Dutch (ethnic group)

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The Dutch (Nederlanders)
Floris V • D. Erasmus • Rembrandt van Rijn • B. van Zuylen C. Huygens • H. Schaft • H. Lorentz • M. de Ruyter W. Drees • A. van Leeuwenhoek • H. Grotius • T. Edison
Total population
25 million - 28 million (14,000,000 - 15,000,000 with full Dutch ancestry) (Blue → Dutch-born) (Green → Reported ancestry)
Regions with significant populations
Netherlands 13,186,600 (Ethnic Dutch) 472,600[1] (Dutch Eurasians) [2]  Belgium 121,489, of which 59,000 in the border region (Excluding Flemings) [3]  United States 5,087,191 (110,000)[4] [5]  South Africa est. 5,000,000 (45,000)[6] [7]  Canada 923,310 (120,000)[8] [9]  Australia est. 270,000 (85,000)[10] [11]  Germany est. 164,000, of which 41,000 in the border region [12]  Suriname est. 151,000 [13]  New Zealand est. 100,000 (25,000)[14] [15]  France est. 83,000 (30,000)[16]  Sri Lanka 40,000 (Burgher people) [17]  United Kingdom 40,000 [18]  Denmark est. 26,000 [19]  Spain est. 20,000 [20]  Turkey 20,000  Switzerland 16,143 [21]  Ireland 4,292 [22]
Languages
Dutch, Frisian Main languages of Dutch emigrants: English and Afrikaans.
Religions
Roman Catholic (30%), Protestant (21%) (Reformed 6% and Dutch Reformed 12%), other (8%), no member of church society (41%).[23][24]
Related ethnic groups
(In alphabetical order) Afrikaners,[25] Flemings,[26] Frisians.[27]

The Dutch (self-designation: Nederlanders (help·info)) are an Indo-European ethnic group traditionally inhabiting the coastal lowlands east of the North Sea (geopolitically: the Low Countries and northern France) but in contemporary times found in migrant communities world wide.^[28] As of 2008, they form the majority (80.9%) of the population of the Netherlands^[29] and a considerable part of the population of Canada,^[30]Australia,^[31] South Africa^[32] and the United States.^[33]

Their traditional language is Dutch, a West Germanic language spoken natively by 22 million people,^[34] their traditional religion is Christianity, though in modern times a large percentage of the Dutch are adherents of humanism. The art and culture of the Dutch encompasses various forms of traditional music, dances, architectural styles and clothing, some of which are virtually globally recognisable.

The Dutch are mainly the descendants (both genetically^[35][36]and linguistically^[37]) of the ancients Franks, a Germanic tribe emerging during the Classical Age and experiencing a Golden age during Late European Antiquity.

In the course of their history the Dutch grew from a largely rural society to one of the most urbanized in the world, with 50% of the total population already living in cities by 1500 AD.

Though always being relatively autonomous within the system of European Feudalism the Dutch regions did not gain full sovereignty until the late 16th century, when after the Dutch Revolt, the first truly independent Dutch state was formed: the Dutch Republic.

The Republic would soon manifest itself as a major power and the Dutch entered a period of immense wealth and artistic development now known as the Dutch Golden Age. It was this period in Dutch history that also saw the first large scale settlement of territories outside of their traditional homeland. Today, Dutchmen and their descendants can be found all over the world, most notably in Europe, the Americas, Southern Africa and Oceania, ranging from (near) completely assimilated to isolated communities.

Contents 1 Linguistics 1.1 Etymology of the Dutch autonym and exonym 1.2 Dutch language 1.3 Dutch names 2 Statistics 3 History 3.1 Ethnogenesis 3.1.1 Epic ancestry 4 Genetics 5 Related ethno-linguistic groups 5.1 Flemings 5.1.1 Relation between the Dutch and Flemish 5.1.2 Walloons and Northern French 5.2 Afrikaners 5.3 Frisians 6 Dutch diaspora 6.1 The Dutch in Asia 6.1.1 Descendants 6.2 The Dutch in Australia and New Zealand 6.3 The Dutch in the Western Hemisphere 6.3.1 United States 6.3.2 Canada 6.4 Other notable "Hyphenated Dutchmen" 7 History 8 Influence on the world 8.1 Notable Dutch people 9 Culture and society 9.1 Dutch culture 9.1.1 Traditional Dutch music 9.2 Religion 9.3 Sports 10 Dutch image 10.1 Dutch image worldwide 10.2 Symbols 10.3 The Dutch in popular culture 10.3.1 Dutch people in fiction 10.4 Self-image 10.5 Dutch views on others 10.5.1 Views on surrounding peoples/nations 10.5.2 Germans 11 Gallery of famous and influential Dutch people through the ages 12 See also 13 Notes and references 14 Further reading

[edit] Linguistics

[edit] Etymology of the Dutch autonym and exonym

Further information: Dietsch

The origins of the word Dutch go back to Proto-Germanic, the ancestor of all Germanic languages, *theudo (meaning "national/popular"); akin to Old Dutch dietsc, Old High German diutsch, Old English þeodisc and Gothic þiuda all meaning "(of) the common (Germanic) people". As the tribes among the Germanic peoples began to differentiate its meaning began to change. The Anglo-Saxons of England for example gradually stopped referring to themselves as þeodisc and instead started to use Englisc, after their tribe. On the continent the situation was different, and *theudo evolved into two main forms: Diets (Dutch meaning "Dutch (people)", alongside Nederlanders) and Deutsch (German, meaning "German (people)"). At first the English language used (the contemporary form of) Dutch to refer to any or all of the Germanic speakers on the European mainland. Gradually its meaning shifted to the closest Germanic people near them: the Dutch.^[38]

In the Dutch language itself however, Nederlanders is the endonym the Dutch use to refer to themselves. Until the Second World War it was used alongside Diets, when the latter was dropped due to extensive use of the word by the German Nazi occupiers and Dutch fascists, who used it because of its ancient Germanic origins. Nederlanders derives from the Dutch word "Neder", a cognate of English "Nether" both meaning "low", and "land" (same meaning in both English and Dutch) and thus literally means "Lowlanders", a reference to the geographical texture of the Dutch homeland; the western portion of the Northern European plain.^[39][40][41] Although not as old as Diets, the term Nederlands has been in continuous use since 1250.^[42]

[edit] Dutch language

Main article: Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language spoken by around 22 million people, mainly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Surinam. The language was first attested around 470 AD,^[43] and is an official language of the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles. Today the Dutch, Flemish and Surinamese governments coordinate their language activities in the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union).

