the Netherlands

  • I am a father of three children, and every time they leave the house—a million scenarios go through my head of things that could happen to them, but I am not unique in this because it is what fathers and mothers do—they worry for their kids. Otto Frank was a father, and a husband, to…

    Read more →

  • 8301

    8301, not just a number or mathematical equation. 8301 sacrifices made for the freedom of others. 8301 young lives ended by violence 8301 heroes 8301 reasons why we should never forget what hate,ignorance and intolerance can do. 8301. although a large number it is only a small percentage of the overall sacrifices made. 8301 men…

    Read more →

  • The Transport 64  from Westerbork in the Netherkands , was the designated transport number for the moving of 2511 people to Sobibor in Poland, on May 18th 1943.(The transport also had designated number 12, there would often be more numbers for 1 transport) Most of them were residents of the city of Nijmegen. In the…

    Read more →

  • Operation Market Garden started on September 17 1944. It was supposed to end the war in the Netherlands.But the operation failed, as a result the war was prolonged for several months,compounded with one of the severest winters on record it resulted in a famine for the northern provinces. But there was more,as a form of…

    Read more →

  • Rembrandt’s tragedies

    There is this funny riddle, it goes like “What’s Rembrandt’s first name?” Rembrandt of course is his first name, his last name is van Rijn. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn born  15 July 1606 Unlike the riddle, his life wasn’t funny. He suffered many tragedies in his life. He got married on June 22 1634 to…

    Read more →

  • On this day 400 years ago the first Dutch newspaper was published. Courante uyt Italien, Duytslandt, &c. was the first Dutch newspaper and published weekly. The paper does not reveal the name of the printer or the publisher, but based on similar papers published later, it is thought that Joris Veseler was the printer and…

    Read more →

  • This is one of those men that makes me proud to be Dutch, and like me he has also a connection with Ireland. He was born in Hattem, a small town  in the east of the Netherlands. His father was an officer in the Dutch Navy. Willem studied mathematics at Trinity College, Dublin, where he…

    Read more →

  • A historical fact that is often forgotten is that the last German emperor did not die in Germany but in the Netherlands. In the town of Doorn on 4 June 1941, at the age of 82. The Nazis had already taken control of the Netherlands for more then a year at that stage. Wilhelm II lived…

    Read more →

  • Sgt Rosenkrantz

    I started this website and my blogs to find answers. Answers to how exactly my paternal Grandfather died. all I know is that he died during WWII when he was serving with the Dutch military and that he died early om in the war. But the circumstances how he died are somewhat vague,so I have…

    Read more →

  • Some people believe that when the Germans invaded the Netherlands in May 1940 the life of its Jewish population changed over night. This however was not the case. Like in other European countries the undermining and eventual eradication of Jewish life was a gradual process. Until September 1940 very little changed,It was only then when…

    Read more →