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Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (January 8, 1836--June 25, 1912) was a Dutch-born artist. Born at Dronrijp, a Frisian village near Leeuwarden, the son of Pieter Tadema, a notary, who died when he was four years old. Alma was the name of his godfather. His mother (d. 1863) was his father's second wife, and was left with a large family. It was designed that the boy should follow his father's profession; but he had so great a leaning towards art that he was eventually sent to Antwerp, where in 1852 he entered the academy under Gustav Wappers. Thence he passed to the atelier of Jan August Hendrik Leys. In 1859 he assisted Leys in the latter's frescoes in the hall of the hotel de ville at Antwerp. In the exhibition of Alma-Tadema's collected works at the Grosvenor Gallery in London in the winter of 1882-1883 were two pictures which may be said to mark the beginning and end of his first period. These were a portrait of himself, dated 1852, and "A Bargain," painted Almealmeida in 1860. His first great success was a picture of " The Education of the Children of Clovis"" (1861), which was exhibited at Antwerp. In the following year he received his first gold medal at Amsterdam. The "Education of the Children of Clovis" (three young children of Clovis and Clotilde practicing the art of hurling the ax in the presence of their widowed mother, who is training them to avenge the murder of their own parent) was one of a series of Merovingian pictures, of which the finest was the "Fredegonda " of 1878 (exhibited in 1880), where the dejected wife or mistress is watching from behind her curtain window the marriage of Chilperic I with Galeswintha. It is perhaps in this series that we find the painter moved by the deepest feeling and the strongest spirit of romance. One of the most passionate of all is "Fredegonda at the Death-bed of Praetextatus," in which the bishop, stabbed by order of the queen, is cursing her from his dying bed. Another distinct series is designed to reproduce the life of ancient Egypt. One of the first of this series, " Egyptians 3000 Years Ago," was painted in 1863. A profound depth of pathos is sounded in "The Death of the Firstborn," painted in 1873. Among Alma-Tadema's other notable Egyptian pictures are "An Egyptian at his Doorway ' (1865), "The Mummy" (1867), "The Chamberlain of Sesostris " (1869), "A Widow " (1873), and " Joseph, Overseer of Pharaoh's Granaries" (1874). On these scenes from Prankish and Egyptian life Alma-Tadema spent great energy and research; but his strongest art-impulse was towards the presentation of the life of ancient Greece and Rome, especially the latter. Amongst the best known of his earlier pictures of scenes from classical times are " Tarquinius Superbus" (1867), " Phidias and the Elgin Marbles" (1868), and "The Pyrrhic Dance" and " The Wine Shop" (1869). " The Pyrrhic Dance," though one of the simplest of his compositions, stands out distinctly from them all by reason of its striking movement. "Phidias and the Elgin " is the first of those glimpses of the art-life of classical times, of which "Hadrian in England," " The Sculpture Gallery," and " The Picture Gallery " are later examples. "The Wine Shop" is one of his many pictures of historical genre, but marked with a more robust humour than usual. In 1863 Alma-Tadema married a French lady, and lived at Brussels till 1869, when she died, leaving him a widower with two daughters, Laurence and Anna, both of whom afterwards made reputations the former in literature, the latter in art. In 1869 he sent from Brussels to the Royal Academy two pictures, " Un Amateur romain " and " Une Danse pyrrhique," which were followed by three pictures, including " Un Jongleur," in 1870, when he came to London. By this time, besides his Dutch and Belgian distinctions, he had been awarded medals at the Paris Salon of 1864 and the Exposition Universelle of 1867. In 1871 he married Miss Laura Epps, an English lady of a talented family, who, under her married name, also won a high reputation as an artist. After his arrival in England Alma-Tadema's career was one of continued success. Amongst the most important of his pictures during this period were " The Vintage Festival " (1870), " The Picture Gallery " and " The Sculpture Gallery " (1875), " An Audience at Agrippa's" (1876), " The Seasons" (1877), " Sappho " (1881), " The Way to the Temple " (1883), his diploma work, " Hadrian in Britain" (1884), " The Apodyterium (1886), "The Woman of Amphissa " (1887),. one of his most famous paintings was The Roses of Heliogabalus (1888),( based on an episode from the life of the infamously debauched Roman Emperor Heliogabalus), "An Earthly Paradise" (1891), and " Spring " (1895). Most of his other pictures have been small canvasses of exquisite finish, like the " Gold-fish " of 1900. These, as well as all his works, are remarkable for the way in which flowers, textures and hard reflecting substances, like metals, pottery, and especially marble, are painted. His work shows much of the fine execution and brilliant color of the old Dutch masters. By the human interest with which he imbues all his scenes from ancient life he brings them within the scope of modern feeling, and charms us with gentle sentiment and playful humor. He also painted some fine portraits. Alma-Tadema became a naturalized British subject in 1873, and was knighted on the occasion of Queen Victoria's eighty-first birthday, 1899. He was made an associate of the Royal Academy in 1876, and a Royal Academician in 1879. In 1907 he was included in the Order of Merit. He became a knight of the order Pour le Merite of Germany (Arts and Science Division); of Leopold, Belgium; of the Dutch Lion; of St. Michael of Bavaria; of the Golden Lion of Nassau; and of the Crown of Prussia; an officer of the Legion of Honor, France; a member of the Royal Academies of Munich, Berlin, Madrid and Vienna. He received a gold medal at Berlin in 1872 and a grand medal at Berlin in 1874; a first class medal at the Paris International Exhibitions of 1889 and 1900. He also became a member of the Royal Society of Watercolors. Vienna His realistic depiction of marble led him to be called the 'marbelous painter'. An Audience at Agrippa's shows the emperor approaching to receive gifts from his clients. When an admirer of the painting offered to pay a substantial sum for a painting with a similar theme Alma-Tadema simply turned the emperor around to show him leaving in After the Audience. See also Georg Ebers, " Lorenz Alma-Tadema," Westermann's Monatshefte, November and December 1885, since republished in volume form; Helen Ziramern, " L. Alma-Tadema, his Life and Work," Art Annual, 1886; C. Monkhouse, British Contemporary Artists (London, 1899)

References


- In 1870 he married an English woman and moved to London. Alma-Tadema, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Lawrence

January 8

January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 357 days remaining (358 in leap years).