Dutch was an official language in former countries of the Dutch Empire and in South Africa up until 1961, having fallen into disuse since Afrikaans (itself a direct descendant of Dutch) became an official language in 1925.

Linguistically it can be said that Dutch occupies a central position within the West Germanic languages due to the absence of soundshifts such as the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law, Anglo-Frisian brightening and the Second Germanic consonant shift, which resulted in certain early Germanic languages evolving into English and German.

The Dutch immigrants of the 20th century often quickly began to speak the language of their new country. For example, of the inhabitants of New Zealand, 0.7% say their home language is Dutch,^[44] despite the percentage of Dutch heritage being considerably higher.^[45]

Algemeen Nederlands ("Common Dutch", abbreviated to AN) is the standard language as taught in schools and used by authorities in the Netherlands, Flanders, Suriname, Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. The Dutch Language Union defines what AN is and is not, for example, in matters of orthography.

[edit] Dutch names

Main article: Dutch name

Dutch surnames (and names of Dutch origin) are generally easily recognisable, mainly because of tussenvoegsels such as van, van der or de. In the United States, partly due to the fame of rich industrials such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, Dutch surnames are often associated with the upperclass of society even though when translated the surnames are often very simplistic. For example, Vanderbilt means "(coming) from De Bilt", De Bilt being a small village in the province of Utrecht.^[46] Unlike what is sometimes thought, and unlike the German von, the Dutch van does not denote any aristocratic status.^[47]

[edit] Statistics

The Dutch make up about 0.4% of the world population,^[48] and 1.9% of the European population.^[49] (2.8% of the European Union is ethnically Dutch).^[50]

In the narrowest sense the total number of ethnic Dutch is about 14 to 15 million people. In this sense only people with full Dutch ancestry are counted. The number of people outside the Netherlands, mostly post 1950 emigrants and their children, with full Dutch ancestry is roughly 1,600,000 to 2,000,000.^[51]

In a broader sense the number of Dutch people is much higher. This is when for example people with partial Dutch ancestry are included. This way the number of Dutch totals at around 25 million people.

Countries with more than 1,000,000 ethnic Dutchmen:  Netherlands 13,186,600[52]  United States 5,087,191[53][54]  South Africa est. 5,000,000- 12,000,000 (higher number includes coloureds)[55]

Countries with 500,000 to 1,000,000 ethnic Dutchmen:  Canada 923,310[56][57]  Brazil est.850,000 [58]

Countries with 50,000 to 500,000 ethnic Dutchmen:  Belgium 121,489, [59]  Australia 270,000 [60]  Germany 164,000 [61]  Suriname 151,000[62]  New Zealand 100,000 [63]  France est. 83,000 [64]

Countries with less than 50,000 ethnic Dutchmen:  Sri Lanka 40,000 [65]  United Kingdom 40,000[66]  Denmarkest. 26,000[67]  Spainest. 20,000[68]  Turkey 20,000  Switzerland 16,143[69]  Ireland 4,292[70]

[edit] History

[edit] Ethnogenesis

See also: Germanic peoples

The Dutch are the eventual result of a cultural exchange between the Franks and the Roman Empire and the aforementioneds subsequent (and permanent) settlement of the Low Countries. ^[71]

– D.P Blok, Dutch historian.

The Franks are first recorded in 260 AD, and were an aliance of a group of neighbouring Germanic tribes (the Salii, Sicambri, Chamavi, Bructeri, Chatti, and Chattuarii) in which the Sallii (Sallian Franks) were most dominant.^[72] Prior to extensive Roman contact, the Franks were a rural tribal community. At the start of the migration period, the Franks moved into the Roman Empire and were accepted as Foederati by Julian the apostate in 358. By the end of the fifth century, the Salian Franks extended their footprint on Roman soil to a territory including the Netherlands south of the Rhine, Belgium and Northern France.^[73]

It was during this time that the Franks adopted Christianity (first as Arianism, then as Catholicism) as their religion instead of their version of polytheistic Germanic paganism, learned new building techniques as well as the advantages of civic and urban life. This, together with loss of traditional Germanic tribalism, in which almost every village had its personal chieftain or even king, and the evolution of the Dutch language^[74] (which diverged itself greatly from other Germanic dialects in this period) made it possible for a new people to emerge.

The following unity and strength allowed the Franks to conquer Gaul, however this also meant the assimilation of other peoples within the newly formed Frankish Empire. In time the term "Frank" was no longer a purely ethnic term and was used for and by all inhabitants of the Frankish Empire, most of which had little to no relation to either the Frankish people or their culture, leading to a loss of identification among the original Franks. The Treaty of Verdun of 843 marked the end of the Frankish Realm by dividing it into three separate realms, thus also ending the feeling of Frankish supremacy.

Because of centuries of central rule, the old Germanic tribal society was now a thing of the past, and this lead to a subsequent "re-invention" of the ethnic group. By the late 10th/early 11th century, a group emerges which not only is culturally Dutch, but also identifies itself as such. ^[75]

[edit] Epic ancestry

The popular view of Dutch ancestry is that the Batavians, a Germanic tribe living in the centre of the modern Low Countries, are the epic ancestors of the Dutch people. The Batavians were allied to the Roman Empire and romanized, but who rebelled against Rome between 69 and 70 AD. The Batavians, led by Gaius Julius Civilis, managed to destroy four legions and inflict humiliating defeats on the Roman army. During the Dutch revolt in the 16th century Dutch intellectuals and scolars saw a parallel between the Dutch revolt against Spain and the Batavian revolt against the Roman Empire and incorporated the Batavians, even though they were eventually defeated by a massive Roman army led by Quintus Petillius Cerialis, in what was essentially early modern propaganda, to strengthen the resolve of the men and women rebellion by giving them a linkage to a fierce and heroic tribe.

