, seven women were voted into the Lower House.

Political contributions to the progress of women

After 1919, some futile attempts were made to establish a women’s party in the Netherlands. However, this idea did not appeal to many, as feminists and other women rather chose to organise women’s groups within existing political parties.

The 1922 elections showed that women did not vote that differently from men. The political atmosphere before the introduction of women’s suffrage was practically the same.

However, more and more women were voted into the Lower House in the 1920s.

Which women were active in the movement for women’s suffrage in the Netherlands?

Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929)

She was a radical feminist and a woman with a political acumen. Jacobs took up the electoral issue when she wanted to be the first woman to stand for election in Amsterdam in 1883.

According to the constitution on the right to vote, it didn’t say anywhere that she was not allowed to register and run for office.

Technically, women were allowed to run for office and could also be voted for, because the law spoke of every ‘Dutch’ citizen. The city council of Amsterdam interpreted the text differently and refused to allow Jacobs to run for office.

READ MORE | 11 kick-ass Dutch women you should know about on International Women’s Day

Jacobs appealed to the Supreme Court but was unsuccessful.

In 1893 she joined the Vrije Vrouwen Vereeniging (VVV) (Free Women Association) when they also started fighting for women’s suffrage.

From 1903-1919 she was president of the Vereeniging voor Association for Women’s Suffrage. She also played an important role in the international women’s suffrage movement.

Wilhelmina Drucker (1847-1925)

Wilhelmina Drucker was a radical feminist and co-founder of the Free Women’s Association (VVV) in 1889.

Wilhelmina grew up under difficult circumstances due to her father refusing to marry her mother and legally recognise her and her siblings as his children.

She and other Dutch women set up a weekly magazine for girls and women called De Vrouw (The Woman) in 1888. A year later, she founded the Free Women’s Association which would later become the Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (Association for Women’s Suffrage).

She was a strong advocate for women’s rights, lectured around the Netherlands and was also known to have helped in founding several women’s trade unions.

Due to the difficult circumstances surrounding her upbringing, she also played a huge role in the fight for unmarried women and their children.

Rosa Manus (1881-1942)

Rosa Manus got into the women’s suffrage movement in 1908 at the Congress of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA).

At that conference, she met Wilhelmina Drucker and the American suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, who would become her partners and friends in the fight for women’s suffrage.

She was a member of the Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht and would later serve as the Society’s secretary.

READ MORE | Meet Mata Hari: the famous Dutch first World War spy

She was also very involved internationally in the work of the World Association for Women’s Suffrage and the International Women’s Union for Peace and Freedom.

Rosa Manus was also Jewish and, unfortunately, was deported by the Nazis in 1940 and transferred to Ravensbrück concentration camp in October 1941.

Although the circumstances around her death aren’t very clear, historians suggest that she was probably gassed at Bernburg in 1942.

Annette Versluys-Poelman (1853-1914)

Annette Versluys-Poelman was co-founder and president (1894-1902) of the Society for Women’s Suffrage.

Under her inspiring leadership, the association became an independent movement that gained influence in many cultural and political circles.

She also founded the Onderlinge Vrouwenbescherming (Women’s Mutual Protection Society) and fought for the rights of unmarried mothers and their “illegitimate” children.

Esther Welmoet Wijnaendts Francken-Dyserinck (1876-1956) and Lizzy van Dorp (1872-1945)

Esther Welmoet was a Dutch journalist and feminist and also co-founder of Dutch Girl Guiding and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

Lizzy van Dorp was a Dutch lawyer, politician and feminist. Van Dorp studied law at the University of Leiden and, in 1901, became the first woman to obtain a law degree in the Netherlands.

On 25 February 1907, they founded the Nederlandsche Bond voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (VVK). They had left the Society for Women’s Suffrage out of dissatisfaction with the Society’s direction.

They found that members with a more moderate way of thinking did not receive much attention or have a say on important issues within the association.

Clara Meijer-Wichmann (1885-1922)

Clara Meijer-Wichman was a German-Dutch lawyer, writer, anarchist and feminist.

She was involved in the establishment of the Utrecht section of the Nederlandse Bond voor Vrouwenkiesrecht in 1907, and was active as a board member until she left the league in 1911.

She was very active in the anarchist and feminist movements, and published many articles which were hugely critical of the Dutch criminal justice system.

On 21 March 1920, she gave a lecture on crime, punishment and society. In this lecture, she came up with a proposition that crime comes from social injustice and that she believed most ‘crime’ would disappear with equitable social relations.

Clara Meijer-Wichmann died aged 36, after giving birth to her daughter Hetty Clara (1922–2012). Jonas “Jo” Meijer, her husband, continued to publish her work after her death.

Today, we thank these women for their enormous efforts towards a more equal society.

What strikes you the most about the women’s suffrage movement in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments.

Feature Image: LSE Library/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

The Netherlands has had countless incredible, powerful, and strong women throughout history.

What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day, or as the Dutch say Internationale Vrouwendag, than by sharing the stories of a selection of Dutch women who championed feminism in their own way.

Here are 11 kick-ass Dutch women whose legacies live on.

1. Anna Maria van Schurman: first university student in Europe (1607-1678)

Anna Maria made waves as the first woman who attended university in the Netherlands — and potentially in Europe.

However, it wasn’t easy: at lectures, she had to be hidden behind a curtain because, lordy be, a female in the classroom may just distract the good male students.

All in all, it was worth it: Anna Maria became well-educated and could speak 14 languages, including Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Aramaic, and Ethiopic, as well as various contemporary European languages.

She was also renowned as a scholar, poet, and painter. What a legend!

2. Cornelia ‘Corrie’ ten Boom: weapon of the Dutch Resistance (1892-1983)

Corrie ten Boom is credited with saving around 800 Jews during World War II through her work in the Dutch Resistance. Corrie and her family opened their home to refugees, hiding them behind a secret wall.

“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” Corrie Ten Boom – Nazi Holocaust Survivor pic.twitter.com/bW52ygrvgH

— Stephen Uzzell (@StephenUzzell2) May 9, 2020

Corrie later worked to smuggle Jews to safety through underground networks. Unfortunately, Corrie and her family were caught, and she was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

She was released in late December 1944 thanks to a clerical error — while the other women in her camp were sent to the gas chambers a year later.

3. Fanny Blankers-Koen: the flying housewife (1918-2004)

Fanny Blankers was a 30-year-old mother of two when she competed in the 1948 London Olympics.

She became the most successful athlete at the event when she won four gold medals for the 80 metre, 100m, and 200m hurdles, plus the 4 x 100m relay!

But Fanny, nicknamed “the flying housewife,” didn’t leave her success at the Olympics. She went on to win five European titles, set/tied for 12 world records and won a whopping 58 Dutch championships.

In 1999, she was awarded the title “athlete of the century” by the International Association of Athletics Federation — flying champion seems like a more accurate description! 

4. Elisabeth Wandscherer: the original “let them eat cake” (†1535)

A jump back in time takes us to Elisabeth Wandscherer, one of the 16 wives of the dictator Jan van Leiden.

Van Leiden chose Elisabeth as one of his many spouses in the German city of Münster after he made polygamy compulsory — his convenient response to the fact that the number of women in the city outnumbered the number of men.