Events


- 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats Danish invasion army.
- 1198 - Innocent III becomes Pope.
- 1297 - Monaco gains its independence.
- 1499 - Louis XII of France marries Anne of Brittany
- 1734 - Premiere of George Frideric Handel's Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 1746 - Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Stirling.
- 1790 - George Washington delivers the first State of the Union Address address in New York City.
- 1806 - Cape Colony becomes a British colony.
- 1811 - Unsuccessful slave revolt led by Charles Deslandes in St. Charles and St. James, Louisiana.
- 1815 - War of 1812: In the Battle of New Orleans Andrew Jackson leads American forces in victory over the British.
- 1838 - Alfred Vail demonstrates a telegraph using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code).
- 1856 - Borax is discovered (John Veatch).
- 1863 - Battle of Springfield of the American Civil War is fought.
- 1867 - African American men granted the right to vote in the District of Columbia.
- 1877 - Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle with the United States Cavalry (Montana).
- 1889 - Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his electric tabulating machine.
- 1894 - A fire at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois causes a good deal of damage.
- 1900 - United States President William McKinley places Alaska under military rule.
- 1906 - A landslide in Haverstraw, New York kills 20 due to the excavation of clay along the Hudson River.
- 1908 - A train collision occurs in the Park Avenue Tunnel in New York City killing 17, injuring 38 and leading to increased demand for electric trains.
- 1912 - The African National Congress was founded.
- 1916 - World War I: Allied forces withdraw from Gallipoli.
- 1918 - President Woodrow Wilson announces his "Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I.
- 1926 - Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud becomes the King of Hejaz and renames it Saudi Arabia.
- 1926 - African National Congress founded.
- 1935 - A.C. Hardy patents the spectrophotometer.
- 1953 - René Mayer becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1958 - 14 year old Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship.
- 1959 - conquest of Cuba by Fidel Castro is completed with the conquest of Santiago de Cuba.
- 1959 - Michel Debré becomes Prime Minister of France
- 1962 - Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is exhibited in the United States for the first time (National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.)
- 1962 - Harmelen train disaster.
- 1964 - President Lyndon B. Johnson declares a "War on Poverty" in the United States.
- 1966 - Operation Crimp of the Vietnam War.
- 1973 - Watergate scandal: The trial of seven men accused of placing bugs in Democratic Party headquarters at Watergate begins.
- 1975 - Ella Grasso becomes Governor of Connecticut, becoming the first woman to serve as a Governor in the United States who did not succeed her husband.
- 1977 - Soviet space mission Luna 21 is launched.
- 1982 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions.
- 1986 - Hacker Manifesto written.
- 1987 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 8.30 to close at 2,002.25 -- The Dow's first close above 2,000.
- 1989 - Kegworth Air Disaster
- 1989 - beginning of Japanese Heisei era
- 1992 - President of the United States George H. W. Bush becomes ill on a visit to Japan and vomits on the Japanese Prime Minister, Kiichi Miyazawa.
- 1994 - Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on Soyuz TM-18 leaves for Mir. He will stay on the space station till March 22, 1995, for a record 437 days in space.
- 1996 - An Antonov 32 cargo jet crashes into the central market in Kinshasa, Zaire killing more than 350.
- 1997 - "Mister Rogers" receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Births


- 1556 - Uesugi Kagekatsu, Japanese samurai and warlord (d. 1623)
- 1583 - Simon Episcopius, Dutch theologian (d. 1643)
- 1601 - Baltasar Gracián y Morales, Spanish writer (d. 1658)
- 1628 - François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg, French general (d. 1695)
- 1632 - Samuel Pufendorf, German jurist (d. 1694)
- 1635 - Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero, Spanish Archbishop of Toledo (d. 1709)
- 1735 - John Carroll, first American Catholic archbishop (d. 1815)
- 1763 - Edmond Charles Genêt, French ambassador to the United States (d. 1834)
- 1786 - Nicholas Biddle, President of the Second Bank of the United States (d. 1844)
- 1792 - Lowell Mason American composer (d. 1872)
- 1805 - John Bigler, Governor of California (d. 1871)
- 1805 - Orson Hyde, American religious leader (d. 1878)
- 1817 - Sir Theophilus Shepstone, South African statesman (d. 1893)
- 1821 - James Longstreet, American Confederate general (d. 1904)
- 1821 - W.H.L. Wallace, American Union general

June 25

June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining.

Events


- 841 - Battle of Fontenay
- 1530 - The Augsburg Confession is presented at the Diet of Augsburg to the Holy Roman Emperor by the Lutheran princes and Electors of Germany.
- 1788 - Virginia ratifies the United States Constitution and is admitted as the 10th state of the United States.
- 1876 - Battle of the Little Big Horn and the death of Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
- 1938 - Dr. Douglas Hyde is elected the first President of Ireland.
- 1945 - Seán T. O'Kelly is elected the second President of Ireland.
- 1950 - The beginning of the Korean War.
- 1959 - Eamon de Valera is elected the third President of Ireland.
- 1967 - First global satellite television programme – "Our World"
- 1973 - Erskine Hamilton Childers is elected the fourth President of Ireland.
- 1975 - State of Emergency in India declared.
  - Mozambique achieved independence.
- 1982 - Greece abolishes headshaving of the recruits in the military.
- 1983 - India wins the Cricket World Cup.
- 1991 - Croatia and Slovenia declare their independence from Yugoslavia.
- 1993 - David Letterman airs his last episode of Late_Night_with_David_Letterman.
  - Kim Campbell is chosen as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and becomes the first female Prime Minister of Canada.
- 1996 - The Khobar Towers bombing leaves 19 U.S. servicemen dead in Saudi Arabia.
- 1997 - An unmanned Progress spacecraft collided with the Russian Space station, Mir.
- 1998 - Microsoft Windows 98 is released.
  - In Clinton v. City of New York, the United States Supreme Court decides that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 is unconstitutional.
- 1999 - The American soap opera Another World airs its 8891st and final episode.

Births

1328 to 1899


- 1328 - William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, English military leader (d. 1397)
- 1560 - Wilhelm Fabry, German surgeon (d. 1634)
- 1612 - John Albert Vasa, Polish bishop (d. 1634)
- 1715 - Joseph-François Foulon, French politician (d. 1789)
- 1852 - Antoni Gaudí, Catalan architect (d. 1926)
- 1858 - Georges Courteline, French dramatist (d. 1929)
- 1864 - Walther Nernst, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1941)
- 1865 - Robert Henri, American painter (d. 1929)
- 1884 - Henry Kahnweiler, German art promoter (d. 1979)
- 1887 - George Abbott, American playwright, screenwriter, producer, director, and actor (d. 1995)
- 1894 - Hermann Oberth, German physicist (d. 1989)

1900 to 1999


- 1900 - Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Viceroy of India (d. 1979)
- 1903 - George Orwell, British writer (d. 1950)
- 1907 - J. Hans D. Jensen, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
- 1911 - William Howard Stein, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)
- 1912 - William T. Cahill, Governor of New Jersey (d. 1996)
- 1913 - Cyril Fletcher, British comedian (d. 2005)
- 1921 - Celia Franca, Canadian ballet dancer
- 1923 - Nicholas Mosley, British writer
- 1924 - Sidney Lumet, American actor and director
- 1925 - June Lockhart, American actress
- 1926 - Ingeborg Bachmann, Austrian writer (d. 1973)
- 1928 - Alexei Abrikosov, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1929 - Eric Carle, American children's author
- 1930 - Mary Beth Peil, American opera singer and actress
- 1932 - Peter Blake, English artist
- 1933 - James Meredith, American civil rights activist
  - Álvaro Siza Vieira, Portuguese architect
- 1940 - A.J. Quinnell, English thriller and mystery writer (d. 2005)
- 1945 - Carly Simon, American singer
- 1955 - Terry Chimes, British musician
- 1956 - Boris Trajkovski, President of the Republic of Macedonia (d. 2004)
- 1957 - John Porcerelli, Former Professional Boxer, Preeminent Psychologist and Doctor
- 1963 - George Michael, English singer
  - Yann Martel, Canadian author
- 1966 - Dikembe Mutombo, Congan basketball player
- 1969 - Matt Gallant, U.S. television host
- 1970 - Lucy Benjamin, British actress
  - Erki Nool, Estonian decathlete, Olympian
- 1972 - Carlos Delgado, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
- 1974 - Karisma Kapoor, Indian actress
- 1975 - Linda Cardellini, American actress
  - Albert Costa, Spanish tennis player
  - Vladimir Kramnik, Russian chess player
- 1981 - Simon Ammann, Swiss ski jumper
- 1982 - Mikhail Youzhny, Russian tennis player
- 1983 - Nargis Farahmand, Afghani poet
- 1986 - Aya Matsuura, Japanese singer
- 1990 - Sabrina Maria Magdalena Preiner, Austrian princess of Winden