As a result a number of things related to the Dutch are and were named after this tribe. Examples include:

• Lingua Batava, a Latin term for the Dutch language.
• Batavia, the colonial capital of the Dutch East Indies, established in the 16th century, now Jakarta, Indonesia.
• The Netherlands were briefly (1795–1806) known as the Batavian Republic, a republic modeled after the French Republic.

Modern historians view the Batavians as a minor contributor and historical sources indicate the Batavians were greatly reduced both in numbers as well as influence after their reconquest. They were assimilated by the Sallic Franks, the true Dutch ancestors, at the beginning of the migration period.

[edit] Genetics

The Dutch descend from groups of people who settled in Europe during the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras. These people originated in what is now the Middle East and brought with them a distinct set of Y chromosomal and mitochondrial haplotypes as well as Indo-European languages, agriculture and pottery. Hence, the Dutch share a lot of their genetics with other European people; nevertheless, there are some mutations that arose among the Dutch.^[76] The percentages of hair colour for the Dutch population are 43% brown, 40% blond and 17% other (note that this includes non-western ethnic minorities, so the actual percentages of blond or brown hair for the Dutch ethnic group are likely to be higher)^[77] Generally the Dutch are described as being very tall, and they are indeed among the tallest people on earth, but this is a relatively recent development.^[78]

[edit] Related ethno-linguistic groups

[edit] Flemings

Main articles: Flanders and Flemings.

The relation between the Dutch and Flemings is a complicated one. The existence of Flemings as an ethnic group is itself debated, and the idea of a Flemish nation or ethnic group is itself fairly recent.^[79]

[edit] Relation between the Dutch and Flemish

The Flemish identity is the result of Belgium. It's a reaction by the Belgian Dutch against the politics in favour of frenchification of the unitary state and contempory fear of the Calvinism believed to reign the Northern Dutch. ^[80]

– E. Roosens, Belgian anthropologist.

The people who are today called Flemish, that is to say the Dutch-speakers of Belgium, are not the same group as the historical Flemish, who were a regional Dutch group positioned in the North-West France, West of modern Belgium, and the Dutch region of Zeelandic Flanders. This area was politically dominant and the most culturaly advanced during the Dutch Middle Ages. This latter group was undeniably a part of the Dutch ethnicity, though linguistically and religiously part of the Southern Dutch (below the Rhine river) subgrouping.

The people incorporated into the modern concept of Flemings, only partly descend from this group. Instead they are essentially descendants of the Southern Dutch. Though it should be noted that through the Belgian Revolution the Southern Dutch-grouping was effectively split, and as a result 3.5 million Dutchmen living in the Netherlands also have this Southern background, with effect forming an inter-cultural bridge between Dutch and the Flemings.

The Flemish people are generally not regarded as identical nowadays, and most Dutch people see them as a separate group. At the same time however, the Dutch and Flemish see themselves as the most similar people,^[81] and some institutions see "Fleming" as an alternative term for "Dutch".

The situation in Belgium itself was/is very vague. Until 1980, for example, the Flemish community was called the Nederlandse Cultuurgemeenschap (Dutch for "Dutch cultural community") and there are people who deny the existence of the Flemish as an ethnic group, and refer to them as Dutch-speaking Belgians instead.

[edit] Walloons and Northern French

Walloons, the French-speaking Belgians, generally do not speak Dutch today, but in many cases (some) heritage can be linked to the (historical) Dutch. Many Walloon surnames for example are of Dutch origin^[82] and some of the most well-known Walloons, such as Jacques Brel, Goswin de Stassart and Paul Émile de Puydt were (often partly) of Dutch(-speaking) heritage. In Northern France Dutch has been the traditional language for over 1,400 years. As a result of this, as well as migration of other Dutch towards the south, over 1,250,000 French people (out of a population of roughly 60 million) have Dutch surnames.^[83] The position of these people is somewhat vague as they, although relatively close to the Dutch-culture area, are often frenchified if not entirely French. For example, in the now French city of Calais one can still find people singing traditional Dutch songs, even though the people who sing them have no idea what they mean.^[84]

[edit] Afrikaners

Main articles: Afrikaners and Afrikaans.

The Afrikaners are a relatively young ethnic group native to South Africa and Namibia. They are largely the dencendants of Dutch emigrants augmented by smaller numbers of Rhinelandic Germans and French Huguenots.

In term of ancestry they differ little from Dutch Americans, Dutch Australians or Dutch Canadians. The major difference between Afrikaners and the aforementioned is that the Afrikaners did not adopt English as their new native tongue, but continued to speak (a creolized version of) Dutch. This form of Dutch eventually evolved into Afrikaans; the native language of about 6,5 million people.

Until the early 20th century, the times of the First and Second Boer Wars, there was a strong sense of unity between the European Dutch and the Dutch living in South Africa, this has gradually faded. Most Afrikaners acknowledge that they descend from the Dutch and are a closely related people, but they generally do not consider themselves to be ethnic Dutch. This is largely due to Afrikaner nationalism following the oppression of the Cape Dutch and Boers by the British Empire, which somewhat estranged the South African Dutch from their European counterparts.

[edit] Frisians

Main articles: Frisians, Friesland, and West Frisian language

Frisian may refer to an ethnic group, a regional or cultural identity, to inhabitants of the Province of Friesland, or to speakers of the West Frisian language.

Originally the Frisians (or Frisii) were a clearly separate people, but following migration period lost much of their initial power and came to be dominated by surrounding tribes. This eventually lead to an effective tripartite of the original Frisians; namely the North Frisians, East Frisians and West Frisians. Though already under their cultural influence, the West Frisians did not become politically dominated by the Dutch until the 1400s.^[85]

Though culturally, and genetically, very similar the Frisians have their own customs (to a certain extent) as well as their own language: West Frisian, which is a language closely related to Dutch, but even more so to English.