But Elisabeth wasn’t a quiet wife: when the city was under siege during the Münster Rebellion, food shortages caused starvation. Elisabeth openly criticised Van Leiden for living a life of luxury while his people starved.

She returned the lavish gifts he had given her and requested to leave the city — but Van Leiden wasn’t a particularly reasonable man and had her publically beheaded instead.

5. Mata Hari: a sex symbol who owned it (1886-1917)

Born in Leeuwarden as Margaretha Zelle, Mata Hari is one of history’s best-known courtesans.

The Dutch dancer, who lived in the Netherlands, Indonesia, and France, began her career after leaving her husband, Dutch Colonial Army Captain Rudolf MacLeod, due to his alcoholism and abusive nature.

Along with a track record of infidelity, she cut the ties of married life and took to the stage. She believed her “flawless body” was a gift from God and that it was a crime not to flaunt it — so she did. You go, girl!

As a feminist ahead of her time, she pursued her dream unconventionally. But it was her travels between the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands that drew the attention of the Germans.

The Germans believed she was working as a double agent for both Germany and France during World War I.

On February 13, 1917, Mata was arrested by the French on the grounds of being a secret agent. She was found guilty of espionage and executed by a firing squad on October 15, 1917.

6. Sylvia Kristel: from a turbulent upbringing to silver screen star (1952-2012)

Born in Utrecht, Sylvia won Miss TV Europe in 1973 at just 21. Her linguistic talents opened doors for her into the film industry.

Best known for her roles in the five Emmanuelle films, she was famed for bringing “softcore” pornography to mainstream cinema.

Sylvia won critical acclaim for her title role — and Emmanuelle remains to this day the most iconic erotic French film ever made.

Clearly not averse to getting her kit off, Sylvia also starred in Lady Chatterley’s Lover (the first “Fifty Shades” of its time) and even played Mata Hari in the nudity-filled WWI biopic.

However, Kristel had a turbulent upbringing. She was abandoned by her father, abused as a child, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. It was no surprise that after 49 years of smoking, lung cancer finally took her life, aged just 60.

7. Hannie Schaft: red-haired badass of the Dutch resistance (1920-1945)

Jannetje Johanna Schaft, or Hannie Schaft, worked for the Dutch resistance during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

She acted as an assassin and saboteur for the resistance and became known to the Germans as “the girl with the red hair” — a description that was placed on the Nazi’s most-wanted list. 

Schaft carried out many brave acts of resistance but sadly did not survive the German occupation. She was arrested at a military checkpoint in Haarlem on March 21, 1945, and was executed by Nazi officials on April 17, 1945.

She was shot at close range by two German soldiers. However, their first attempt only wounded her. She is said to have told them “Ik schiet beter,” meaning “I shoot better,” before receiving one last fatal shot. 

8. Freddie Oversteegen: the teen Dutch resistance fighter (1925-2018)

Freddie Oversteegen was just 14-years-old when she became an assassin for the Dutch resistance during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

She belonged to a group of three young women (including her sister, Truus, and Hannie Schaft) who would sabotage and assassinate German soldiers and traitors.

Freddie was quite small and wore her hair in two braids which made her look innocent and enabled her to get away easily. Her method of attack was often a drive-by — Truus would cycle a bike whilst Freddie sat on the back and shot.

However, Freddie is most famed for her second assassination technique. She would meet soldiers and collaborators in the taverns and ask them if they would like to “go for a stroll.” Upon accepting the offer, the targets would be led to the woods and shot in a surprise attack.

9. Aletta Jacobs: suffragette and the first female Dutch doctor (1854-1929)

Aletta was a Dutch suffrage activist born in Sappemeer. As the daughter of a doctor, she knew from an early age the future she wanted for herself. Aletta was taught many languages along with history and mathematics (all subjects typically saved for the boys).

Thanks to her father’s encouragement after being denied access to secondary education in 1867, she fought for her rights, later qualifying against the odds to become an assistant chemist.

Aletta obtained permission from the then-First Minister of the Netherlands to attend a university where she became the first Dutch female to complete a degree in medicine and become a doctor.

Her work and championing of feminism filled her entire life. Aletta worked to protect women from trafficking and the impunity of prostitution.

She helped to protect women from STIs, provided contraception, and offered free consultations to prostitutes, poor people, and children.

In 1903, Aletta became the leader of the International Women Suffrage Alliance — truly championing women’s rights — and helped lead women to obtain the right to vote in 1919.

10. Corry Tendeloo: champion for equality (1897-1956)

Born in Indonesia, Cornélie Tendeloo moved to Leiden before becoming a lawyer in Amsterdam. It was a love for parity, social movements, and justice that led her into a life of public service and, ultimately, politics.

Beginning her political career as a councillor, she then obtained her seat in the Dutch House of Representatives after the war. Corry is the one women have to thank when it comes to having the right to work.

It was her efforts that helped to abolish the law that insisted only married women had the right to work.

Sadly, Corry died before seeing this emancipation for women, which allowed them to obtain gainful employment legally.

Her work in seeking equality between husband and wife and men and women is still referenced today — she, after all, helped to squash sexist rules that prevented women from thriving.

11. Anne Frank: a writer’s glimpse into WWII (1929-1945)

We couldn’t possibly finish this post without a nod to arguably the most well-known woman in the Netherlands, Anne Frank. World-renowned woman and a story everyone knows, Anne provided the only real insight we have into the life of a Jewish person during World War II to date.

Anne’s diary provided a window into the life of a family fearful for their lives and innocently caught up in Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

The story of Anne Frank humanised WWII in a way that nothing else could.

Who is your Dutch heroine, and where do you seek inspiration from this International Women’s Day?

Allegedly, when the first shot aimed at Hannie Schaft’s head only grazed her temple, she taunted the firing line: “Ouch! I shoot better!”

Hannie Schaft is arguably the most famous resistance fighter in modern Dutch history. During World War 2, the young woman fought against the German occupiers and was later wanted for treason, espionage, and murder.

The Nazis, who had no idea who Hannie was, described her as ‘the girl with the red hair’ on their most-wanted list.  

So who was this revolutionary Dutch resistance fighter? How did she get catapulted into a life of espionage? And what do we know about this 100% verified badass?

Schaft’s younger years

Hannie Schaft was born as Jannetje Johanna Schaft in Haarlem, on 16 December 1920. Her parents were Peter Schaft and Aafje Talea Vrijer. 

Hannie had an older sister who tragically died from diphtheria at the age of seven. In part because of that, her parents raised Hannie with great caution and kept a close eye on her.  

It is said that Hannie developed a political consciousness from a young age. Both parents were avid followers of world affairs and discussed these openly at the dinner table, also with Hannie.

Peter Schaft, in particular, was an active supporter of the socialist-democratic party SDAP and conveyed his leftist tendencies to his daughter.

The young Johanna was also an excellent student at school. But while she was open and talkative at home, in class, she remained rather quiet and withdrawn. Her bright red hair also made her the target of teasing and mockery. 

This experience of social exclusion could have contributed to the strong sense of justice that would later draw Hannie into the resistance movement. It also found expression in her wish to study law at university.

