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A Dynasty Divided: Philip the Good and the Fractures Within
15 June 2026
The Burgundian state in the mid-fifteenth century looked, from the outside, like one of the most formidable powers in Europe. But power is always partly performance, and behind the tapestries, the tournaments and the gilded ceremonies of the Order of the Golden Fleece, it was quietly coming apart.
Beautiful Burgundian Bureaucracy and the Citizens of Ghent
4 May 2026
Philip the Good ruled over a sprawling collection of territories (Flanders, Brabant, Holland, Hainaut and more) that shared little beyond a common ruler. To hold them together, he built an ambitious centralising bureaucracy, appointing loyal outsiders as stadhouders to govern provinces on his beha
Uncovering Amsterdam’s Queer Histories
4 August 2025
Dutch history, as we know it, leaves a lot unsaid. The voices of women, people of colour, and LGBTQ+ communities are too often missing from the mainstream narrative. Elyzabeth Gorman is here to change that. A former New York theatre professional turned Amsterdam tour guide, she digs through the city
Decolonising the AfricaMuseum
3 June 2025
Nestled in the leafy suburb of Tervuren just outside Brussels, the AfricaMuseum has long stood as a monumental symbol of Belgium’s colonial past. Founded in 1898, the museum once served as a powerful propaganda tool in the service of King Leopold II’s imperial ambitions in the Congo and Central
The Toll Privilege: Amsterdam’s 750th Birthday in a Hidden Treasure
16 December 2024
The Toll Exemption Privilege—dated 27 October 1275—marks the very first mention of Amsterdam. In this podcast, senior curator of Amsterdam City Archives, Erik Schmitz, explains the significance of this artefact, describing it as "a tangible link to the foundation and resilience of the city," tha
Exploring Dutch Culture with Greg Shapiro, the American Netherlander
6 August 2024
. What is the difference between 'Dutch direct versus Midwest nice'? . How do I survive the citizenship test in the Netherlands? . What does the Plakkaat van Verlatinghe (Act of Abjuration) have to do with the American Declaration of Independence? . Why is pinda kaas not actually cheese? . Is th
The Curious Life of Rembrandt and His Forgotten Painter Friend Jan Lievens
30 May 2024
They both lived during the Dutch Golden Age, grew up in Leiden, were taught by the same painter, shared a studio, received all the praise, and painted the rulers of their time. And yet, Jan Lievens is not as famous today as his friend Rembrandt.
#25 – Pheasant Fealty
5 February 2024
After the Treaty of Arras in 1435, the international policies of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, had to overcome several hurdles if he was to achieve his aim of obtaining as much territory and autonomy as he could. Despite his reconciliation with the king of France, the two cousins would cont
Simon Gronowski’s Great Escape from the 20th Nazi Convoy
10 January 2024
Meet Simon Gronowski, a 92-year-old jazz pianist and lawyer from Brussels, and, above all, a Holocaust survivor who escaped from a deportation train to Auschwitz.
Reformation in the Low Countries: Religious and Political Turmoil in the Sixteenth Century
21 November 2023
In this podcast, we talk to Christine Kooi, professor of European History at Louisiana State University, about the turbulent Protest and Catholic Reformations in the Low Countries of the sixteenth century.
# 24 – How Philip the Good Crowned Himself “Grand Duke of the West”
23 October 2023
The court of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, became widely known as the most extravagant and luxurious in Europe during the almost fifty years of his reign between 1419 and 1467. Using pomp, ceremony and patronage of the arts, an image was created of Philip as a wise, just and fair ruler; the “