Deaths

1134 to 1899


- 1134 - King Nicholas of Denmark
- 1218 - Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester, French crusader (b. 1160)
- 1483 - Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, English writer
- 1522 - Franchinus Gaffurius, Italian composer (b. 1451)
- 1533 - Mary Tudor, queen of Louis XII of France (b. 1496)
- 1579 - Hatano Hideharu, Japanese warlord and samurai (b. 1541)
- 1593 - Michele Mercati, Italian physician and gardener (b. 1541)
- 1634 - John Marston, English playwright (b. 1576)
- 1638 - Juan Pérez de Montalbán, Spanish writer (b. 1602)
- 1665 - Archduke Sigismund Francis of Austria (b. 1630)
- 1669 - François de Vendôme, duc de Beaufort, French soldier (b. 1616)
- 1671 - Giovanni Battista Riccioli, Italian astronomer (b. 1598)
- 1767 - Georg Philipp Telemann, German composer (b. 1681)
- 1798 - Thomas Sandby, English cartographer and architect (b. 1721)
- 1822 - E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer, composer, and painter (b. 1776)
- 1861 - Abd-ul-Mejid, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1823)
- 1868 - Carlo Matteucci, Italian physicist (b. 1811)
- 1875 - Antoine-Louis Barye, French sculptor (b. 1796)
- 1876 - George Armstrong Custer, U.S. Army officer (killed in battle) (b. 1839)
- 1882 - François Jouffroy, French sculptor (b. 1806)
- 1884 - Hans Rott, Austrian composer (b. 1858)

1900 to 1999


- 1916 - Thomas Eakins, American artist (b. 1844)
- 1937 - Colin Clive, British actor (b. 1900)
- 1948 - William C. Lee, U.S. general (b. 1895)
- 1960 - Tommy Corcoran, baseball player (b. 1869)
- 1971 - John Boyd Orr, Scottish physician and biologist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1880)
- 1976 - Johnny Mercer, American songwriter (b. 1909)
- 1983 - Alberto Ginastera, Argentine composer (b. 1916)
- 1988 - Hillel Slovak, Israeli-born guitarist (b. 1962)
- 1995 - Warren Burger, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (b. 1907)
  - Ernest Walton, Irish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
- 1997 - Jacques-Yves Cousteau, French explorer, scientist, and inventor (b. 1910)

2000 onwards


- 2003 - Lester Maddox, Governor of Georgia (b. 1915)

Holidays and Observances


- Statehood Day in Slovenia and Croatia
- Antichristmas celebrated by some Satanists (see also Midsummer)
- National Catfish Day
- Spain – Fiesta of Santa Orosia
- Mozambique – Independence Day
- Abyssinian Coptic Orthodox Church – Feast of Saint Pontius Pilate

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/25 BBC: On This Day] ---- June 24 - June 26 - May 25 - July 25 – listing of all days ko:6월 25일 ms:25 Jun ja:6月25日 simple:June 25 th:25 มิถุนายน

Netherlands

The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland; IPA pronunciation: /"ne:dərlant/) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands that is formed by the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). The Netherlands is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, located in northwestern Europe. It borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. In many countries, the Netherlands is often referred to by the name Holland, and even within the Netherlands itself this name is occasionally used as an acceptable translation of the country's name. However widespread, this usage is technically incorrect, as "Holland" is actually a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands, divided into two provinces. Also, the English plural form 'the Netherlands' is a remnant from times when the country was not yet independent and united. See below under 'naming conventions'. The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated and geographically low-lying countries in the world (its name literally means "low country") and is famous for its dikes, windmills, wooden shoes, tulips, bicycles and social tolerance. Its liberal policies (towards drugs and prostitution among other things) receive international attention. The country is host to the International Court of Justice. The English adjective and noun for "of or relating to the Netherlands" is "Dutch," which is also the name of the Dutch language. In the Netherlands, "Netherlands" is sometimes used as an adjective. The origin of this local usage may be that the Dutch word for "Dutch" is Nederlands and to avoid confusion with the words "Duits" (in Dutch) and "Deutsch" (in German) that refer to the country Germany and its language.

Capital

Amsterdam is the hoofdstad ("capital city"), where according to the constitution, the sovereign must be sworn in. The Hague is the Netherlands regeringszetel or residentie (seat of government, residence of the monarch). It is the seat of government, the home of the monarch, and the location of most foreign embassies.

History

:For more details on this topic, see History of the Netherlands and Dutch monarchy. Under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Spain, the region was part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, which also includes most of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and some land of France and Germany. In 1568 the Eighty Years' War started after the entire population had been condemned to death by the Holy See and confirmed by the king, and in 1579, the northern half of the Seventeen Provinces declared itself independent and formed the Union of Utrecht, which is seen as the foundation of the modern Netherlands. Philip II, the son of Charles V, was not prepared to let them go that easily. It would not be until 1648 that Spain would recognize Dutch independence. After gaining formal independence from the Spanish Empire under King Philip IV, the Dutch grew to become one of the major seafaring and economic powers of the 17th century during the period of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. In the era, referred to as the Dutch Golden Age, colonies and trading posts were established all over the globe. (See Dutch colonial empire) Many economic historians regard the Netherlands as the first thoroughly capitalist country in the world. In early modern Europe it featured the wealthiest trading city (Amsterdam) and the first full-time stock exchange. The inventiveness of the traders led to insurance and retirement funds as well as such less benign phenomena as the boom-bust cycle, the world's first asset-inflation bubble, the tulip mania of 1636-1637, and according to Murray Sayle, the world's first bear raider - Isaac le Maire, who forced prices down by dumping stock and then buying it back at a discount ("Japan Goes Dutch", London Review of Books [April 5, 2001]: 3-7). After briefly being incorporated in the First French Empire under Napoleon, the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815, consisting of the present day Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In addition, the king of the Netherlands became hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Belgium rebelled and gained independence in 1830, while the personal union between Luxembourg and the Netherlands was severed in 1890 as a result of ascendancy laws which prevented Queen Wilhelmina from becoming Grand Duke. The Netherlands possessed several colonies, most notably the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and Suriname (the latter was traded with the British for New Amsterdam, now known as New York). These 'colonies' were first administered by the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, both collective private enterprises. Three centuries later these companies got into financial trouble and the territories in which they operated were taken over by the Dutch government (in 1815 and 1791 respectively). Only then did they become official colonies. During the 19th century, The Netherlands was slow to industrialize compared to neighboring countries, mainly due to its unique infrastructure of waterways and reliance on wind power. After remaining neutral in World War I, over 100,000 Dutch Jews were murdered in the Holocaust of World War II, along with significant numbers of Dutch Roma (gypsies). After the war, the Dutch economy prospered again, being a member of the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) and European Economic Community unions. The Netherlands was among the twelve founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and among the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community, which would later evolve into the European Union.