Later, Hannie dreamed she could specialise in human rights and work for the League of Nations (the predecessor of the United Nations). 

University: first steps into the resistance 

Hannie started attending the University of Amsterdam in 1938 to pursue a law degree. Only a year later, in 1939, German troops invaded Poland under Adolf Hitler’s command, and World War II took hold of Europe.

Already in these early stages of the war, Hannie’s spirit of resistance began to show. Through the Red Cross, she started sending packages with food supplies and other necessities to imprisoned Polish soldiers. 

While Hannie had trouble making friends at school, she had an easier time at university. Two connections, in particular, would last Hannie until the end of her life: the sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen.

Hanni also founded the all-girls debate group ‘Gemma’. Critiques against the German Nazi occupation and anti-semitism were frequent topics of discussion.

By the end of their time at university, the girls were protesting on the streets more than they were studying.

Germany occupies the Netherlands

Despite attempts by the Netherlands to stay neutral during the war, German occupiers took control of the country on May 10, 1940.

During this time, Hannie started writing articles in the university paper criticising the segregation of Jewish students and teachers, who were later banned from campus. 

She also joined the 80% of non-Jewish students who refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to the German Reich. As a consequence, Hannie had to stop her studies early.

Responding to the concerns of her parents, she left Amsterdam and moved back home to Haarlem. 

Joining the Council of Resistance

The Raad van Verzet (Council of Resistance) (RvV) was founded in Haarlem in 1943.

Under the occupation, there were different, disconnected resistance groups popping up all over the Netherlands, and the RvV wanted to create a unified movement across the country.

Both the Oversteegen sisters and Hannie were determined to keep up their fight against the German occupiers, so they joined the RvV.

Hannie made a point of emphasizing that she wanted to do more than distribute flyers or steal passports. Instead, she wanted to step fully into the role of an active resistance fighter. 

So, Hannie was ordered to assassinate a member of the German Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst or SD). 

Thinking about Dutch N*zi hunter Hannie Schaft today, who always carried a gun and a makeup kit with her.

The makeup kit not only helped her look attractive to N*zi targets, but also camouflaged her appearance when escaping these assassinations. pic.twitter.com/4ree9onxWg

— Ann Oh 애니 (@Minsooky) March 4, 2023

The girl with the red hair fronted up to the challenge and pulled the trigger while aiming at her target — unknowingly shooting a rubber bullet at a fellow RvV member instead. She passed the test and became entrusted with a larger role in the resistance movement from then on. 

This was also when Jannetje Johanna Schaft took on Hannie Schaft as her permanent code name — and Hannie Schaft, the legendary Dutch resistance fighter, was born. 

Beginning her career as an assassin 

Under the guidance of experienced RvV members, Hannie was instructed in the use of weapons and espionage. Because she spoke excellent German, Hannie was considered to be an especially valuable asset to the movement. 

Some people even confused her for a moffenmeid — a derogatory Dutch slang term used for German women. Whilst it made some Dutch people distrust her, Hannie could easily listen in on German officers and develop friendly relations with them if she had to. 

Together with her friends Truus and Freddie Oversteegen, Hannie carried out attacks against high-ranking German officers, stole important documents, and was also ordered to kill. 

Freddie Oversteegen was only 14 when she joined the Dutch resistance during World War II, and only a couple of years older when she became one of its armed assassins. Together with her sister—and later, a young woman named Hannie Schaft—the trio lured, ambushed and killed German… pic.twitter.com/vDDx4DZaY7

— Ozil (@iconicjuddy) November 8, 2023

However, Hannie did not blindly follow orders and was aware of her moral boundaries. At one point, she declined an assignment that required the abduction of children whose parents were Nazi officials. It’s a thin line to walk, but she did it gracefully!

Schaft and Bonekamp 

Hannie also worked closely with one of the founders of the RvV, Jan Bonekamp, whom she admired greatly. Bonekamp was described as charismatic, fearless, and good-looking. He was also older than Hannie and seemingly made quite an impression on her.

However, even within the resistance movement, he was known as an extremist who took especially great risks. While it is uncertain whether or not the two were romantically involved, Hannie was notably influenced by his unwavering commitment to the cause. 

During that time, her parents even asked her to move out because they were scared and apprehensive of her “dark work.”

A killing that went horribly wrong 

In 1944, Hannie and Bonekamp received an order from the RvV which would change everything. They were instructed to kill a Dutch police chief and collaborator in Zaandam called Willem Ragut. The plan was for Hannie to shoot first, and then for Bonekamp to follow up in case their target would not die immediately.

It was a good call because this is exactly what happened. Hannie’s first shot hit the collaborator in the back but did not kill him. Bonekamp, wanting to finalise the kill, followed up — but was shot in the stomach in return. 

Willem Ragut died nevertheless, and the two resistance fighters fled in different directions. But while Hannie managed to get away, the fatally hurt Bonekamp was arrested and taken to the hospital. 

Once there, he confessed to the murder, and under the influence of heavy medication and psychological manipulation, he also gave away Schaft’s address. 

Soon after, Jan Bonekamp died from his injuries. A week later, officials raided Hannie’s parent’s house in Haarlem. 

Underground and arrest

Efforts to make Hannie confess were fruitless but severe. To put pressure on her, the Nazis forced her parents into a Dutch concentration camp, which pushed Hannie to stop working for the resistance temporarily.  

After two months, Hannie’s parents were released, and the young woman decided that she had to go underground. The girl with the red hair dyed her ginger mane black and started wearing thick-rimmed glasses.

But it was not only her looks that had changed. The death of Jan Bonekamp had shaken Hanni deeply.

In letters that she wrote to friends and family at the time, the young woman expressed feelings of all-consuming desperation and sadness.

Her emotional turmoil might have contributed to the even greater risks Hannie took for the resistance in the months that followed.

But her dedication was short-lived. In 1945, Hannie Schaft was caught during a police control carrying two resistance-friendly newspapers and a pistol.

She was arrested, and when forced to wash her hair, the Nazis knew they had finally found the red-haired assassin they’d been searching for for over two years.

Execution

On 17 April 1945, Jannetje Johanna Schaft — alias Hannie Schaft — was brought to the beach of Overveen and executed with a shot to the head. She was buried right then and there between the dunes.

The Netherlands was liberated from Nazi occupation only 18 days later.

Legacy

After the war, Hannie’s remains were uncovered amongst the bodies of 421 members of the resistance — all of them men.

She was officially laid to rest in the Honorary Cemetery in Bloemendaal the same year. 

Following her death, Hannie became known as one of the bravest resistance fighters of World War II, both in the Netherlands and abroad. US President Eisenhower decorated her with the Medal of Freedom.

Meanwhile, in the German Democratic Republic, a post stamp adorned with her image celebrated her as an anti-fascist heroine. 

Today, two books, one movie, and a short film have attempted to tell her story. A bronze statue titled ‘Woman in Resistance’, designed by her friend Truus Oversteegen pays tribute to her legacy in Kenaupark, Haarlem. 

Hannie’s bravery and her unflinching sense of justice in the face of fascism, atrocity, and death make her one of the most important heroines of modern Dutch history.

She takes her rightful place next to incredible women in the resistance movement, such as Truus Wijsmuller and the sisters Oversteegen.