Because of the centuries of cohabitation and active participation in Dutch society, the Frisians are not treated as a separate group in Dutch official statistics and Dutch Frisians in the general do not feel or see themselves as part of a larger group of Frisians, namely the East and North Frisians of Germany and Denmark, but, according to a 1970 inquiry, identify themselves more with the Dutch than with other Frisians.^[86]

[edit] Dutch diaspora

Main article: Dutch diaspora

Emigrants from the Netherlands since the Second World War went mainly to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, (until the 1970s) to South Africa, and Dutch immigrants can be found in most developed countries. In several former Dutch colonies and trading settlements, there are isolated ethnic groups of full or partial Dutch ancestry.

[edit] The Dutch in Asia

Main articles: Deshima, Dutch Malacca, Dutch Ceylon, Taiwan under Dutch rule, and Dutch East Indies

The Dutch have had a profound effect on the history of South East Asia, Taiwan and Japan; the Dutch settlement on Deshima provided for centuries the only means of cultural exchange between Japan and European civilization, and indeed most of the outside world. In many cases the Dutch were the first Europeans the natives would encounter. As a result there has been some considerable ethnic stereotyping. The Japanese described the Dutch as red-haired barbarians^[87] and in Malay, the language of the former Dutch East Indies, the name for the Long-nosed Monkey literally translates as "Dutchman", as in Eastern Asian eyes the noses of Europeans were exceedingly large.

[edit] Descendants

Main article: Indo people

After the Indonesian Revolution, most Dutch were either evacuated or evicted from Indonesia. Ever since the earliest days of the VOC several waves of mainly Dutch males decided to stay in the islands now known as Indonesia. Through the centuries there developed a relatively large Dutch-speaking population of mixed Dutch and Indonesian descent, known as Indos or Dutch-Indonesians. Nowadays the majority of this group lives in the Netherlands.

[edit] The Dutch in Australia and New Zealand

Main articles: Dutch New Zealanders, Dutch Australians

I really accuse my fellow Dutch people of being too quiet and too polite here. We should have made waves, because other groups did and got something for it!^[88]

– A Dutch New Zealander.

Perhaps the most successful integration of Dutch people took place in Australia and New Zealand. After the second World War thousands of Dutch people emigrated to Australia, peaking in the late 1950s and early 1960s. There are 24 Dutch language programmes around Australia and weekly and monthly Dutch news papers plus many social, community and religious clubs. Despite these figures, in both Australia and New Zealand Dutch people are highly integrated. Apart from the typical Dutch surnames many descendants bear, they are largely indistinguishable from the largest ethnic groups, the Anglo-Celtic Australians (85%^[89] ) in Australia and other New Zealand Europeans in New Zealand. One major exception exists though. and this concerns senior citizens of Dutch decent, many of whom (because of old age or dementia) have lost the ability to speak English and fall back on their mother tongue; Dutch. A major social problem as they largely lack a way to communicate. Their children generally do not speak Dutch natively or sufficiently.

[edit] The Dutch in the Western Hemisphere

[edit] United States

Main article: Dutch Americans

The Dutch had settled in America long before the establishment of the United States of America.^[90] For a long time the Dutch lived in Dutch colonies, owned and regulated by the Dutch Republic, which later became part of the Thirteen Colonies. Nevertheless, many Dutch communities remained virtually isolated towards the rest of America up until the American Civil War, in which the Dutch fought for the North[17] and adopted many American ways.^[91]

Most future waves of Dutch immigrants were quickly assimilated. There have been three American presidents of Dutch descent: Martin van Buren (8th, first president who was not of British descent, first language was Dutch), Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd, elected to four terms in office, he served from 1933 to 1945, the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms) and Theodore Roosevelt (26th).

[edit] Canada

Main article: Dutch Canadians

It's hard to get close to Canadians because they are reserved. They are always helpful in emergencies, but then they go back in their shell and want to be private. We Dutch are very open and always ready with comments, criticism and advice. We're not afraid to come out straight and ask, "How much money do you make?" The Canadians think we are rude for this.^[92]

– A Dutch Canadian.

According to the 2001 Canadian census 923,310 Canadians claim full or partial Dutch ancestry.

The first Dutch people to come to Canada were Dutch Americans among the United Empire Loyalists. The largest wave was in the late 19th and early 20th century, when large numbers of Dutch helped settle the Canadian west. During this period significant numbers also settled in major cities like Toronto. While interrupted by the First World War this migration returned in the 1920s, but again halted during the Great Depression and Second World War. After the war a large number of Dutch immigrants moved to Canada, including a number of war brides of the Canadian soldiers who liberated the Netherlands.

Dutch Canadians, like Dutch Australians, have a reputation of being highly, if not perfectly, integrated ethnic groups. Nevertheless many Canadians of Dutch descent and recent Dutch expatriates still judge Canadian society by their own, Dutch, standards and morals. Generally they view other Canadians to be slow, laid back and passive, traits that the Dutch find to be irritating.^[93]

[edit] Other notable "Hyphenated Dutchmen"

Some examples of people of Dutch descent among other nations/peoples:

• Dutch English (wo)men: Jane Seymour, Audrey Hepburn, George III. See also Dutch community in the United Kingdom
• Dutch French(wo)men: André Citroën, Baron de Cloots, Laure Manaudou.
• Dutch Mexicans: Linda Christian, Roberto Vander.
• Dutch Indonesians
• Dutch Brazilians: Chico Buarque, Djavan, Gilberto Freyre, Bebel Gilberto, Eustáquio van Lieshout, Lobão, Carla Maffioletti, David Neeleman, Ismael Nery, Nelson Angelo Piquet, Herman Claudius van Riemsdijk, Marc van Roosmalen, José Wilker.
• Dutch Israelis: See List of Dutch Israelis.
• Dutch Japanese: Dido Havenaar, Mike Havenaar, Ludo Stornebrink.
• Dutch Spaniards: Mercedes Coghen, Aschwin Wildeboer, Olaf Wildeboer, Rafael van der Vaart.
• Dutch Swedes: Cornelis Vreeswijk, Louis De Geer, Marcus Schenkenberg, Jonas Bronk.