Naming conventions

The name Holland is often used, incorrectly, for The Netherlands, especially in other languages. The origin of the misnomer lies in the fact that the region of Holland was the economic powerhouse during the time of the United Provinces (1581-1795). After the Napoleonic era, Holland became a mere province of the Kingdom and was split into North and South Holland in 1840. Many people, especially from the northern and southern provinces, object to the use of the name Holland for The Netherlands. But to avoid confusion when addressing other nationals, the Dutch themselves often use the name 'Holland'. The plural "Netherlands" is actually an archaic term, referring to the time when it was a collection of regions that were not yet fully united. In The Netherlands itself the country is called Nederland (literally meaning "low country"), the people are called Nederlanders ("Dutch" in English) and the language is called Nederlands (again, "Dutch" in English); the -s in Nederlands is not a plural ending, but rather is cognate to the English suffix -ish. The English word "Dutch" is akin to the German word Deutsch, which originally meant "(Language) of the (common) people" in contrast with the medieval elite who spoke Latin. An old term for the language of The Netherlands is Diets or Nederdietsch. All these terms derive from what in Latin was known as Theodisca, from Germanic
- Þeudiskaz.

Politics

The Netherlands has been a parliamentary democracy since 1848 and a constitutional monarchy since 1815; before that it had been a republic from 1581 to 1806 (it was occupied by France between 1806 and 1815). The pro forma head of state, since 1980, is Queen Beatrix of the House of Orange-Nassau. The Dutch monarch has little political power, but serves mostly as a ceremonial figurehead to represent the nation. Dutch governments always consist of a coalition, as there is not (and has never been) a single political party large enough to get the majority vote. Formally, the queen appoints the members of the government. In practice, once the results of parliamentary elections are known, a coalition government is formed (in a process of negotiations that can take several months), after which the government formed in this way is officially appointed by the queen. The head of the government is the Prime Minister, in Dutch Minister President or Premier, a primus inter pares who is usually also the leader of the largest party in the coalition. The degree of influence the queen has on actual government decision making is a topic of ongoing speculation. The parliament consists of two houses. The 150 members of the Lower House (Tweede Kamer, or Second Chamber) are elected every four years in direct elections. The provincial parliaments are directly elected every 4 years as well. The members of the provincial parliaments vote (indirectly) for the less important Senate (Eerste Kamer, or First Chamber). Together, the First and Second Chamber are known as the Staten Generaal, the States General. Political scientists consider The Netherlands a classic example of a consociational state, at least in part caused by the necessity in the Netherlands since the middle ages for different cities to cooperate in order to fight the water (different cities were at the time like different countries by today's standards, and often at war). This necessity to reach an agreement despite differences is called the polder model in Dutch. Also, the Netherlands has long been a nation of traders and for international trade one has to be tolerant of the other person's culture. The Netherlands is a neutral country in most international affairs and thus managed to keep out of World War I (although this did not work in World War II). As a result, the Dutch have a 'friendly' reputation in other countries, to the point that bearers of a Dutch passport often have relatively little difficulty getting into other countries, for visits or even for emigration purposes. However, the early years of the 21st century have seen a political change with the right wing in politics gaining on the left. This is illustrated by the quick rise (and fall) of the LPF. Pim Fortuyn, its founder, held former cabinets responsible for the failing integration of immigrants. The present government is led by the cabinet Balkenende II. This cabinet got some critique about economic reforms and the immigration policies. On June 1 2005 the Dutch electorate voted in a referendum against the proposed EU Constitution by a majority of 61.6%, three days after the French had also voted against. See also: Prime Minister of the Netherlands, List of Prime Ministers of the Netherlands

Provinces

List of Prime Ministers of the Netherlands The Netherlands is divided into twelve administrative regions, called provinces, each under a Governor, who is called Commissaris van de Koningin (Commissionair of the Queen).
- Friesland - north west; capital Leeuwarden
- Groningen - north east; capital Groningen
- Drenthe - south of Groningen; capital Assen
- Overijssel - east central, south of Drenthe; capital Zwolle
- Flevoland - central, north of Utrecht; capital Lelystad
- Gelderland - east central, south of Overijssel; capital Arnhem
- Utrecht - central; capital Utrecht
- North Holland - (Noord-Holland) north west (including Amsterdam); capital Haarlem
- South Holland - (Zuid-Holland) west central, south of North Holland (including Rotterdam); capital The Hague (s-Gravenhage or Den Haag)
- Zeeland - south west; capital Middelburg
- North Brabant - (Noord-Brabant) south central; capital 's-Hertogenbosch (or Den Bosch)
- Limburg - south east; capital Maastricht. All provinces are divided into municipalities (gemeenten), together 467; see Municipalities in the Netherlands, and also List of cities in the Netherlands by province. The country is also subdivided in water districts, governed by a water board (waterschap or hoogheemraadschap), each having authority in matters concerning water management. As of 1 January 2005 there are twenty seven. The creation of water boards actually pre-dates that of the nation itself, the first appearing in 1196. In fact, the Dutch water boards are one of the oldest democratic entities in the world still in existence. See also: Ranked list of Dutch provinces.

Geography

Ranked list of Dutch provinces Ranked list of Dutch provinces A remarkable aspect of the Netherlands is the flatness of the country. About half of its surface area is less than 1 m above sea level, and large parts of it are actually below sea level (see [http://www.minbuza.nl/default.asp?CMS_ITEM=MBZ302750 map showing these areas]). An extensive range of dikes and dunes protect these areas from flooding. Numerous massive pumping stations keep the ground water level in check. The highest point, the Vaalserberg, in the south-eastern most point of the country, is 321 m above sea level. A substantial part of the Netherlands, for example, all of Flevoland and large parts of Holland, has been reclaimed from the sea. These areas are known as polders. This has led to the saying "God created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands." In years past, the Dutch coastline has changed considerably due to human intervention and natural disasters. Most notable in terms of land loss are the 1134 storm, which created the archipelago of Zeeland in the south west, and the 1287 storm, which killed 50,000 people and created the Zuyderzee (now dammed in and renamed the IJsselmeer - see below) in the northwest, giving Amsterdam direct access to the sea. The St. Elizabeth flood of 1421 and the mismanagement in its aftermath destroyed a newly reclaimed polder, replacing it with the 72 km² Biesbosch tidal floodplains in the southcentre. The most recent parts of Zeeland were flooded during the North Sea Flood of 1953 and 1,836 people were killed, after which the Delta Plan was executed. The disasters were partially man-made; the people drained relatively high lying swampland for use as farmland. This drainage caused the fertile peat to compress and the ground level to drop, locking the land users in a vicious circle whereby they would lower the water level to compensate for the drop in ground level, causing the underlying peat to compress even more. The vicious circle is unsolvable and remains to this day. Up until the 19th century peat was dug up, dried, and used for fuel, further adding to the problem. To guard against floods, a series of defences against the water were contrived. In the first millennium, villages and farmhouses were built on man-made hills called terps. Later these terps were connected by dikes. In the 12th century, local government agencies called "waterschappen" (English "waterbodies") or "hoogheemraadschappen" ("high home councils") started to appear, whose job it was to maintain the water level and to protect a region from floods. (The waterbodies are still around today performing the exact same function.) As the ground level dropped, the dikes by necessity grew and merged into an integrated system. In the 13th century, windmills came into use to pump water out of the areas by now below sea level. The windmills were later used to drain lakes, creating the famous polders. In 1932, the Afsluitdijk (English "Closure Dike") was completed, blocking the former Zuyderzee (Southern Sea) off from the North Sea and thus creating the IJsselmeer (IJssel Lake). It became part of the larger Zuiderzee Works in which four polders totalling 1,650 km² were reclaimed from the sea. After the 1953 disaster, the Delta project, a vast construction effort designed to end the threat from the sea once and for all, was launched in 1958 and largely completed in 2002. The official goal of the Delta project was to reduce the risk of flooding in Holland to once per 10,000 years. (For the rest of the country, the protection-level is once per 4,000 years). This was achieved by raising 3,000 km of outer sea-dikes and 10,000 km of inner, canal, and river dikes to "delta" height, and by closing off the sea estuaries of the Zeeland province. New risk assessments occasionally incur additional Delta project work in the form of dike re-enforcements. The Delta project is the single largest construction effort in human history and is considered by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Because of the high cost of maintaining the polders some have argued that maybe some of the deepest polders should be given up. Additionally, the Netherlands is one of the countries that may suffer most from climatic change. Not only is the rising sea a problem, but also erratic weather patterns may cause the rivers to overflow. These flooded polders might then be used as water catchments to take part of the blow. The country is divided into two main parts by three rivers Rhine (Rijn), Waal, and Meuse (Maas). The south western part of the Netherlands is actually one big river delta of these rivers. These rivers not only function as a natural barrier, but also as a cultural divide, as is evident in the different dialects spoken north and south of these great rivers and the (previous) religious dominance of Catholics in the south and Calvinists in the north. The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is south west, which causes a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. See also: National parks (Netherlands).