What do you think of Hannie Schaft’s story? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Unknown Photographer/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain (Modified)

Long before they were all tulips, windmills, bikes, and happy children, the Dutch were seafarers, explorers and conquerors. So, naturally, they named a lot of places along the way. 

The Dutch sailing expeditions led to many results, some of which were horrific, but also successful for finding new trade routes or discovering new lands. And, of course, being the first Europeans to set foot somewhere, the Dutch gave it a name.

READ MORE | How the fate of 17 Dutch sailors changed history

So, here are seven well-known places in the world whose names are actually Dutch, and their stories.

1. Tasmania and New Zealand: Searching for gold

Abel Tasman was a Dutch explorer and merchant who worked for the VOC in the 17th century. His voyages took him to places much warmer than those of Barentsz and eventually led him to “discover” four of the lands we today know as Tasmania, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji.

In August of 1642, the Council of the Indies sent Abel Tasman and Franchoijs Visscher to explore the area known as Beach — a toponym appearing on maps as the northernmost part of Australia.

Beach, which in fact is a mistranslation of Locach, was mentioned on many maps and by many travellers prior to Tasman, but what’s more — it was a land described by Marco Polo as one plentiful with gold.

READ MORE | New Zealand’s namesake: how the Dutch named NZ

At the end of November 1642, after a stop at Mauritius Island and a storm, which directed the ship to the northeast, Tasman saw the coast of a new piece of land.

In the good old tradition of the time, he named it after his sponsor — Van Diemen’s Land, after Antony van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. On January 1, 1856, the land was renamed Tasmania in honour of the first European who set foot there.

Just 13 days after “finding” Tasmania, Abel Tasman also saw the shores of New Zealand. Unfortunately, he was not aware of that — he thought this was a land connected to Isla de los Estados in Argentina, hence he charted it as Staten Landt (both names given in honour of the States-General).

A few years later, in 1645, Dutch cartographers corrected Tasman’s mistake and named the land Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland.

Upon his return voyage, Tasman and his ships passed through the Tongan archipelago, spotting the Fiji islands, which the explorer named Prince William’s Islands.

2. Easter Island: A troubled journey

In August of 1721, the Dutch West India Company decided to commission a search for the mythical Terra Australis, also hoping to open a western trade route to the Spice Islands (The Maluku).

Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen was sent to complete the task. He sailed to the South Atlantic Ocean, entered the Pacific Ocean, and continued further south.

Much like many before him, Roggeveen looked for one thing to find another. He, however, skipped the largely observed tradition of naming newly found lands after royalties or sponsors of the trip and decided to honour the day he spotted the land — Easter Sunday, April 5, 1722.

Perhaps, he followed the example of British captain William Mynors, who saw an island in the Indian Ocean on Christmas Day of 1643 and named it… Christmas Island.

Jacob Roggeveen explored 12 islands, but his trip was far from trouble-free. He lost his flagship and had a violent, deathly encounter with the inhabitants of some of the islands.

READ MORE | Islands of the Netherlands: a guide to the Wadden Islands

Upon returning to the Netherlands, the Dutch East-India Company VOC had him arrested for violating their monopoly and confiscated the remaining two ships. Only after a long lawsuit, Jacob Roggeveen was acquitted and compensated for his losses.

3. Robben Island: The political prison

Most people know about the Dutch colonial ties to South Africa, including Cape Town, which was founded by the Dutch in 1652 as a trading post for the VOC.

READ MORE | The Dutch and South Africa: more than just Apartheid and Boers

But less than seven kilometres west of Cape Town, the Dutch also found a small island and gave it a name that might not immediately strike you as Dutch. Robben Island was not named after a person or a bird, but after the many seals that the Dutch saw there, robben being Dutch for seals.

Robben Island is perhaps most famous for the political prisoners that were detained there during the nation’s era of Apartheid.

Nelson Mandela, among others, was imprisoned on the island for 18 years before helping dissolve the Apartheid state and winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

But Robben Island has been holding political prisoners for much longer than most people realise. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the VOC used the island to incarcerate political leaders from other Dutch colonies.

4. Bluefields, Nicaragua: The Dutch pirate

Bluefields is a municipality in the Central American nation of Nicaragua and was named after the notorious Dutch pirate, Abraham Blauvelt. The area is located at the mouth of the Escondido River, and it was here that Blauvelt hid during the 17th century.

But this thieving seaman began not as a pirate, but as a very respectable employee of the Dutch East India Company.

He was the first European to explore what are now Honduras and Nicaragua, and even travelled to England trying to gain support to establish a colony here. When these efforts failed, Blauvelt became a privateer and started raiding Spanish ships off the coast of Jamaica.

Blauvelt would then trade his spoils with the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (now New York), but when the colony feared tainting their reputation by trading with pirates, they banished him from the area. Thus, Blauvelt fled to what is now Bluefields, and the rest is history.

5. Barents Sea: The unbearable cold

The sea located on the northern coasts of Norway and Russia, used to be called Murmanskoye morye (Murman Sea) and appeared on maps for the first time in the 16th and 17th centuries under this name. In the 19th century, it renamed after the Dutch navigator, cartographer, and explorer, Willem Barentsz, in honour of his heroic expeditions in the far North.

READ MORE | Australia and the Netherlands: adventures at sea and shared history

Barentsz took three expeditions in search of a Northeast Passage which, he believed, opened north of Siberia in June every year because of the sun melting the ice and snow. The passage would also mean a new trade route to the Indies.

During the voyages, Barentsz and his crew members were often victims of the local fauna (attacked by polar bears) and the extreme weather conditions — the first two expeditions ended due to large icebergs and frozen waters. Because of this failure, the States-General refused to subsidize any further trips of this sort.

Instead, they offered a generous reward to anyone who could successfully navigate the route to its end. The Town Council of Amsterdam provided two ships, captained by Jan Rijp and Jacob van Heemskerk, under the command of Barentsz.

READ MORE | Best beaches in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide to Dutch beaches

The third expedition started rather well. Barentsz and company discovered Bear Island, Spitsbergen and named a few fjords. Unfortunately, a disagreement led them to part — Heemskerk with Barentsz continued northeast, and Rijp headed north.

In July, Barentsz reached the icy Novaya Zemlya archipelago, but because of the many icebergs around, he and his crew remained trapped there for a whole year fighting the extreme cold.

In June of the following year, those still alive decided to sail away. Barentsz died at sea only seven days after their journey back home began. After seven more weeks, the boats were finally rescued by a Russian ship.

In 2011, the Dutch director Reinout Oerlemans released “Nova Zembla”, a historical drama, based on the incredible story of Barentsz and his crew trapped on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.

6. Mauritius: The abandoned prince

Today’s independent state of Mauritius has a very long colonial history with the Dutch, the French, and the British. There is strong evidence that the island was known already to Arab sailors even before the European expeditions.

In the 14th century, Portuguese sailors visited the then uninhabited land, and their cartographers gave it a name — Mascarenes — but took no interest in it.

At the end of the 16th century (1598), bad weather whilst passing the Cape of Good Hope changed the route of five Dutch ships which wound up sailing to the shores of Mauritius.