[edit] History

The history of the Dutch, as of most European peoples, is complex and intertwined through migrations and shifting empires. In this section, a short overview of these issues in relation to the approximate area of the current Netherlands is sketched.

In the Roman Empire, the imperial boundary ran east-west through the present Netherlands, along the Rhine. Within the empire, tribal groups included the Belgae (whose name was adopted in 1830 for the new Kingdom of Belgium), and the Batavi (whose name was adopted for the Dutch Batavian Republic). After the Fall of the Roman Empire, by the end of the Migration Period, the Low Countries were inhabited by Frisians, Saxons and the Franks. Of these three groups, the Franks were most dominant,^[94] and would in fact conquer large areas of Europe in the subsequent centuries. In 843, the Treaty of Verdun divided the (Frankish) Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms for the three sons of Louis the Pious. The Low Countries became part of Middle Francia under Emperor Lothair I.

In 962, the Holy Roman Empire was established with the coronation of Otto the Great, extending from the Low Countries to Italy. The Holy Roman empire was a largely decentralised state and its authority within the low countries was never very strong. Later, semi-independent fiefdoms formed in the Low Countries; the most powerful being Brabant, Flanders, Guelders, Holland and Luxembourg. The first steps towards political unification of the Low Countries took place under the dukes of Burgundy (until 1473). The Pragmatic Sanction of 1549, issued by Charles V, established the Low Countries as an independent entity, the Seventeen Provinces, with boundaries approximating to the present Benelux, as an entity separate from the Holy Roman Empire and France.

Although the Seventeen Provinces had become a political unity, there were still great regional differences. The eastern (e.g., Guelders and Liege) and southern provinces (Artois) were less densely populated and agrarian. These provinces were also partially oriented towards their (German or French) neighbours. A division between North and South was not foreseeable at the time. The primary contrast was between the rich urbanised coastal provinces (Flanders, Zealand and Holland), and the less developed peripheral domains.^[95]

As the Reformation gained influence in Europe, Calvinism became very influential in the Seventeen Provinces, including Artesia and Flanders, the base of the Spanish governors. When Catholic Habsburg Spain turned to repressive policies, this added to general dissatisfaction in the Seventeen Provinces. In 1566, a wave of iconoclastic attacks on Catholic churches began what is now known as the Dutch Revolt. During the succeeding rebellion, the Spanish forces managed to re-establish their power in the southern provinces. In the north, the Dutch Republic emerged, defining for the first time an independent Dutch nation. The economic golden age, and spread of Calvinism, redefined the Dutchman across Europe as a Hollander rather than a Fleming, as had previously been the case.^[96]

As the Spanish forces reconquered the Southern cities (in present-day Belgium), of which the fall of Antwerp in 1585 was most notable, many Calvinists, including much of the local economic and cultural elites, fled north. The Southern Netherlands remained under Spanish rule, and remained almost entirely Catholic. In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia recognised the de facto geopolitical division of the former Seventeen provinces. The Dutch Republic prospered and created the trade-based Dutch Empire overseas, while the Southern Netherlands had lost their leading economic role in Europe. In the 18th century, the power of the Dutch republic started to diminish.

After a short lived existence as the Batavian Republic supported by French revolutionaries, and as the vassal state Kingdom of Holland, the Low Countries were for a short time (1810–1813), annexed by the French Empire. At this time, the English occupied the Dutch colonial possessions. Except for the Cape Colony (South Africa) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the colonial possessions were returned after Napoleon had been defeated. The lasting division between the Dutch and the Boers (who were Dutch settlers in South Africa) started here. When France was defeated in 1814 and again after the Hundred Days Campaign in 1815, the winning coalition, created the United Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising of the Northern and the Southern Netherlands at the Congress of Vienna. The new state, intended to act as a semi-buffer state between France and Prussia, proved to be unworkable; not only did it include different ethnic and linguistic groups (Walloons, Germans and Dutch), the state was also divided by cultural, religious, and internal economic differences. In 1830, the southern provinces declared their independence in the Belgian revolution. In 1839, the independence of Belgium was recognised by the northern Kingdom of the Netherlands. With the resolution of the status of Luxembourg in 1890, the three states acquired most of their present boundaries. The Netherlands are a constitutional monarchy.

[edit] Influence on the world

See also: Dutch Empire

Although comparatively small in numbers, the Dutch have definitely made their mark on the world, as we know it today. The Dutch Republic was an economic and military power during much of the 17th century, and involved in many conflicts of the time, such as the Anglo-Dutch Wars.The economy was carried by private enterprises, for the first time on that scale and the Dutch East India Company issued the first freely tradable stock, one of the cornerstones of modern economy.

Dutch colonialism still influences the lives of many today. Beginning in the 16th century, Europeans such as the Dutch began to establish trading posts and forts along the coasts of western and southern Africa. Eventually, a large number of Dutch, augmented by French Huguenots and Germans, settled in the Cape Colony. Their descendants in South Africa, the Afrikaners and the Coloureds, are the largest European-descended groups in Africa today, see Demographics of Africa. The Dutch also controlled what is now known as Indonesia, and waged various wars against its native inhabitants in a series conflicts raging from the early 16th to the late 20th century. The area surrounding New York was a Dutch colony and in fact many street names and geographical locations still bear Dutch (though Anglicised) names, see Legacy of the Dutch in New York for more information.