Economy

The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy in which the government has reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food-processing (for example Unilever and Heineken), chemicals (for example DSM), petroleum refining (for example Royal Dutch Shell), and electrical machinery (for example Philips). A highly mechanised agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labour force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Dutch rank third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. Other important parts of the economy are international trade (Dutch colonialism started with cooperative private enterprises such as the VOC), banking and transport (for example the Rotterdam harbour). The Netherlands successfully addressed the issue of public finances and stagnating job growth long before its European partners. As a founding member of the Euro, the Netherlands replaced its former currency, the Gulden, on January 1 1999 along with the other adopters of the single European currency, with the actual Euro coins and banknotes following on January 1, 2002. However, in the first years of the third millennium, economic and employment growth came to a standstill, which the government tried to resolve by cutting into its expenses. In 2003 the economy shrunk 0.9%. In 2004, the recession was over and the economy began its slow recovery with a meager 1.3% growth. The CPB ("Centraal Plan Bureau", Central Planning Bureau), a think tank of leading Dutch economists linked with the government, expects a recovery of the economy in 2005, with a growth of 2.25%. In 2004, inflation was 1.2%, the lowest level since 1989.
- Economic data for the Netherlands: [http://statline.cbs.nl Dutch] [http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/start.asp?lp=Search/Search&LA=EN English]
- List of Dutch companies

Demographics

The Netherlands is the 15th most densely populated country in the world, with 393 inhabitants per square km (or 482/km² if only the land area is counted, 20% is water). Partly because of this it is also one of the most densely cabled countries in the world. Internet penetration [http://www.internetworldstats.com/top25.htm] is at 66.2% the 7th highest in the world. According CBS Statline, the official statistics bureau of the Netherlands, the ethnic origins of the citizens are very diverse. The vast majority of the population however still remains Dutch. They were: 80.8% Dutch, 8.7% other European, 2.2% Turkish, 1.9% Moroccan, 6.4% other There are no cities with a population over 1 million in the Netherlands, but the 'four big cities' as they are called (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) can in many ways be regarded as one 'big city' agglomeration, the Randstad ('fringe city'), with an agricultural 'green heart' (het Groene Hart). This is illustrated by the idea to create a circular train network with a frequency and carriages similar to a metropolitan railway.

Languages

The official language is Dutch, which is spoken by practically all inhabitants. Another official language is Frisian, which is spoken in the northern province of Friesland and has a strong resemblance to English. Frisian is co-official only in the province of Friesland, although with a few restrictions. Several dialects of Plattdüütsch are spoken in much of the north and are recognised as regional languages, as protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. To the south, the Dutch language shifts into other varieties of Low Franconian and German, which may or may not be best classified as Dutch, most notably West Flemish. One of these, Limburgish, which is spoken in the south-eastern province of Limburg has been recognised as a minority language since 1977.

Religion

According to the governmental statistics agency (CBS) 30% of the population consider themselves to be Roman Catholic, 20% Protestant (predominantly Dutch Reformed) and 8% 'other denominations'. 42% consider themselves not to belong to any religious denomination. Church attendance however is much lower than these figures may suggest: some 70% of the population 'rarely or never' visit a house of worship (be it a church, mosque, synagogue or temple). The most protestants live in the northern provinces while the southern provinces (Noord-Brabant and Limburg) are mainly Roman Catholic. The largest part of the 'other denominations', at 920,000, are Muslim immigrant workers mainly living in the bigger cities, mostly from Morocco and Turkey, and their offspring. The other denominations also include some 200,000 (1.3%) Hindu, mostly descendants of indentured servants who migrated from India to the former Dutch colony of Surinam around 1900. Prior to the Holocaust about 140,000 Jews lived in the Netherlands, however the vast majority of [http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/communities/weurope/comm_netherlands.html Dutch Jewry] was murdered in the Holocaust. About 30,000 Dutch Jews now live in The Netherlands.

Culture

The Netherlands has had many well-known painters. The 17th century, when the Dutch republic was prosperous, was the age of the "Dutch Masters" such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen and many others. Famous Dutch painters of the 19th and 20th century are Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondriaan. M. C. Escher is a well-known graphics artist. Willem de Kooning was born and trained in Rotterdam, although he is considered to have reached acclaim as an American artist. A (in)famous Dutch master art forger is Han van Meegeren. The Netherlands is the country of philosophers Erasmus of Rotterdam and Spinoza, and all of Descartes' major work was done there. Christiaan Huygens(1629-1695) is a famous astronomer and mathematician. He discovered Saturn's moon Titan and invented an accurate clock. In the Dutch Golden Age, literature flowered as well, with Joost van den Vondel and P. C. Hooft as the two most famous writers. In the 19th century, Multatuli wrote about the bad treatment of the natives in Dutch colonies. Important 20th century authors include Harry Mulisch, Jan Wolkers, Simon Vestdijk, Cees Nooteboom, Gerard van het Reve and Willem Frederik Hermans. The Diary of Anne Frank was also written in the Netherlands. See also: List of museums in The Netherlands, Sport in the Netherlands, Music of the Netherlands, List of Dutch people, Public holidays in the Netherlands Replicas of Dutch buildings can be found in Huis ten Bosch, Nagasaki, Japan. A similar Holland Village is being built in Shenyang, China. Windmills, tulips, wooden shoes, cheese and Delftware pottery are among the numerous items associated with the Netherlands. Dutch policies on recreational drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage and euthanasia are among the most liberal in the world.