Under the command of Wybrand van Warwijck, they anchored and named the island Prins Maurits van Nassaueiland, after Prince Maurits of the House of Nassau.

The Dutch made a settlement on Mauritius for their ships passing through this sea route and had it for 20 years. Eventually, they abandoned it.

The island was taken over by the French, who changed its name to Isle de France and used it, among other things, to raid British commercial ships. That lasted up until 1810, when the British took control over the island and returned its Dutch name.

7. In and around New York

A fair amount of today’s American toponyms came from the Dutch language on the account of the first settlers there. The Dutch heritage is particularly visible in and around New York (previously known as New Amsterdam).

READ MORE | Did the Dutch really buy New York for 24 dollars? 

Here are just a tiny fraction of examples:

Rhode Island

One of the theories says that it was named by the Dutch trader Adriaen Block, who, when passing by it, described it as “een rodlich Eylande“ (a reddish Island), perhaps due to red clay.

Staten Island

Named after the States-General, Staaten Eylandt, from Staten-Generaal.

Harlem

Named after the Dutch city, Haarlem.

Wall Street

Located in what was then known as Nieuw Amsterdam, a 17th-century Dutch settlement on the tip of Manhattan, the street was then known as de Waalstraat, on the account of a wooden palisade, that was protecting the settlement from the natives and the British.

Did you know any of these places were named by the Dutch? If so, tell us which in the comments below! 

Have you ever wondered how New Amsterdam came to be New York? Why did the Dutch buy Manhattan in the first place, and did it really only cost them $24?

The Dutch are known for being frugal. They have mastered the art of saving money, and some of them won’t shy away from sending you a Tikkie for a date. 

However, as odd and unappealing as this sounds, the renowned Dutch stinginess had a role to play in one of the most fascinating deals in the Netherlands’ history.

The nation of skilled traders managed to snatch a piece of land worth $1.7 trillion in one of North America’s largest cities for a mere couple of bucks… Or at least that’s how the story goes. But did the Dutch really manage to pull off such a steal?

The first settlers

Before the Dutch arrived in North America, the area where New York lies today was inhabited by Native Americans.

Then, in 1624, the first Dutch settlers sailing under the Dutch West India Company arrived at the Hudson River and based themselves on what is now known as Governor’s Island. 

READ MORE| The Dutch gave up New York, but why? (Video inside)!

With that, they essentially created the first permanent European settlement in the continental US — Fort Orange. Some time passed in the newly founded colony, and the tiny island soon started to become too small for the new inhabitants.

One year later, the Dutch established the colony of New Amsterdam on the southern part of Manhattan Island — a piece of land which, at that time, still belonged to the Native Americans. 

Was it really a steal?

The legend says that to fully legalize this settlement, the Dutch colonial governor of New Amsterdam at the time, Peter Minuit, fabulously stepped in.

He offered the Natives trinkets and glass beads worth, in today’s money, around 24 bucks, in exchange for ownership of the land.

This shameless deal sounds almost too good to be true. Why? Well, because it is.

Peter Schaghen — a representative of the Dutch West India Company — was the first one to mention this purchase of Manhattan Island in a letter to the other company’s representatives.

According to his letter, the Dutch actually bought Manhattan for the value of 60 Dutch guilders. 

READ MORE | Between New York and the Netherlands: the journey to yet another home

Some argue that these 60 guilders are equivalent to today’s 24 dollars. Yet this is also not entirely accurate.

This number was calculated by historians in the 19th century, but as we all know, the value of a currency doesn’t stay unchanged for decades. 

This means that the more accurate price for Manhattan in today’s money is around 1000 dollars! Perhaps a bit less of a steal now, but still pretty good if you think about New York’s property prices today.  

The fading new colony

Despite this successful buy, the Netherlands and the West India Company had little interest in permanently colonizing and developing the area of New Amsterdam.

Instead, they focused their attention on trade (particularly in fur and tobacco) which contributed to the general expansion of the Dutch empire. 

The way the governance of the new colony was organized also didn’t really help the cause. The governors appointed by the Dutch West India Company were autocratic, ruthless, and not very popular with the colony’s inhabitants. 

Why would the Dutch let such a precious piece of land fade away? The most likely reason for their lack of interest is the stability and prosperity of the Dutch Republic at that time.

With the absence of religious and political feuds, Dutchies back in Europe had no incentive to go chase their dreams in the newly established colony overseas. 

Flourishing in the hands of the English

The lack of incoming migrants from the Netherlands, low investments, and despotic leadership eventually cost the Dutch their colony. In 1664, the English naval force sailed into the harbour and took over New Amsterdam without firing a single shot. 

The governor of the time, Peter Stuyvesant, tried to resist the English takeover. However, this was ultimately unsuccessful because the inhabitants of New Netherland refused to help him. 

The colony of 7,000 people accepted the English rule peacefully. Charles II of England gave the territory to his brother James II of England — the Duke of York — in whose honour it was later renamed to New York. 

READ MORE| Check out what is left of New Amsterdam in New York. Video inside!

The new governor appointed by James II treated the Dutch inhabitants well, allowing them to keep their land, language, as well as religion. However, peace didn’t last very long after this takeover. 

Exchanging New York for Suriname

In 1672, the Third Anglo-Dutch War broke out. During this naval conflict between the Dutch Republic and the alliance of England and France, the Dutch seized New York again in 1673. 

The seizure was short and sweet, as a year later, the Dutch signed a peace treaty with the English, which returned New York to the hands of the English.

As part of the same treaty, the Dutch were able to keep Suriname, which they’d captured a few years prior in South America. 

READ MORE | 7 places named by the Dutch (that you might not know about)

Even though, at that point, the Dutch influence over New York’s future development diminished significantly, signs of their presence are still visible in the city today.

Some of the famous names, such as Haarlem or Brooklyn, come from their Dutch equivalents — Haarlem and Breukelen. 

New York’s history is rich and fascinating. The role of the Dutch is just a speck, albeit an important one, in the city’s hundreds of years of existence. 

Do you think the Dutch got a bargain with New York? What surprised you the most about this story? Let us know in the comments below!

Most people know that New York was originally named New Amsterdam, but what about New Zealand? Was it originally Zealand before the Dutch arrived? Where does the name come from? 

Many of the answers to these questions can be found if we look back on the 17th century — the time of the Dutch East India Company, violent colonisation and Abel Tasman (you may know this as the Dutch Golden Age, but that’s a little misleading).

Dutch explorers: the first foreigners to reach New Zealand

Explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to discover the land in the South Pacific, which later became known as New Zealand and Tasmania.

Abel Tasman “discovered” (in the way that colonisers like to discover) New Zealand in 1642.

Although when he first sighted the land, he named it Staten Landt, believing it to be part of the land of that name off the coast of Argentina that is now known as Isla de los Estados.

When it was realised that New Zealand was not part of South America, the Dutch renamed it Nova Zeelandia in Latin and Nieuw Zeeland in Dutch.

Whalers, missionaries, and traders soon followed, but it wasn’t until 1840 that Britain claimed the islands as their own and established New Zealand’s first permanent European settlement at Wellington.

Abel Tasman — who was he?

