history
Newcomers to the North
Our Colonial Legacy
Migration, the Other Way Around

Sojourner Truth: How the Enslaved Woman of a Dutch-New York Family Became an Icon of America’s Black Liberation Movement
Few people know that the first African-American woman to be honoured with a bust in the US Capitol was a native speaker of Dutch.

Reformation in the Low Countries: Religious and Political Turmoil in the Sixteenth Century
In a special episode of The Low Countries Radio, we talk to Christine Kooi, professor of European History, about the turbulent Protest and Catholic Reformations in the Low Countries of the sixteenth century.
History of the Netherlands

How Peter Stuyvesant Became an Anachronistic Symbol of Dutch-American Friendship
In New York City, the historical memory of Petrus Stuyvesant has recently become controversial, but in the twentieth century, the image of the Dutch director-general of the colony of New Netherland was iconic as a symbol of Dutch-American friendship.

A Forgotten Dutch Tragedy on Lake Michigan
On 21 November 1847, the Phoenix steamship burned to the waterline on Lake Michigan and 154 passengers lost their lives. Most of them were Dutch immigrants.
Newcomers to the North

Harvest of the University Press (autumn 2023)
Our selection of recent university press publications in English on the Low Countries.

A Walk Along the Western Front
Discover the war-scarred landscape around Ypres by walking along the former line of the trenches.
Our Colonial Legacy

The Tulip: the Myth, the Mania and the Man
We dig up the bulbs of the past, trim the stems of historical myth and emerge with a lustrous vase of understanding as to where the tulip came from, how it came into vogue in the Dutch Republic and what place the flower holds today in the Netherlands.

# 24 – How Philip the Good Crowned Himself “Grand Duke of the West”
Using pomp, ceremony and patronage of the arts, an image was created of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, as a wise, just and fair ruler; the “Grand Duke of the West”.
Migration, the Other Way Around

What We Could Do With Controversial Statues
To keep, to remove, or to tuck away in a museum? In his book on statues in the public space, ex-curator Ton Quik does not shy away from the difficult questions.

Lady Liberty as Muse: An Inspired Dutch Writer and Her Love for the United States of America
The United States is a rich source of inspiration for Dutch writer Annejet van der Zijl. 'Americans are open to newcomers and interested in history, perhaps because they live in a young country.'

The SieboldHuis Displays a Unique Japanese Collection of a Vain Doctor
Thanks to the collection of a German physician, the SieboldHuis in Leiden can provide insight into the daily life of nineteenth-century Japan. But its temporary exhibitions also tie in with current issues.

#23 – Geert Groote and the Modern Devotion’s Fight Against the Excesses of the Church
In the late Middle Ages, innovative ideas entered the Roman Catholic Church thanks to a Dutch priest and his Modern Devotion movement, who rejected the materialism and excesses of the clergy.

The Brussels House of Neel Doff
Neel Doff was a writer of Dutch descent living and working in Belgium. Her life reads like an adventure book.

Edward Winslow: The Forgotten Pilgrim Father
Without the Anglo-Dutch diplomat, the history of the United States would have looked different.

On the Barricades: Protest Movements in the Low Countries
In this podcast, we take a look at some of the major and minor protest movements that have occurred across the Low Countries, which have helped shape them into the places they are today.

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, The Man Who Pushed the Borders of the Visible
The Dutch self-taught scientist died three hundred years ago. The anniversary of his death has led to books and an exhibition that shed light on the life of this wayward pioneer of microbiology.

From Clara to Bokito: The Wilderness in Our Zoos
Our fascination for and exploitation of wild animals has a long history that reveals major social changes: from prestige projects for medieval monarchs to experiences for the general public.

The Dutch Windmill Is a Cross Between Iconic Heritage, National Pride and Polder Kitsch
In history, Dutch windmills are often a symbol of freedom, loyalty to the fatherland and pride in the past. Lugard Mutsaers describes how a useful tool became a national icon.

Art for Das Reich: The Forgotten Stories Behind Nazi-Looted Art
Investigative journalist Geert Sels spent eight years researching Nazi-looted art in Belgium. In 'Art for Das Reich', he brings many histories of robbery, collaboration and restitution to light for the first time.

#22 - When a Miracle Turned Amsterdam into a Holy Town
Before Amsterdam made an international name for itself as a port and trading town, it became known as a place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. Thanks to a Eucharistic miracle.