Miscellaneous topics


- City rights in the Netherlands
- Communications in the Netherlands
- Drug policy of the Netherlands
- Dutch colonial empire
- Dutch people
- Dutch-Belgian War
- Education in the Netherlands
- Euthanasia in the Netherlands
- Foreign relations of the Netherlands
- General Intelligence and Security Office (AIVD)
- Income tax in the Netherlands
- List of football clubs in the Netherlands
- Military of the Netherlands
- Netherlands and weapons of mass destruction
- New Netherland
- Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) of the Netherlands
- Prostitution in the Netherlands
- Public holidays in the Netherlands
- Reporters Without Borders worldwide press freedom index 2004 — first place
- Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands
- Statistics Netherlands
- Telephone numbers in the Netherlands
- Television networks in the Netherlands
- Tourism in the Netherlands
- Transportation in the Netherlands

External links


-
- [http://www.statoids.com/unl.html Provinces of Netherlands]
- [http://www.amsterdam-netherlands.info/ Amsterdam / Netherlands info] - Information about the Netherlands, its provinces and Amsterdam.
- [http://www.haganum.nl Best School of The Netherlands- The Gymnasiun Haganum in the Hague]
- [http://www.cbs.nl/en-GB/menu/cijfers/default.htm CBS] - Key figures from the Dutch bureau of statistics
- [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nl.html CIA - The World Factbook -- Netherlands]
- Dutch news: [http://www.rnw.nl/ Radio Netherlands], [http://www.expatica.com/source/site_content_subchannel.asp?subchannel_id=1 Expatica]
- [http://www.colonialvoyage.com Dutch Portuguese Colonial History] Dutch Colonial History in Sri Lanka, Ceylon, Brazil, India, Malacca (Malaysia), Bengal, Formosa(Taiwan), South Africa, New York, Caribbean, Indonesia. Language Heritage. Maps, chronologies, bibliographies.
- [http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572410/Netherlands.html Encarta entry on the Netherlands]
- [http://flagspot.net/flags/nl-index.html Flagspot.net - The Netherlands]- site about flags, but also with province maps showing municipalities, and some other info
- Foreign government info about the Netherlands and their relations with it:
[http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/netherlands/index.html Australia] | [http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canadaeuropa/country_net-en.asp Canada] | [http://meaindia.nic.in/foreignrelation/netherland.htm India] | [http://www.esteri.it/eng/3_22_40_214.asp Italy] | [http://www.mfat.govt.nz/foreign/regions/europe/countrypapers/netherlands.html New Zealand] | [http://www.dfa.gov.za/foreign/bilateral/netherlands.html South Africa] | [http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1019061813313 UK] | [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3204.htm US]
- [http://www.government.nl Government.nl] - official Dutch government web site
- [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Dutch] Dutch for English speakers (from Wikibooks)
- [http://www.skyscrapercity.info/200.php?id=4&country=NL&limit=0 List of ca. 1500 tall buildings in the Netherlands]
- [http://www.nlplanet.com/ NL Planet] - English language resources, background information and free forums
- [http://overheid.nl/guest/sites/ Overheid.nl] - official Dutch government portal (includes official publications from 1995; older ones are only available in some libraries, on paper or microfiche)
- [http://www.sdu.nl/staatscourant/gemeentes/gemprovin.htm Province maps showing subdivision in municipalities, and linking each municipality to its basic data page]
- [http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/index.jsp The Dutch Royal House]
- [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1104447749&men=gmap&lng=en&gln=xx&dat=32&geo=-160&srt=npan&col=aohdq Maps and data]
- [http://www.track.nl/ Track.nl] - An Internet search-engine that specialises in the Netherlands.
- [http://www.world66.com/europe/netherlands World66 Guide to The Netherlands] A travel guide written by its users.
- [http://www.deltaworks.org Deltaworks Online - Flood protection and watermanagement in the Netherlands] Category:European Union member states Category:Monarchies als:Niederlande zh-min-nan:Kē-tē-kok [[got:

Dronrijp

Dronrijp (or Dronryp as it is called in Frisian) is a town in the Dutch municipality of Menaldumadeel. On January 1 2004, it had 3,486 inhabitants (Menaldumadeel, 2004).

History and architecture

A few centuries BC, a settlement developed around where the street Tsjerkebuorren is now (Stenvert et al., 2000). Another settlement came into existence nearby when a canal between Leeuwarden and Harlingen was completed in 1507. (Part of it was filled up in 1940.) Between roughly 1850 and 1950, these two gradually merged. The oldest known reference to the town dates from 1132, when it was called Denningrip, meaning a "rip" (narrow stretch of land) where a family called Drenninga lived (Groenedijk, 2000). (Presumably, Groenedijk means "Drenningrip" here.) Of the old mansions in the area only the early 18th century Schatzenburg remains.

Miscellaneous information

The Van Harinxma canal, completed in 1953, runs along the south side of the town. The A31 runs along the north side. Dronrijp also has a railway station. Painter Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema was born in the house at 2 Dûbelestreek, Eise Eisinga, famous for his planetarium, at 13 Tsjerkebuorren.

References


- Stenvert, R. et al. (2000), Monumenten in Nederland: Fryslân, Waanders Uitgevers, Zwolle, the Netherlands. ISBN 90-400-9476-4.
- Groenedijk, T. (2000). Nederlandse plaatsnamen. Slingenberg Boekproducties, Hoogeveen, 2000. ISBN 90-76113-815.
- Site of the municipality of Menaldumadeel, [http://www.menaldumadeel.nl], consulted on August 10 2004.

External link


- [http://www.menaldumadeel.nl www.menaldumadeel.nl] - Official site of the municipality

Leeuwarden

Leeuwarden (Frisian: Ljouwert) is a municipality and the capital city of the Dutch province of Friesland. It is situated in the north of the country.

Population centres

Goutum, Hempens, Leeuwarden, Lekkum, Miedum, Snakkerburen, Swichum, Teerns, Wirdum and Wytgaard.

The city of Leeuwarden

History

Wytgaard, 1945]] The city acquired city rights in 1435, but the area has been populated since the 10th century. Situated along the Middelzee it was an important trade centre, but it lost importance after the waterway fell dry in the 13th century. However, Leeuwarden remained one of the most important cities in the country until the mid-17th century. In 1901 the city had a population of 32,203. At present, the city still has a strong regional influence. Famous natives of Leeuwarden include stadtholder William IV of Orange, graphical artist M. C. Escher and exotic dancer and convicted spy Mata Hari.

Government

Leeuwarden, as capital of the province of Friesland, is home to the seat of the provincial authorities. Although the politics in the provincial authority were dominated for decades by the christian democratic CDA party, Leeuwarden itself during that time always had a socialist rule by the PvdA in the municipal council. That dominance has been steadily eroded during the 1980's and 1990's. Currently the PvdA holds 10 seats in the 37 seat municipal council. Closely followed by the CDA (7), the conservative liberal VVD (5), the progressive PAL Groenlinks (4), the Leeuwarder Lokale Partij (3), the socialist SP (3), the progressive liberal D66 (2), the confessional Christenunie (1), Leefbaar Leeuwarden (1) and the moderate Frisian nationalistic party FNP (1). The municipal government is a coalition of PvdA, CDA, VVD and PAL Groenlinks.

Sights

Well-known buildings in the city centre include the Kanselarij (the former chancellary), the Waag (old trade centre of the city), and the leaning tower Oldehove. Leeuwarden is also the site of the country's largest cattle market, and on Ascension Day, the largest flower market of the Netherlands is held here.

Education

Leeuwarden has a number of professional universities (HBO in Dutch), such as the Van Hall Instituut (agricultural and lifesciences), the Christelijke Hogeschool Nederland (economical and educational studies) and the Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden (any mainstream study). Although the city has no university, several dependencies are located here, including the Universiteit Twente and the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. About 16.000 students, among them an increasing number of foreign students, study at the professional universities. Leeuwarden is planning to concentrate the professional universities in a knowledge campus (kenniscampus), just outside the historic city. Besides higher education the city is also home to two regional vocational schools (MBO): the [http://www.friesepoort.nl/ Friese Poort] and [http://www.fcroc.nl/ Friesland College].

Sports

Leeuwarden is the start and finish location of the famous Elfstedentocht, a 200 km long speed skating race, which is held whenever it gets cold enough for the canals to freeze over. The last time this happened was January 1997, before that it was organised in 1985 and 1986. Being a rare occurrence, it is a major event celebrated by the entire country when conditions allow it to be held. The city's local football club, Cambuur plays in the 1st Division of the professional Dutch soccer league. Its home matches are played in Cambuurstadion, which was openend in 1995.

Famous people from Leeuwarden


- Maurits Cornelis Escher
- Mata Hari
- Willem van Haren
- Johannes Henricus Gerardus Jansen
- Piet Paaltjens
- Pieter Jelles Troelstra

Transport

Train routes with starting number of the train number series:
- 500 IC Den Haag Centraal / Rotterdam Centraal - Groningen / Leeuwarden
- 700 IC Schiphol / Amsterdam Centraal - Groningen / Leeuwarden
- 30000 R Leeuwarden - Stavoren
- 30100 R Leeuwarden - Harlingen Haven
- 30200 R/D Groningen - Leeuwarden

External link


- [http://www.leeuwarden.nl/ Official Website] Category:Friesland Category:Cities in the Netherlands

Antwerp

, in the old quarter of Antwerp is the largest cathedral in the Low Countries and home to a number of triptychs by Renaissance Belgian painter Rubens. It remains the tallest building in the city.]] Antwerp (Dutch name: Antwerpen; French name: Anvers) is a city and a municipality in Belgium, its chief centre of commerce and a strong fortified position; it is capital of Antwerp province, in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions. Antwerp's total population is ca. 457,749 (January 2005). Its total area is 204.51 km² with a population density of 2,238.23 inhabitants per km². The agglomeration has a population of ca. 800,000 (municipality: 457,749 (2005), metropolitan area: ca. 1,225,000 (2004)).

Overview

Antwerp is, historically, one of Belgium and the Low Countries' most important cities in terms of economy and culture. It is one of the three primary centers of the global diamond industry (along with New York City's "diamond district", and South Africa), traditionally controlled by the city's Hassidic Jewish population, the largest outside of New York. Antwerp is also well-known for its seaport with a high level of cargo shipping and oil refineries. Since the 1990s it has been recognised internationally as an important city for fashion design, as several graduates of the (Belgian) Royal Academy of Fine Arts have become internationally successful designers. Antwerp is situated on the right bank of the river Scheldt. It is one of the largest ports in the world (in Europe it is second only to the Dutch city of Rotterdam), linked to the North Sea by the Scheldt and the Westerschelde. Westerschelde] Antwerp is also notable for its zoo, one of the oldest and most famous in the world. The Antwerp Zoo is located in the middle of the city, near the railway station and is home to more than 4,000 animals. The Royal Society for Zoology focused on ensuring the welfare of numerous animals and helping to protect threatened species for more than 100 years. Next to the Antwerp Zoo is the Centraal Station, the city's main railway station. Designed by architect Louis Delacenserie (1838-1909) and completed in 1905, the station's architecture features two monumental neo-baroque facades, topped by a large metal and glass dome (60m/197ft). The dome covers the train platforms which is typical for turn-of-the-century railway stations in Europe. Antwerp is the end of the oldest railway line in continental Europe (between Brussels and Antwerp through the city of Mechelen). Designed with all glit and marble, the interior has been called a Renaissance painters fantasy of what classical design should be. A few years ago, the Centraal Station was used in the British television series 'Hercule Poirot.' In the series, the famous 'Belgian' detective visited Brussels and many Belgians were surprised to see that, during the filming, the Antwerp station had changed its name to 'Gare de Bruxelles' (Brussels Station). Modern Antwerp is a finely laid out city with a succession of broad avenues which mark the position of the first enceinte. There are long streets and terraces of fine houses belonging to the merchants and manufacturers of the city which amply testify to its prosperity, and recall the 16th century distich that Antwerp was noted for its moneyed men ("Antwerpia nummis"). Despite the ravages of war and internal disturbances it still preserves some memorials of its early grandeur, notably its fine cathedral. This church was begun in the 14th century, but not finished till 1518. Its tower of over 400 feet is a conspicuous object to be seen from afar over the surrounding flat country. A second tower which formed part of the original plan has never been erected. 1518 The proportions of the interior are noble, and in the church are hung three of the masterpieces of Rubens, viz. "The Descent from the Cross," "The Elevation of the Cross," and "The Assumption." Another fine church in Antwerp is that of St James, far more ornate than the cathedral, and containing the tomb of Rubens, who devoted himself to its embellishment. The Bourse or exchange, which claims to be the first distinguished by the former name in Europe, is a fine new building finished in 1872, on the site of the old Bourse erected in 1531 and destroyed by fire in 1858. Fire has destroyed several other old buildings in the city, notably in 1891 the house of the Hansa League on the northern quays. A curious museum is the Maison Plantin, the house of the great printer C. Plantin and his successor Moretus, which stands exactly as it did in the time of the latter. The new picture gallery close to the southern quays is a fine building divided into ancient and modern sections. The collection of old masters is very fine, containing many splendid examples of Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian and the chief Dutch masters. Antwerp, famous in the middle ages and at the present time for its commercial enterprise, enjoyed in the 17th century a celebrity not less distinct or glorious in art for its school of painting, which included Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens, the two Teniers and many others. "Antwerpenaren", or people of Antwerp tend to be very proud of their city. Their dialect is recognised by Dutch-speaking people because of its A-sound, wich sounds more like oa (as in boar). Because of this and their habit of being assertive, they have earned the reputation of "having a big mouth".

Commerce

C. Plantin Since 1863, when Antwerp was opened to the trade of the outer world by the purchase of the Dutch right to levy toll, its position has completely changed, and no place in Europe made greater progress in that period than the ancient city on the Scheldt. The eight principal basins or docks already existing in 1908 were # the Little or Bonaparte dock; # the Great dock, also constructed in Napoleon's time; # the Kattendijk, built in 1860 and enlarged in 1881; # the Wood dock; # the Campine dock, used especially for minerals; # the Asia dock, which is in direct communication with the Meuse by a canal as well as with the Scheldt; # the Lefebvre dock; and # the America dock, which was only opened in 1905. Two new docks, called "intercalary" because they would fit into whatever scheme might be adopted for the rectification of the course of the Scheldt, were still to be constructed, leading out of the Lefebvre dock and covering 70 acres. With the completion of the new maritime lock, ships drawing 30 feet of water would be able to enter these new docks and also the Lefebvre and America docks. In connexion with the projected grande coupure (that is, a cutting through the neck of the loop in the river Scheldt immediately below Antwerp), the importance of these four docks would be greatly increased because they would then flank the new main channel of the river. When the Belgian Chambers voted in February 1906 the sums necessary for the improvement of the harbour of Antwerp no definite scheme was sanctioned, the question being referred to a special mixed commission. The improvements at Antwerp were not confined to the construction of new docks. The quays flanking the Scheldt are 3-½ miles in length. They are constructed of granite, and no expense has been spared in equipping them with hydraulic cranes, warehouses, &c.