Abel Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, merchant and explorer who travelled as part of his services to the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

He originally hailed from a small village called Lutjegast located in the province of Groningen. However, he later moved to Amsterdam to start his career at sea.

Tasman was born in 1603, but the first we ever hear of him is in 1631 when his name is mentioned in an Amsterdam newspaper announcing his engagement to his wife.

He and his wife would then move from Amsterdam to Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) in 1637 after he signed on for a further 10 years of service to the VOC.

READ MORE | The Dutch East India Company was richer than Apple, Google and Facebook combined

Tasman set off on his first major voyage in 1642 and would go on to explore Mauritius and Tasmania. (Yes, the island’s current name would later be derived from Tasman’s!)

From Tasmania, the expedition would eventually find itself off the coast of modern-day New Zealand.

The first meeting between the Dutch and the Maori

Tasman’s ship docked about seven kilometres off the coast of what is believed to have been Golden Bay. Four boats were sent to gather water for the crew, which led to the expedition’s first encounter with the Māori.

One of the four boats was met with a double-hulled waka (Māori canoe), and they were attacked.

Four crew members were beaten to death using clubs. The small boats quickly returned to the main ship, which was then approached by two wakas.

Tasman wrote of the exchange in his diary:

“After our people had been on board about one glass, people in the two canoes began to call out to us in gruff, hollow voices,” Tasman recalled in his diary.

“We could not in the least understand any of it; however, when they called out again several times we called back to them as a token answer. But they did not come nearer than a stone’s shot.”

“They also blew many times on an instrument, which produced a sound like the moors’ trumpets. We had one of our sailors (who could play somewhat on the trumpet) play some tunes to them in answer.”

Shots fired

The trumpet didn’t work.

Tasman’s ship began to retreat out of the bay, and Tasman noted 22 wakas now on the shore. Soon, 11 of the wakas set out for the ship.

The Dutchmen fired on the Māori, shooting one man holding a small white flag. The ship then left the bay.

Archaeological research later discovered that the Dutch had likely tried to land in a rich agricultural area, which would have, understandably, alarmed the Māori and triggered a defensive attack.

READ MORE | The life of the slaves in the Dutch colonies

The history of the Golden Age is not as golden as the name would have you believe, with the Dutch committing many atrocities against native peoples during this time.

Other Zeeland namesakes

The two major seafaring provinces of the Netherlands in its Golden Age were Holland and Zeeland.

Originally the Dutch explorers named the largest landmass of Oceania and the two islands to the southeast respectively Nieuw-Holland and Nieuw-Zeeland.

The former was eventually replaced by the name Australia, and Captain James Cook of Britain later Anglicised the latter name to New Zealand. After British settlers arrived in New Zealand, English became the main language.

New Zealand may have had a violent christening, but the name certainly stuck. In fact, it can be found all around the world.

Namesakes in the US

The city of Zeeland in the US state of Michigan was settled in 1847 by Dutchman Jannes van de Luyster and was incorporated in 1907. The city still maintains a distinctive Dutch flavour.

Flushing, a neighbourhood within the borough of Queens, New York, is named after the city Flushing (Vlissingen in Dutch) in Zeeland. This dates from the period of the colony of New Netherland, when New York was still known as New Amsterdam.

READ MORE | 8 carbon-copies of the Netherlands across the world

Zeeland, North Dakota is another town named for this province and whose earliest settlers were of Dutch heritage.

Other corners of the world

The Dutch colonies of Nieuw Walcheren and Nieuw Vlissingen, both on the Antillian island of Tobago, were both named after parts of Zeeland.

The Canadian town of Zealand, New Brunswick, was named after the Zeeland birthplace of Dutchman Philip Crouse who settled in the area in 1789.

Paramaribo, the capital and largest city of Suriname, has a Fort Zeelandia, the former Fort Willoughby during the British colonization.

Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624–1634 by the Dutch East India Company, in the town of Anping (Tainan) on the island of Formosa, present-day Taiwan, during their 38-year rule over the western part of it.

A violent history, a lasting legacy

The history of New Zealand shows us that the Dutch Golden Age has certainly left its mark on the world, whether we like it or not.

READ MORE | 7 places named by the Dutch (that you might not know about)

Perhaps the least malignant of these legacies are place names. In fact, the Dutch are responsible for naming many areas of the world!

Did you know about New Zealand’s Dutch history? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! 

This article was co-written by Freya Sawbridge and Sarah O’Leary.

If I say the word “Dutch”, you probably have a very clear image in your head of what a Dutch person should look like. Way too tall, mainly, as we short folk have never actually seen the faces of these giants up close.

But on a genetic level, are the Dutch actually Dutch?

Does Dutch DNA show if they are actually Dutch?

So, what started off this whole Dutch DNA discussion?

I visited the Netherlands a few summers ago. We stayed with my half-Dutch wife’s relatives, and we were able to stay in and visit many cities.

I looked up Dutch traits and the Netherlands’ distinctions before the trip because I wanted to know how to act properly without playing the fool, know what I would be up against, and behave correctly.

I researched all the traits the Dutch are well known for, but what really interested me was the distinct look of the Dutch. I can pick a Dutchie out of a crowd easily.

Yes, in every country or area, people have specific physical traits, but Dutch DNA is complicated and intertwined. It is also not as though all Dutch people look like twins. Historically, Nederlanders were often intermixed with many ethnic groups.

According to DNA testing companies, Dutch DNA is considered mainly Germanic French, which seems a broader stroke of DNA than some common and visible Dutch characteristics that I see.

My wife recently had her DNA analysed… and surprise! Besides being a little Neanderthal (maybe she slobbered a little in the test tube), her DNA is less than 25% Germanic French.

My wife was adamant about being “200%” Dutch. How so? “My mother was 100% Dutch, and so was my father, so I am 200% Dutch”. Clearly not a math major, but a passionate Dutchie.

So here is my opinionated research on where the Dutch DNA originated from:

Early days

Before 5000 BC, the ice age was ending (apparently as a result of global warming from the tribes burning too much peat). A few Neanderthals were left running around updating their resumes.

The hunter-gatherers had started growing food, and Neanderthals died off from having to eat salad from a pottery dish. Maglemosian culture was throughout the Northern European area, and the glaciers hadn’t melted off.

As a result, the British Isles, Netherlands and Scandinavia were all one landmass.

Seas eventually rose, and with water separation, the British Isles exited North Europe (BREXIT wasn’t the first time this happened) and Scandinavia receded into the North Sea glacial melt.

Life spans were short, and generations moved quickly. (Hey, getting stepped on by Mastodons is a quick DNA eliminator. )

Netherlands speeding toward the year zero

Funnel Beaker Culture and other small farming cultures extended from Denmark into Germany and the Northern Netherlands.

Following behind them with their fancy Indo-European language spreading throughout most of North and Central Europe, was the touwbekercultuur, or “Corded Ware Culture” (makers of corded pottery), lasting into the Bronze Age.

If you wish to go in-depth on their DNA, for aspiring DNA PhD types, go here.

Crossover with the Beaker Culture from West Europe may have wandered into Southern Netherlands looking for sunshine. The Beakers were traders, and probably the first door-to-door salespersons. Plus, they kept alcohol in their beakers, so there was that.

