Series
society
society
Derek Blyth
14 min reading time
Peeling the Onion in Aalst
On a visit to the Flemish city of Aalst, Derek Blyth discovers a Carnival parade that likes to shock, a priest that took on the factory bosses and a utopian library.
society
Tom Christiaens
3 min reading time
The Top 7 Society Stories of the Year
Join us in bidding goodbye to 2022 with seven of the finest stories we published this year about Dutch and Flemish society that are worth re-reading or listening to again.
Series
Tour of Flanders
society
Edo Dijksterhuis
6 min reading time
Learn How the Netherlands Stays Dry at the Afsluitdijk Wadden Center
The Afsluitdijk Wadden Center shows how the 32-kilometre-long dam between the provinces of Noord-Holland and Friesland protects a large part of the Netherlands against flooding.
society
Dries Vanysacker
7 min reading time
'Farmers' versus 'Snobs'. The Social Fault Lines Between Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge
The proverbial rivalry between the two football teams from Bruges dates back to the end of the 19th century.
Series
Battle for Laughter
society
Derek Blyth
13 min reading time
Genk Mines Its Own Business
On a visit to the Flemish city of Genk, Derek Blyth discovers restored coal mines, cosmopolitan chickens and one of the world’s great love songs.
society
San F. Yezerskiy
7 min reading time
Sibling Rivalry. Playing Football for the Honour of the Low Countries
Why do the eyes of every Belgian football fan shine every time the Red Devils defeat the Dutch team? There is a sporting and historical reason for that.
The L-Spot
society
Derek Blyth
2 min reading time
Lotus Biscoff: The Flemish Biscuit That Keeps on Flying
People all over the world crave a Flemish speculoos biscuit based on wheat flour and candy syrup or caramelised sugar.
society
Jacomine Hendrikse
7 min reading time
Breaking New Ground in Archaeology Using Dutch Satellite Imagery
Rather than digging in the mud, future archaeologists will work from behind their computers using satellite imagery to detect archaeological sites.
Series
The DNA of the Netherlands
society
Dirk Vandenberghe
10 min reading time
Football Can Save the World (A Little Bit)
Football is unquestionably big business, but many clubs and organisations also use their popularity to engage in community service projects.
society
Derek Blyth
10 min reading time
Sinterklaas Is Comin’ to Town
On a visit to the Flemish city of Sint-Niklaas, Derek Blyth discovers the largest market square in Belgium, the biggest cigar in the world and the greatest atlas ever printed.
history
Michiel Leen
19 min reading time
Hospitality, to an Extent. Refugees in the Netherlands
At the beginning of the First World War, one million Belgians fled to the Netherlands. “More so than the Afghans, Ukrainians now are more similar to Belgian refugees back then.”
society
Lode Delputte
12 min reading time
‘We Can’t Do Without Migrants Anymore’: Experts on Migration in Belgium and the Netherlands
Migration offers good pickings for populists, while those who take an honest look at the subject find they are up against a headwind. A double interview with migration specialists.
society
Tomas Vanheste
14 min reading time
Never Completely Dutch: Flemish Writers in the Land of Freedom
Writers Ivo Victoria, Sarah Meuleman and Geert Buelens all found it liberating to move to the Netherlands. But it wasn’t long before they encountered the downsides of their destination country.
society
Tomas Vanheste
4 min reading time
The Promised Land on the Other Side of the Border
In both the Netherlands and Belgium, the number of inhabitants from the other country has grown considerably in the past fifteen years.
society
Dirk Vandenberghe
9 min reading time
Humour in Flanders and the Netherlands. ‘We Have Grown Closer but Don’t Really Know Each Other’
Is there such a thing as typical Dutch or Flemish humour? And if so, what are the differences and similarities?
society
Derek Blyth
16 min reading time
Ypres Marches On
On a visit to the Flemish city of Ypres, Derek Blyth discovers a museum dedicated to the horror of war, a beer brewed in an underground fortification and a nightly ceremony that might go on for ever.
society
Ivo Nieuwenhuis
7 min reading time
We Have Been Laughing at the News for Three Centuries
From the Haegse Mercury in 1697 to De Speld in 2022: how daring is Dutch satirical news?
society
Derek Blyth
2 min reading time
A Bridge too Far? The Seven Euro Bridges
Perhaps the most bizarre bridges ever built in the Netherlands can be seen in Spijkenisse.
society
Lode Delputte
10 min reading time
Humour in 2022: Battleground and Minefield
Humour is right there in the boxing ring of our society. So, there is much more to jokes and witticisms than just getting a laugh. But how does humour relate to power?
society
Derek Blyth
18 min reading time
The Leuven Is Easy
On a visit to the university town of Leuven, Derek Blyth discovers one of Europe’s smartest cities, some of Belgium’s best bars and a walk that takes you to the edge of time.