Fortifications

Besides being the chief commercial port of Belgium, Antwerp is the greatest fortress of that country. Nothing, however, remains of the former enceinte or even of the famous old citadel defended by General Chassé in 1832, except the Steen, which has been restored and contains a museum of arms and antiquities. After the establishment of Belgian independence Antwerp was defended only by the citadel and an enceinte of about 2-½ miles round the city. No change occurred till 1859, when the system of Belgian defence was radically altered by the dismantlement of seventeen of the twenty-two fortresses constructed under Wellington's supervision in 1815-1818. At Antwerp the old citadel and enceinte were removed. A new enceinte 8 miles in length was constructed, and the villages of Berchem and Borgerhout, now parishes of Antwerp, were absorbed within the city. This enceinte still exists, and is a fine work of art. It is protected by a broad wet ditch, and in the caponiers are the magazines and store chambers of the fortress. The enceinte is pierced by nineteen openings or gateways, but of these seven are not used by the public. As soon as the enceinte was finished eight detached forts from 2 to 2-½ miles distant from the enceinte were constructed. They begin on the north near Wyneghem and the zone of inundation, and terminate on the south at Hoboken. In 1870 Fort Merxem and the redoubts of Berendrecht and Oorderen were built for the defence of the area to be inundated north of Antwerp. In 1878, in consequence of the increased range of artillery and the more destructive power of explosives, it was recognized that the fortifications of Antwerp were becoming useless and out of date. It was therefore decided to change it from a fortress to a fortified position by constructing an outer line of forts and batteries at a distance varying from 6 to 9 miles from the enceinte. This second line was to consist of fifteen forts, large and small. Up to 1898 only five had been constructed, but in that and the two following years five more were finished, leaving another five to complete the line. A mixed commission selected the points at which they were to be placed. With the completion of this work, which in 1908 was being rapidly pushed on, Antwerp might be regarded as one of the best fortified positions in Europe, and so long as its communications by sea are preserved intact it will be practically impregnable. Two subsidiary or minor problems remained over. # The much-discussed removal of the existing enceinte in order to give Antwerp further growing space. If it were removed there arose the further question, should a new enceinte be made at the first line of outer forts, or should an enceinte be dispensed with? An enceinte following the line of those forts would be 30 miles in length. Then if the city grew up to this extended enceinte the outer forts would be too near. To screen the city from bombardment they would have to be carried 3 miles further out, and the whole Belgian army would scarcely furnish an adequate garrison for this extended position. A new enceinte, or more correctly a rampart of a less permanent character, connecting the eight forts of the inner line and extending from Wyneghem to a little south of Hoboken, was decided upon in 1908. # The second problem was the position on the left bank of the Scheldt. All the defences enumerated are on the right bank. On the left bank the two old forts Isabelle and Marie alone defend the Scheldt. It is assumed (probably rightly) that no enemy could get round to this side in sufficient strength to deliver any attack that the existing forts could not easily repel. The more interesting question connected with the left bank is whether it does not provide, as Napoleon thought, the most natural outlet for the expansion of Antwerp. Proposals to connect the two banks by a tunnel under the Scheldt have been made from time to time in a fitful manner, but nothing whatever had been done by 1908 to realize what appears to be a natural and easy project.

History

According to folklore, the city got its name from a legend involving a mythical giant called Antigoon that lived near the river Scheldt. This giant exacted a toll from passers-by who wished to navigate the river. On refusal, the giant often severed one of their hands and threw them into the Scheldt. Eventually, the giant was slain by a young hero named Brabo, who cut off the giant's hand and threw it into the river. Hence the name Antwerpen from Dutch Hand werpen (hand-throwing). There's a statue of Brabo and the slain Antigoon on the Grote Markt in front of the town hall as can be seen on the picture of the Antwerp Stadhuis above. In addition you are apt to come across sculptures of hands in various sizes and forms throughout the city, and hand-shaped cookies can be bought in any chocolate shop. Dutch This suggested origin of the name Antwerp appeared to Motley rather farfetched, but it is less reasonable to trace it, as he inclines to do, from an t werf (on the wharf), seeing that the form Andhunerbo existed in the 6th century on the separation of Austrasia and Neustria. Moreover, hand-cutting was not an uncommon practice in Europe. It was perpetuated from a savage past in the custom of cutting off the right hand of a man who died without heir, and sending it as proof of main-morte to the feudal lord. Moreover, the two hands and a castle, which form the arms of Antwerp, will not be dismissed as providing no proof by any one acquainted with the scrupulous care that heralds displayed in the golden age of chivalry before assigning or recognizing the armorial bearings of any claimant. In the 4th century Antwerp is mentioned as one of the places in the second Germany, and in the 11th century Godfrey of Bouillon was for some years best known as marquis of Antwerp. Antwerp was the headquarters of Edward III during his early negotiations with van Artevelde, and his son Lionel, earl of Cambridge, was born there in 1338. It was not, however, till after the closing of the Zwyn and the decay of Bruges that the Brabantine city of Antwerp became of importance. At the end of the 15th century the foreign trading gilds or houses were transferred from Bruges to Antwerp, and the building assigned to the English nation is specifically mentioned in 1510. Antwerp became, as Fernand Braudel pointed out "the center of the entire international economy—something Bruges had never been even at its height." (Braudel 1985 p. 143.) He dates the opening of the new order with the arrival of the first Portuguese ship laden with pepper and cinnamon in 1501. Antwerp's "Golden Age" is tightly linked to the "Age of Exploration". Over the first half of the 16th century Antwerp grew to become the second largest European city north of the Alps by 1560. In 1560, a year which marked the highest point of its prosperity, six nations, viz. the Spaniards, the Danes and the Hansa together, the Italians, the English, the Portuguese and the Germans, were named at Antwerp, and over 1000 foreign merchants were resident in the city. Guicciardini, the Venetian envoy, describes the activity of the port, into which 500 ships sometimes passed in a day, and as evidence of the extent of its land trade he mentioned that 2000 carts entered the city each week. Venice had fallen from its first place in European commerce, but still it was active and prosperous. Its envoy, in explaining the importance of Antwerp, states that there was as much business done there in a fortnight as in Venice throughout the year. During this period Antwerp clung to some disadvantages. Without a long-distance merchant fleet, and governed by an oligarchy of banker-aristocrats forbidden to engage in trade, the economy of Antwerp was in the hands of the foreigners who made the city very international. Ships from Venice, Ragusa, Catalonia or Portugal met in the port where Portuguese pepper and silks met German silver. Antwerp wisely embraced a policy of toleration: even today Antwerp is nicknamed "The Jerusalem of the West" because of its large orthodox Jewish (hasidic) community. Antwerp in its greatness was not even a "free" city; it had been reabsorbed into the