Although archaeologists argue over where the Corded Ware Culture sprung from — the Black Sea or elsewhere in Europe (arguing over people dead thousands of years is their passion) — what we do know is DNA from graves shows they were widespread in North-Central Europe. 

They were the first to have wagons, therefore, wheels. I am guessing they are Dutch ancestors and invented bicycles, peddling across Europe (some things never change).

Pre-Roman Iron Age migration

Germanic groups migrated into the Netherlands around 750 BC settling in coastal floodplains “where no man had settled before” and probably invented boots and snorkels.

This uniform DNA grouping extended into Poland and migrated from Southern Scandinavia due to the deteriorating climate. Apparently, they brought it with them.

Several groupings and languages evolved:

• North Sea Germanics (Ingvaeones), in Northern Netherlands, south to the great rivers into Jutland. This would be early Frisians and Saxons.
• Weser-Rhine Germanics (Istvaeones) inhabited the Netherlands south of the great rivers from which the Salian Franks would spring.

Even though this happened a couple of thousand years ago, it seems logical it was the beginning of the Dutch people.

The ever-spreading Celts and Dutch DNA

Celtic (Gaul) culture about this time was in a triathlon across central Europe, spreading their DNA everywhere.

They were more tribal than most cultures and had Chiefs and classes of people within the tribes (perhaps political conservatives’ ancestors).

They spread from the East European area to Britain and Iberia. Generally staying south of the Netherlands, Celts drifted as far north as Maastricht early on.

Apparently, they were busy irritating Romans and causing wars, and had no desire to be chased by a giant walrus in the lowlands’ mud.

The Celts integrated with Germanic tribes South of the Rhine eventually. Caesar defeated them, took their gold and assimilated them into Roman culture, where they probably invented fashion and anger management from their descriptions by Romans.

The Gauls in the fourth century were “tall and muscular, light-skinned, reddish or light-haired and eyed people who are quick to quarrel and fight”.

There are not an excessive amount of redheads in the Netherlands, though Limburg has one of the higher percentages.

Many Dutchies do fit other physical Gaul characteristics. A recent study in the UK states the Celts are not a unique genetic group, which would indicate their original Germanic cultural background.

It also showed populations next to each other can have different ancestry.

The Romans are coming

In the year 57 BC, the Romans came to town in fashionable tunics. After years of battles with Germanic tribes south of the Oude Rijn, the river became the north boundary of the Roman Empire. Roman control existed farther north too.

For four centuries the Romans ruled, integrating towns and building forts, exerting genetic intermingling in the Netherlands.

With the Celtic, Germanic and Roman cultures intermingling, even Augustus Las Vegas wouldn’t lay odds on DNA results.

Romans used both Celt and Germanic tribes as soldiers and ruled settlements where these “barbarians” would be raised for Roman armies.

Two Centuries later, the early Germanic Frisii living on the North Sea coast and occupying most areas north of the Oude Rijn were coerced by the Romans and rising seas to relocate to Roman territory and were assimilated into that society.

So much for early Frisii DNA being dominant in the future!

Salian Franks

Around 200 AD, proclaiming their own DNA, some Germanic small groups inhabiting the Netherlands emerged as the Salian Franks, many of whom settled in the south of the Netherlands.

Concentrated in the North Sea lowlands, the early Frisians, Chauci, Saxons and Angles were closely related Germanic groups. As with many close families, however, the Chauci later joined with and became Saxons.

These groups expanded after the Romans fell. Some remained in now Southern Netherlands.

Migration in the early Middle Ages

As the seas receded, (400 AD to 1000 AD), Germanic groups such as Jutes, Angles and mainly Saxons waded into Northern Netherlands (and eventually all the way to British Isles).

The ones who stayed in North Netherlands became ancestors of modern Frisians.

Generally, Frisians and Saxons settled in future Northern Netherlands, and Salian Francs in Southern Netherlands.

Viking blood

In the ninth century, Danish Vikings wreaked havoc in the Netherlands with raids and attacks. Although they maintained a presence and ruled over parts, there were few permanent settlements.

The DNA that was brought in for this short time seems of lesser influence.

During the Iron Age migration, Germanic hunter-gatherer tribes of same or similar descent fled the climate and populated the Netherlands area. The Viking DNA was probably related (but with a nasty mutated mean gene).

1000 AD to 1600 AD

The next seven centuries were a culture slug-fest, with the Netherlands often occupied or at war.

Areas now Germany, Spain, British Isles, Italy, the Holy Roman Church, and pretty much anyone with a stick, rock, or religious robe battled. Surprisingly, some lucky males survived to spread a “Y” chromosome.

There weren’t mass migrations, but significant intermingling. I imagine with all the battles going on, the general population was able to continue their own DNA propagation within their groups and settlements.

Modern centuries

From the 17th century forward, the Dutch were traders and colonised around the world. Amsterdam was a top world trade city and people came to stay. In 1650, according to Cairn.info, 8% of the Netherlands was of foreign descent.

In the early 1800’s, 85% of immigrants were from Germany, Belgium or France, all with similar ancient roots. Currently, 13.4% of the Netherlands’ population is foreign-born.

Transportation improves. Immigration and culture crossover grows. These blending trends will eventually change the Dutch DNA and that of every culture.

Having trouble seeing how any genetic group could retain its characteristics over the centuries?

Is it just the luck of the DNA draw from parents, grandparents and great-grandparents (only one-eighth from the greats)? Maybe, but enter Epigenetics.

Is there another factor?

Epigenetics

Epigenetics studies a chemical reaction that influences who we are without altering DNA. This means that events that happened to our grandparents can be physically passed down.

Studies show events like the “Hunger Winter” in 1944-45 which caused severe malnutrition may have caused children and grandchildren born after to be smaller.

Could Dutch physical characteristics be maintained by more than Dutch DNA? Does happiness, physical activity, social society or diet of cheese and herring unknowingly in part “will” them or any culture to retain the classic Dutch look through generations?

Science continues to chime in. I just hope you enjoy knowing a little more about where the Dutch DNA came from.

My own Dutch DNA conclusions

In summary, all of the above has led me to form my own conclusions on ‘Dutch DNA’:

• Germanic cultures are ancestors to most of what is North, Central and West Europe.
• Isolated early groups kept cultural DNA purer, but still developed uniqueness.
• Early European migratory cultures had closely related DNA.
• Migrating cultures joined, creating larger unique blended cultures.
• Culture group wars and spreading populations slowly intermingled DNA for a time.
• Ancient genetic cultures co-existed adjacent to each other with little intermingling.
• Genetics is advancing rapidly and will have more answers.
• DNA data cannot yet determine if the Dutch should have their own DNA classification. If you ask me, I think they might.

Finally, what’s up with Neanderthal bashing? They were around a million years before salads ran them off! Please, don’t forget to comment with your own conclusions!

On February 1, 1953, one of the biggest natural disasters to ever hit the Netherlands took place. We’re talking about the Watersnoodramp, the largest flood that ever took place in the Netherlands.

It was a Saturday night, January 31, 1953, when the flooding began, continuing into the morning of Sunday. A storm surge hit the Netherlands, as well as the east coast of England, Belgium, and Germany.

