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Day 20 - On the Dutch Connection

“It’s a small world after all.” That’s what one of the rides at Disneyland Paris kept singing when I was there last weekend. Who knew this would be such a relevant tune for this program?

The connection between the Netherlands and Belgium – the two countries that make up the Low Countries – stretches far beyond the Dutch language; it’s a connection that links the history of religion, art, and culture of the two nations. Religion has served as a diverging point of the two nations; the rise of William of Orange leading the rebels against the Spanish Empire in the battle of Protestantism versus Catholicism created this division that later defined the different cultures of the two nations. For example, the architecture in the Netherlands follows a more standardized format in effort to establish an aesthetically pleasing result, whereas the ability of many Belgians to construct the facades of their buildings to their liking has led to a variety of odd-looking buildings.

In addition, while the Netherlands began its process of depillarization in the mid-20th century, Belgium struggled with a socioeconomic disparity between the northern region, Flanders, and the southern region, Wallonia. In the Netherlands, families moved away from segregating themselves and their daily lives from one another based on religion; this was mainly due to the rise of democratization and emancipation movements as well as the growing secular community. On the other hand, Belgium experienced quite the opposite. More specifically, the choice of many immigrants in search of work to bring their families over after the end of the economic boom in the 1960s brought about a social division when rich families moved out of the former industrial cities like Brussels and poor families moved in. One example that clearly demonstrates this difference in trends during this time lies in the way each nation handled the non-assimilation of Turkish immigrants. In the Netherlands, the non-assimilation of Turkish workers that chose to stay in the nation helped push reform from pillarization in the nation. However, in Belgium, this non-assimilation led to the geographical separation of the Belgian nationals and the Turkish immigrants.

However, despite these differences, there are signs that these two countries are much more similar that they are different. For one, Christianity has played a major role in both these countries and have had a particularly strong influence in the art of the two countries. This can be seen by the prevalence of churches across cities in both nations as well as the tendency for many famous artists in the two countries to depict religious scenes. Additionally, both countries have historically relied on trade through man-made construction of waterways for their wealth; thus, the structure of their cities are very similar in form and function.

The relationship these two countries share is very similar to a sibling relationship; they have the same origins, but due to differences in personalities – or in this case, beliefs and culture – they slowly grow into their own distinctive identities.

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Day 19 - Leuven

Leuven seemed to me like a city of progression. Much of this progressiveness undoubtedly comes from the fact that Leuven is a college city; it contains the University of Leuven, the “oldest university in Belgium” (p. 125). From the city tour, we learned that – being a college city – Leuven was a city of students, who are known to be more progressive. In fact, as evidence of this progressiveness, we learned from the tour that Leuven was the first city in Belgium whose mayor is a descendant from Moroccan immigrants; this is significant given that Moroccans have typically been subject to discrimination ever since their immigration into Belgium in search of work.

Another contributing factor to this sense of progressiveness in Leuven comes from the fact that many of the city’s buildings are relatively new or have been recently restored. Leuven had several of its buildings destroyed during wars, one of which was the library of the University of Leuven. This library has since been rebuilt with the help of the United States, and many American universities have donated books to help restock the library after German soldiers burned its books. In addition, the city center was also burned down during World War I and has since been rebuilt with architectural styles that stray from those in the medieval ages, as seen throughout many cities in Belgium.

Several other factors further contribute to the progressive nature of Leuven. For one, an artwork by Jan Fabre depicting a beetle impaled by a needle lies in the square next to the university library. This artwork has been described as “the most incongruous object one is likely to see in Leuven,” and it comes to represent symbolize the splendors but also the dangers of scientific research (p. 125). Additionally, the rise of secularism further indicates a transition into a new era in Leuven; due to the declining numbers of people going to church, the cathedral we visited today no longer holds services.

Thus, Leuven seemed to me like the “Rotterdam of Belgium,” as it came to represent a hub that was transitioning away from its past but was still distinctively Belgian in character.

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Day 18 - Bruges

From the moment we started walking around the city center of Bruges, I immediately thought of Amsterdam. The entire scene of the city looked very similar to that of Amsterdam, especially looking at the city from a macro level and seeing its layout. For example, the canal rests in the middle of the street with streets on both sides of the road, a bridge over the canal connects the two streets, and buildings of all sorts of shapes, sizes, and designs line up the outskirts of the streets. I later learned that this, in fact, was not a coincidence; during the city tour, we learned from Jeroen that the city layout and structure of Bruges has inspired many cities in the Low Countries, and, perhaps most famously, Amsterdam. From the reader, we know that even a famous French poet named Paul Verlaine has called Bruges “a charming, small, Catholic Amsterdam” (p. 87).

One of the things that was different – and particularly characteristic of Belgium – was the Gothic architecture. However, the Gothic architecture in Bruges seemed different from that in Ghent; the buildings seemed lighter in color and, thus, less daunting and serious. In addition, some of the buildings were less complex in design and whose façade included more flat regions, such as the Church of Our Lady. From the reader, we learned that this slightly different design in architecture was due to the “influence of British architects in a neo-Gothic style” (p. 87).  

Another difference between the two cities was the number of people and bikes. In Amsterdam, streets were full of tourists and locals, and keeping a lookout for trams, bikes, cars, and people was a constant challenge. In Bruges, there were much less people, and only sparse numbers of bikes and cars on the road. Though there was fewer people than Amsterdam in Bruges today, this is not reflective of a normal day in the city; in fact, the city features “over a hundred hotels and even more restaurants” as a method to attract more tourists (p. 119). Nevertheless, Bruges seemed to me like a hybrid city inspired from both the old medieval styles of Belgian cities and the structural layout of many cities in the Netherlands.