[edit] Notable Dutch people

Further information: List of Dutch people

A significant number of painters and philosophers are Dutch, despite its small population. Remarkable persons include painters like Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer, and philosophers like Spinoza (though not of Dutch heritage),^[97] Erasmus of Rotterdam and Hugo Grotius as well as various poets and writers such as Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, Joost van den Vondel and Anne Frank^[97] and scientists like Christiaan Huygens also made their mark on how we today view the world. The Netherlands were arguably the first nation state of the world and the first republic in modern Europe. During the early 17th century, the economic reforms, empire and ideas made the Netherlands one of the world's richest countries and the first thoroughly capitalist country.^[98]

[edit] Culture and society

[edit] Dutch culture

Main article: Dutch culture

Dutch culture is diverse, reflecting regional differences as well as foreign influences owing to the merchant and exploring spirit of the Dutch.^[99] The Netherlands and Dutch people have played an important role for centuries as a cultural center, with the Dutch Golden Age regarded as the zenith. During the 20th century Dutch architects played a leading role in the development of modern architecture, and Dutch painters like Rembrandt and Van Gogh are world renowned.^[100]

The Dutch people and their culture were historically influenced by the culture of neighbouring regions. France played a substantial role in the history of the Netherlands in the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries, and there are resulting cultural influences. Cultural contacts with Scandinavia were, and are, much less influential. English-speaking cultural influences have been predominant since the Second World War. The Dutch were also influenced by their colonies, most notably Indonesia.

[edit] Traditional Dutch music

Dutch traditional music, of Dutch Folk, is characterized by simple straightforward bass motives heavily supplemented with fast, often happy, melody. (Click here for an example.) Uncommon among other European folk, in Dutch music the bass line, not the melody, is the musical line that is danced to. This means that though the music itself may sound fast, the dances are usually quite moderate to slow in tempo. The dances themselves are mainly group dances rather than individual or dual dances.^[101] Clogs are often worn during dances; however, Dutch clog dancing is very different from its more modern counterpart. It is virtually impossible to perform highly active dances with Dutch clogs (which are entirely made from wood, not just the sole) and hence the clogs function as additional percussion, by stamping rhythmically. Instruments commonly found in Dutch folk are the accordion, flute, fiddle, hurdy gurdy, small (mobile) organs, and the rommelpot.^[102]

[edit] Religion

See also: History of religion in the Netherlands

The Dutch population can be separated into two main religious groups: Roman Catholics and Protestants. During and after the Dutch revolt against Spain, Protestantism became the dominant religion in most of the country. The provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the region of Twente, however, remained predominantly Catholic.

At 30 percent of the population, Catholics form the largest religious group today. Meanwhile, the Dutch belong to many separate Protestant churches, the largest of which are the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederlands Hervormd) and the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Gereformeerd), although in 2004 these merged to form the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries the different religious groups were living completely separately from each other, and from the newly emerging socialist labour movement. These sub-societies were a form of horizontal stratification: people lived and married within their own communities, and the pillars had their own schools and universities, media (newspapers, magazines and radio broadcasting associations), sport clubs, shops, hospitals, unions and political parties. This intense social fragmentation was called verzuiling and led to significant tension within Dutch political life. Pillarisation is described in detail in Arend Lijphart's seminal work on consociationalism, The Politics of Accommodation.

After peaking in influence in the 1950s, the social system of pillarisation started to crumble in the early 1960s during the Dutch postmaterialist revolution, due to secularisation, individualism, consumerism, counter-culture, rising living standards, the emergence of mass media (especially television), increased social and geographical mobility, and agitation by movements such as Provo, D66 and Nieuw Links.

A 2004 study conducted by Statistics Netherlands shows that 50% of the population claim to belong to a Christian denomination, 9% to other denominations and 42% to none. In the same study 19% of the people claim go to church at least once a month, another 9% less than once a month, 72% hardly ever or never.^[103][104] There is a small Jewish community of some 40,000 people, mostly in the larger cities.

People of Dutch ancestry in the United States are generally more religious than their European counterparts [18]; the numerous Dutch communities of western Michigan remain strongholds of the Reformed Church in America, and the Christian Reformed Church, both descendants of the Dutch Reformed Church.

[edit] Sports

There are a number of sports which the Dutch possibly invented or Dutch claim to have invented, which then spread worldwide, examples include ice hockey^[105] and golf.^[106] Apart from these worldwide sports there are also a number of local Dutch sports such as polsstokverspringen, kaatsen, klootschieten, kolven and korfbal.

The most popular sports, both for active participation and audience, are football (soccer), cycling, speed skating, field (not ice) hockey and tennis.

[edit] Dutch image

He builds your confidence, makes you feel special and gives the clear impression you are getting a fair deal, all while creating the atmosphere of comfort and caring. In truth, he couldn't care less. The only YES he really understands is the ¥€$ you'll bring to him and his company.^[107]

– The Undutchables, Work vs. Welfare; Commercial cunning.

Like many other peoples, the Dutch have an 'international image'. This image however, is often subjected to stereotyping, whether positive or negative, and rarely is entirely accurate. The sections below will try to explore the image of the Dutch.

[edit] Dutch image worldwide

Many nations regard the Dutch as being organized and efficient, but harmless at the same time due to the stereotypical mental picture of "a nation of rosy-cheeked farmers who live in windmills, wear clogs, have a garden full of tulips and sit on piles of yellow cheese".^[108] Apart from the more or less touristy image described above, the Dutch also have a reputation for being opinionated, stubborn and incurably mean. Belgians even consider them to be downright devious in business affairs. Dutch frankness completely overwhelms more reticent peoples such as the Japanese, who consider the Dutch to be the most arrogant of all the Europeans they do business with,^[109] but at the same time are impressed by their reputation as formidable merchants. A Japanese saying goes, "Where a Dutchman has passed, not even the grass grows anymore."

Not just the Japanese may experience the Dutch as being (what they consider) blunt or insulting.^[110] The author of "Dealing with the Dutch" illustrates this with a story he got from an American businessman whose Dutch colleague had stayed over for the night and for the first time got American pancakes for breakfast. After the Dutchman ate the pancakes the businessman's wife asked him if he'd enjoyed them. The Dutchman allegedly responded: "Sharon, after tasting these, I understand why your husband is so fat." The author explains that he was just making a compliment and meant nothing by it, however in many other cultures, this would be a grave insult towards the host and could very well be the end of a cordial relationship.^[111]

The Dutch negotiator is the commercial equivalent of the Venus flytrap. His true nature is camouflaged -- then he strikes and consumes his prey before the victim realizes he is financial fodder.^[112]

– The Undutchables, Work vs. Welfare; Commercial cunning.