As a result of Watersnoodramp, over 2,100 people died across three countries, with more than 1,800 of them being in the Netherlands. Apart from the lost lives, this tragedy caused chaotic damage to livestock and homes.

How did the Watersnoodramp happen?

The North Sea is shaped like a funnel, so when a storm breaks from the north or northwest and pushes the water southward, it cannot drain. This causes the water to build up and raise the sea level further.

It’s no surprise, then, that the 1953 flood was not the first one. A similarly tragic flood happened in 1916.

On Saturday, January 31, the KNMI (Royal Dutch Weather Institute) issued a bad weather warning for the night of Saturday to Sunday: On top of spring tide, which caused the water level to be higher than normal, a northwestern storm was on its way to the Netherlands.

Adding to this, the wind pushed the water up to rise higher and higher, making the sea reach a record height of four to five meters above the average sea level.

READ MORE | The Dutch build cities on sinking land: how will this fare with climate change? 

The first dikes were breached between 4 AM and 6 AM on Sunday, February 1, by the storm surge. In a short amount of time, 165,000 hectares of land were covered by seawater.

Many people were caught unprepared — while some hadn’t heard of the warning, others chose to ignore it. Among the people who did get the news about the storm, about 72,000 people were evacuated.

After the flood

The consequences of the Watersnoodramp were dramatic.

Roads were destroyed, and telephone lines were down. In many regions, the only transportation possible was by boat. Cattle died in droves, crops failed, and thousands of homes became uninhabitable.

Most tragically, more than 1,800 victims perished in the Netherlands as a result of the flood, while another 105 were never found. Several unknown bodies were also buried in the days after the disaster.

The total estimated damage due to the flood was around 1.5 billion guilders, which is equivalent to around €5.4 billion today.

The 1953 flooding in the rest of Europe

The Netherlands was not the only country that felt the devastating effects of the 1953 flood. Countries like England, Belgium, and Germany were also badly hit.

According to the British Environment Agency, 300 people died in the UK, about 24,000 houses were destroyed, and 40,000 people were evacuated.

In Belgium, several dikes were breached, and areas of Ostend and Antwerp were flooded. Around 40 people lost their lives.

The Delta Works

After the disastrous results of the Watersnoodramp, it was unanimously agreed that protective measures be taken not just in the Netherlands, but in all of Europe. The iconic Thames barrier in Britain is one of the results.

READ MORE | Why the Netherlands isn’t underwater (VIDEO INSIDE)

In the Netherlands, the ideas were grander, and the Dutch government introduced Delta Works, a series of construction projects aimed at protecting low-lying areas from flooding. 

These staggering solutions of engineering are a big and lasting reminder that the North Sea will always impact the lives of the Dutch. It’s a system that is admired around the world to this day.

The Delta Works is a working process to handle flooding. In September 2008, reports showed that the Netherlands would need a massive new building program to strengthen the country’s water defences against the effects of global warming.

READ MORE | The Dutch built cities on sinking land: how will this fare with climate change?

The plans included drawing up worst-case scenarios for evacuations, and estimated costs at €100 billion. Yikes!

Lastly, here is an original 1953 news report, to show the disastrous effects of the 1953 flood (in Dutch):

Did you know about this Dutch tragedy? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Visitors to the Netherlands will probably be struck by a very specific element about this country. Things tend to look, well, quite the same.

By this, we do not mean that there aren’t different architectural styles. They are certainly out there — from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, post-war modernism, and more classical interpretations of architecture.

What we mean is a certain degree of aesthetic similarity. Whether you’re looking at the red bricks or the colour palette similar to the pavement up to the facades, it seems like there is tight control over how the Netherlands should look.

How did all of this come to be? What’s up with all the bricks? How does the enforcement of colour palettes work?

Bricks, bricks, and some more bricks

To start off our incursion into architecture, we need to talk about the building block of this country: the bricks. You must have noticed them too, as they are pretty much everywhere, and odds are you’ll run into more brick buildings than the un-bricked variety.

But why specifically brick compared to any other building material? Well, to answer this question, we need to take a look at the past.

READ MORE | Dutch architecture in South Africa you can still see today

It’s actually believed the word “brick” might have Dutch origins. The Dutch have been developing bricks ever since the Middle Ages, and their production only increased with time.

However, despite their vital role in construction, the brickmakers were usually ostracized members of society belonging to lower social classes.

Brick factories were on the outskirts of cities to keep the dust and smoke away from the centres. A report from 1873 from a municipality near Nijmegen stated that “as the number of brick kilns increases, so does poverty.”

Child labour was intensively used in making bricks, including in the 19th century. Children who were eight years old and younger would work 16-hour shifts, which might seem downright shocking in the welfare state the Netherlands now has today.

READ MORE | 8 carbon copies of the Netherlands across the world

Now, the reason that the Netherlands made so many bricks is because of an abundance of clay. Rivers in the country, like the Ijssel, the Rhine, or the Waal, were great sources of clay, which is the main ingredient needed in making bricks.

The bricks were not only used domestically but exported as building material to neighbouring countries as well.

You can find great examples of Dutch brick architecture throughout the United Kingdom. Other places with Dutch bricks can be found in the former colonies throughout Southeast Asia.

Now that we’ve figured out a brief history of bricks in the Netherlands, let’s move on to another important element that makes everything look similar in the Netherlands — urban planning.

Urban planning

Depending on where you’re coming from, urban planning might not really be a concept. Like if you come from a place with winding and twisting streets or chaotically built buildings of various sizes and not much sense of order.

Well, the Netherlands is certainly the opposite of that, and it’s not hard to see why. With a small area size and a population of 17 million, screwing up urban planning means the country wouldn’t function well.

And one thing that definitely lends a helping hand in urban planning here is that the country is relatively flat, so architects and planners don’t need to work around things like mountains.

While I miss the chaos of cities in my home country, there’s something to appreciate about the orderly way Dutch cities are built, even if it makes them quite bland at times.

The most major event you need to know about in recent history is the construction boom that followed WWII. This boom happened simultaneously with a population boom, which lead to overcrowded inner cities that became gradually unsafe.

READ MORE | A short history of Dutch spatial planning

But with space available outside of The Randstad, urban planners started to build cities, such as Zoetermeer and Hoofddorp.

And while they are certainly effective, they are also terribly bland, unmemorable, and look-alike in the sense of architecture, colours, and general vibe.

General aesthetics

Let’s say that you are now the proud owner of a Dutch home. Bored with all the brown on its facade, you feel that it’s high time you give it a makeover.

Let’s say you choose to paint it all blue. After that, you also think that it wouldn’t be bad to add an extra floor or two. You commence your work when — surprise! You get a fine through your newly blue-painted letterbox. What on earth has happened?

READ MORE | The 10 best authentic Dutch villages that you have to visit

Enter the Welstandscommissie (Welfare and Monuments Committee).

Any sort of building permit, facade modification, extra floor and the like need to pass through them first. They are responsible for making sure all new constructions or modifications follow a rigorous guideline, lest everything turns completely chaotic.

So if you’re planning on changing something to your building, or constructing something new entirely, make sure you give them a call in order to avoid a hefty fine.

Is there anything that we missed that influences the fact that everything looks the same in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments!