What it means to be Dutch
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What it means to be Dutch

I am an American who happens to have a Dutch last name. That’s one of the surprising things I’ve learned while living in The Hague this year. Frankly, I had expected something quite different. I thought I would feel a lot more Dutch. What would you have expected to feel if all your ancestors, going…

Church coffee with a side of disaster
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Church coffee with a side of disaster

There were not many options on Sunday afternoons. We were not allowed to do homework. Even workaholic men like my father were not permitted to labor. There was, however, a lot of visiting. Sometimes an invitation was extended in the church parking lot. Other times my parents proposed a drive after lunch and we wandered…

Saints in the Making
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Saints in the Making

On July 26, 1942, a young Nazi nurse administered a lethal injection to a patient in the Dachau hospital. The patient was a Dutch clergyman named Titus Brandsma; he passed out of this life within 10 minutes. That moment doubtless seemed of little consequence. The clergyman had been in poor health and unrepentant of his…

History Rhymes
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History Rhymes

As the old saying goes: “history does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” The past does not give us a blueprint for the future, but it can provide us insights into the trajectory of current events. This year, many Dutch towns are celebrating the 450th anniversary of one of the most important turning points…

A nation born out of war and lawlessness, the Netherlands
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A nation born out of war and lawlessness, the Netherlands

Many Dutch towns are celebrating the 450-year anniversary of what happened on April 1, 1572, when a motley crew of seamen (called the Sea Beggars), loyal to William of Orange, were able to capture and hold their first town (Brielle) on the Dutch mainland. The capture of Brielle was an important turning point in the…