English people survey the Dutch with guarded approval. It wasn't always like this, at the time of the Anglo-Dutch Wars in the 17th century these two nations were at each other's throats. An English pamphlet raged: "A Dutchman is a Lusty, Fat, Two-legged Cheese worm. A Creature that is so addicted to eating butter, drinking fat, and sliding (skating) that all the world knows him for a slippery fellow". At this time the English language gained a whole array of new insults such as "Dutch courage" (booze-induced bravery), "Dutch comfort" ("Things could be worse") and "Dutch gold" (alloy resembling gold).^[109] Others include:

"Double Dutch" (gibberish) "Dutch cap" (contraceptive diaphragm) "Dutch wife"/"Dutch widow" (prostitute; sex doll) "Dutch widow" (prostitute) "Dutch uncle" (harsh admonisher) "Dutch roll" (an out-of-control movement of an aircraft)

"Dutch metal" (fake gold leaf or fake gold) "Dutch treat"/"Going Dutch" (social date where the invitee pays for himself/herself) "Dutch concert" (noise and uproar, as from a drunken crowd) "Dutch-bottomed" (empty) "Dutch Oven " (passing gas while under bed covers)

These terms also gained prominence in 17th century New England during their rivalry with New Holland, which was captured (and later recaptured by the Dutch) during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. See also Dutch#Colloquial usage.

[edit] Symbols

Stereotypical Dutch symbols such as wooden shoes, Dutch bonnets and braided hairstyles typically accented with ribbons (for the girls), blonde hair, tulips, cheese and windmills, are not considered symbols of the Dutch by the Dutch themselves, but actually reflect a foreign popular image of the Netherlands and the Dutch. The Dutch national symbols mainly include the Dutch flag and the "national colour" orange (used for the national team in sports). The red, white and blue flag is the oldest tricolour in continuous use. Orange is also the symbolic colour of the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau, through the principality of Orange. Another symbol of the Dutch is Het Wilhelmus, the Dutch national anthem, which is considered the world's oldest anthem in use.^[113] The form of the song is that of an apologetic statement by William I of Orange-Nassau, leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain.

[edit] The Dutch in popular culture

Popular culture depicts Dutch people in two completely distinct ways.^[114] The traditional Dutch image displays people in national dress, wearing clogs, having blond hair and blue eyes, standing in front of wide, flat landscapes covered with tulips and windmills in the background. The more recent image (usually intended to be seen as negative) is one of non-religious drug addicts, who legalized prostitution, marijuana, abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage.

Neither of these stereotypical images is correct. Only a small minority of the Dutch people wears traditional costumes on occasion in certain parts of the country or to entertain tourists.^[115] Clogs, or wooden shoes, are not usually worn in public life. However, they are quite practical for gardening and farming. The drug and value related stereotypes of the Dutch are relatively recent, from around 1985. The Dutch laws no longer establish drug use and small scale sales of some drugs as a criminal act, which created the widespread stereotype that the Netherlands are a drug-based society, especially in the Western Hemisphere.^[116]

[edit] Dutch people in fiction

See also: Fictional Dutch people.

The Dutch, and people of Dutch decent, regularly appear in fiction. Their roles greatly vary, ranging from (primary) antagonists Goldmember (from the Austin Powers series) and Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th) to ghosts (Hendrik van der Decken, better known as the Flying Dutchman) and heroes like Hansje Brinker and Abraham Van Helsing.

[edit] Self-image

The Dutch self-image differs considerably from the images other people have of them (see section below). The Dutch often profess that they greatly value hygiene, are thrifty, have an excellent feel for business, are good at foreign languages^[117] and have an ability to coexist with others. The Dutch take pride in their tolerance and flexibility, and are generally modest people. According to the Xenophobe's Guide, perceived negative characteristics are a secret mistrust of foreigners and a distaste of alien cuisine.^[109][118] Traditionally, the Dutch are also said to be preachers, and it is common to (deprecatingly) speak of "the preacher's wagging finger" (Dutch "het opgeheven vingertje van de dominee") as a typically Dutch trait,^[119][120] especially when referring to the moralising tone that is seen by many as characteristic of Dutch foreign politics.^[121]

[edit] Dutch views on others

As in other cultures, there exist among the Dutch certain stereotypes about foreign peoples. This section explores some of these stereotypes. It should be kept in mind that the views mentioned below are popular images rather than serious opinions.

The Dutch tend to judge foreign cultures using the standards and values they hold dear. Traditionally, the socio-political climate in the Netherlands has been one of collaboration and working towards compromises. Accordingly, cultures with different standards are often considered unsympathetic.^[122]

When compared to other cultures, the Dutch are rather reserved, in public, and do not often touch each other or display anger or extreme exuberance. This is why people and cultures who display these "vices", for example those living around the Mediterranean Sea, are regarded by the Dutch as being too emotional. In Dutch society, extravagantly flaunting ones emotions (whether positive or negative) is easily seen as an 'act'.^[123] It's neatly illustrated by the Dutch proverb "Doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg" (Act normal, than you'll be crazy enough).

[edit] Views on surrounding peoples/nations

After centuries of close commercial, military, cultural and religious relations between the Netherlands and Great Britain, the Dutch have a generally positive opinion of the British. Anglophone television programmes and English literature are popular and held in high regard, and English is widely spoken. Americans are typically also thought to be principally "good" people, though somewhat uneducated, unsophisticated and badly guided by their politicians.

