history

Belgium was one of Europe’s founders and main supporters, but in recent times the consensus for the European project has been somewhat worn down.

Seventy-five years after the declaration of Indonesian independence, it is high time for apologies to be made at the level of government, and for a national memory that is more inclusive.

A selection of recent university press publications about the Low Countries in English.

Most people assume the sensible Dutch have always cycled. But the story is more complicated.

Seventy-five years on from the end of World War II, the differences between Belgium and the Netherlands from an economic perspective are significant and growing.

On 15 May 1920, the deposed German Emperor, Wilhelm II, settled in ‘House Doorn’, an estate with a lavishly furnished country house near Utrecht. Today, the manor is a museum worth visiting.

Often, when discussing Flanders versus the Netherlands, we tend to fall back on the cliché about being ‘Catholic’ versus being ‘Protestant’. The truth, however, is far more complex.

Regardless of how long NATO remains standing, strengthening military cooperation between European countries is essential.

The importance of the resistance during World War II doesn’t form part of the Belgian collective memory. That’s remarkable, as the resistance represents an impressive achievement.

The Amsterdam house where Jewish writer Etty Hillesum wrote her famous diary during WWII is in danger of being demolished. Philippe Noble, who translated her work into French, tells us why the writings she left behind are still as powerful today as they ever were.

Remembrance has replaced history as the dominant way of working through our feelings about the Second World War.

After 1945, Belgium and the Netherlands rolled out a monumental social security system that brought prosperity and emancipation. Today, this welfare state has come under pressure.