The Dutch have an entirely different stereotype of the Belgians. They feature prominently in Dutch jokes in which they were typically defamed as not sensible or well-educated. This is however commonly accepted to be a fictional image, originating at the time of the Belgian Revolution, in which the Southern provinces seceded from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Most, if not all, Dutch people consider the Belgians to be the most similar to themselves. It should be noted that when the Dutch speak of any Belgian kinship, they nearly always mean the Flemish (the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium) rather than the Walloons.^[124][125]

[edit] Germans

For centuries,^{[126][127][128]} and most recently since World War II, a (strong) feeling of animosity exists towards Germans. They are said to be rude, arrogant, noisy and intolerant.The Xenophobe's Guide to the Dutch warns people that, " ... telling a Dutch person that their language seems very similar to German is unlikely to benefit your relationship."

The Dutch possess a deep aversion to all things German, especially the people. Such hostilities, undoubtedly, are attributable to the German invasion and subsequent occupation of the Netherlands during the Second World War. The evils that World War II brought to the Dutch homeland are not forgotton to this day, and the perpetrators are not forgiven.^[129]

– M. Resch, author of Only the Dutch.

Germans are generally aware of this atmosphere and attitude towards them and often tread carefully when in the Netherlands.

Even though many Dutchmen are able to converse in German. Germans will adress the Dutch in English because many Dutch won't even acknowledge German speakers. [...] A German who asks a question in German without asking if the Dutch person speaks any German, should not expect any help.^[130]

– M. Resch, author of Only the Dutch.

Next to the Second World War, another source of animosity is the 1974 FIFA World Cup final, in which Germany beat the Netherlands.

The Dutch aversion towards the Germans is usually most internationally visible during the events surrounding the European and World Cup. Dutch-German football matches stir up excitement and patriotism in the Dutch perhaps more than anything else. When the Dutch beat the Germans 2-1 in a 1988 semi-final match in Hanover, Germany, the country exploded into festivities. Fireworks were shot off and the Dutch partied for several days celebrating the victory. Well-known separate incidents between the Dutch and German team include:

• Ronald Koeman, who used a German shirt he received (a sign of respect) as toilet paper.
• Frank Rijkaard, who spat at Rudi Völler.
• In 1990, Dutch supporters carried with them a banner portraying Lothar Matthäus as Adolf Hitler.

I didn't give a damn about the score. 1-0 was enough, as long as we could humiliate them. They murdered 80% of my family. My father, my sister, two of my brothers. I hate them.

– Willem van Hanegem, on the first football match between Germany and the Netherlands since WWII in 1974.

Dutch authorities are cognizant of such anti-German sentiment and have been trying to moderate such feelings over the past few years, and according to recent studies the attitude towards German people has become less antagonistic.^[131]

[edit] Gallery of famous and influential Dutch people through the ages

Count Floris V of Holland and Zeeland (1254-1296)	Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, humanist and theologian (1466/9-1536)	Pope Adrian VI, reigned 1522-1523	William the Silent, stadholder and first leader of the Dutch revolt (1533-1584)
St. Petrus Canisius, Catholic apologetic (1521-1597)	Hugo Grotius, jurist, philosopher, playwright, and poet. (1583-1645)	Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Dutch painter and etcher (1606-1669)	Johan de Witt, Grand Pensionary of the Dutch Republic (1625-1672)
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter, admiral (1607-1676)	Jan van Riebeeck, founder of the Cape Colony (1619-1677)	Christiaan Huygens, mathematician, astronomer and physicist (1629-1695)	Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek tradesman, scientist and father of microbiology (1632-1723)
Isabelle de Charrière, Writer of letters, novels, pamphlets and plays (1714-1805)	Johan Rudolf Thorbecke, politician (1798-1872)	Multatuli: Eduard Douwes Dekker, novellist (1820-1887)	Thomas Alva Edison, inventor and businessman (1847-1931)
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz, physicist and Nobel Prize winner (1853-1928)	Pieter Cornelis (Piet) Mondriaan, painter and publicist (1872-1944)	Frederik ("Frits") Jacques Philips, industrialist (1905-2005)	Hella Serafia Haasse, writer (1918-)
Hannie Schaft, resistance fighter during World War II (1920-1945)	Willem Frederik Duisenberg politician and banker (1935 - 2005)	Adrianus ("Ard") Schenk, olympic, european and world champion speed skating (1944-)	Hermannus Jantinus "Herman" van Veen, stage performer, actor, musician and singer/songwriter and author (1945-)

[edit] See also

• Demographics of the Netherlands
• List of Dutch people
• Dutch customs and etiquette
• Dutch diaspora
• Netherlands (terminology)
• Pretty Little Dutch Girl, a nursery rhyme attributing to the Dutch people

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] Further reading

• Voor wie Nederland en Vlaanderen will leren kennen. By J. Wilmots and J. De Rooij, 1978, Hasselt/Diepenbeek. (Dutch for "For those who want to know about the Netherlands and Flanders")
• Geschiedenis van de Nederlanden. By J.C.H. Blom et al. (Dutch for "History of the Low Countries")
• The Xenophobe's Guide to the Dutch. By Rodney Bolt. Oval Projects Ltd 1999, ISBN 190282525X
• The Dutch in America, 1609 – 1974. By Gerald Francis De Jong. Twayne Publishers 1975, ISBN 0805732144
• Handgeschreven wereld. Nederlandse literatuur en cultuur in de middeleeuwen. By D. Hogenelst and Frits van Oostrom, 1995, Amsterdam. (Dutch for "A handwritten world. Dutch literature and culture in the Middle Ages.")
• Dutch South Africa: early settlers at the Cape, 1652 – 1708. By John Hunt, Heather-Ann Campbell. Troubador Publishing Ltd 2005, ISBN 1904744958.
• The Dutch in Brazil, 1624-1654. By Charles R. Boxer. The Clarendon press, Oxford, 1957, ISBN 0208013385
• The Undutchables, by White & Boucke, ISBN 1-888580-32-1.
• The Persistence of Ethnicity: Dutch Calvinist pioneers. By Rob Kroes. University of Illinois Press 1992, ISBN 0252019318
• Die Niederlande. Geschichte und Sprache der Nördlichen und Südlichen Niederlande. J. A Kossmann-Putto and E.H. Kossmann, 1993. (German for "The Netherlands. History and language of the Northern and Southern Netherlands")