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Day 17 - Antwerp

As I learned more and more about Peter Paul Rubens through the reader as well as through visiting the Rubens House today, I began to realize how he spent much of his life in opposition to the norm during his time. For example, he was one of the biggest influencers in piloting the Baroque style of painting, which – in contrast to the popular Gothic style during the time – “places man at the centre of the universe, making use of horizontal rather than vertical planes, and making paintings the focal point for religious devotion” (p. 109). In addition, from the museum booklet, I learned that Rubens decided against marrying into nobility because he was afraid of his future children being spoiled by their parents’ elitist status. Lastly, he went against his mother’s dream of him becoming “a diplomat or scholar” and instead “went to work as an apprentice painter” (p. 109).

Nevertheless, many of Rubens’s works went on to become cherished masterpieces of today; not to mention, Rubens’s “use of intense colour was also revolutionary [during his time], especially the reds in the faces of his figures, which one sees echoed in Van Gogh” (p. 110). This was evident in Rubens’s rework of The Feast of St. Martin, where Rubens’s use of yellow, white, and brown tones helped bring vividness to the entire painting and made the piece appear more life-like.

As for our visit around the city of Antwerp, it was quite clear that it differed from many of the other cities in Belgium. For one, the area around the city center where the shopping mall seemed similar in appearance to the financial district of San Francisco; the architecture of the buildings in that area resembled more modern styles, especially the MAS Museum. Additionally, the scattered presence of wind turbines in the distant of the city center suggested that the city was more environmentally progressive than its counterparts. Even in the parts of the city that were not as modern, elegant buildings such as the famous Antwerp train station and the complex and intricate interior of the Cathedral of Our Lady helped promote the sophistication of the city. As “Antwerpers have never been reluctant to invest in their city,” it comes as no surprise that many of the city’s inhabitants regard their city as “an independent state with its own unique identity” (p. 105).

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Day 16 - A Day in Ghent

Today was a long and tiring day, but I really enjoyed exploring the city of Ghent and learning about its medieval history. The city structure reminded me lots of Amsterdam; the harbor of Ghent fed into a canal in the city that ran under a bridge, and the buildings that lay on the sides of the canal were constructed in Venetian style and varied in color and design. The obvious difference was the fact that Ghent has preserved much of its medieval infrastructure. As we learned from the reader, the inhabitants in Ghent are aware of the historical significance of their city and take pride in preserving its infrastructure as “the absence of skyscrapers and modern buildings in the centre does much to keep its historic atmosphere intact” (p. 70).

Despite the impressiveness of Ghent’s long-standing history, it was hard to deny the ominous and brooding atmosphere of the city. Dark buildings constructed in gothic styles offered an environment that was less than inviting; not to mention, these famous buildings infamously resembled a “dark history” with a “legacy of violence” (p. 70). This history was particularly apparent when we learned about the set of defense buildings constructed by two families that were known to be in opposition with each other. In addition, the Counts’ Castle - an original gothic-styled castle next to the river – used to serve as a torture chamber. According to the reader, “Count Baldwin VII could be creative when punishing wrongdoers” and used methods such as boiling and hanging to torture or kill criminals (p. 72). The perseverance of these buildings, thus, protects these historically iconic architectural works, but it also ties the city to its violent and dark past.

Furthermore, the brilliance of Catholic churches could be seen on full display in the Cathedral of St. Bavo; some of the most characterizing scenes in the interior of the church included ceilings that were constructed with a ribbed vault structure, the use of bricks and stone that gave the interior a dark presence, the grand stained-glass windows, and the prevalence of images of Biblical characters and events. Not to mention, one of the most famous Catholic altarpieces rests in this church: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. This piece, painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, includes many significant figures of Christianity such as the Virgin Mary, Christ, and St. John the Baptist; thus, the painting has great religious significance, and it is theorized to be so religiously complex that it “could only have been painted under the guidance of a priest” (p. 75).

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Day 15 - Africa Museum

Learning about the history behind the Africa Museum made me very excited to visit it today. I was moved to know that a building that used to glorify the colonial empire of King Leopold II has now turned into one used to honor Africans, the very people that King Leopold II exploited to assume his power. As we learned today, King Leopold II was a master of deception; he managed to convince all other European nations at his time to essentially grant him colonial control over the Congo, all under a false impression that he was operating the International African Association that he had created himself. In reality, we learned from lecture that King Leopold II operated a rubber production business based on the exploitation of African workers. As a result of the work and the abuses of his business, thousands of Africans died during his rule, and it wasn’t until the missionaries in Congo reported these abuses and subsequent Belgian intervention into the country when King Leopold was removed from power and Congo was transformed into a Belgian colony.  

Both the lecture today and the introductory speeches by the curators made me reflect on the idea that history is comprised of stories told in perspectives; how we understand history strongly depends upon the stories that are made available to us. In this specific context, the story that was originally presented in this building was King Leopold II’s historical greatness, his bravery in entering a dangerous area of Africa at the time, and his strong colonial hold over the Congo. It was not until the truths about King Leopold II’s exploitative rule over the Congolese people came out when the museum was stripped of its glorification of colonialism and transformed into a museum about central African history. In addition, the statue of King Leopold II in Brussels had the left hand of one of the African figures removed by a visitor of the statue, and it has thus remained as so as a challenge to King Leopold II’s rule and as a marker of his tainted reputation.

The way we portray history can drastically affect the way we perceive what is right and wrong as well as what is valuable and what is not. I still feel like the preservation of building itself is a controversial decision; however, I am happy to know that the message that is being portrayed by the museum and what the museum represents now has changed from a story of success through exploitation and enslavement to one that highlights the scientific, artistic, spiritual, and social historical spheres of central Africa.

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Day 14 - European Union and European History

Today, we visited the European Parliament, and it was a visit that I was especially excited about. Even though I know relatively little about them, I have always been interested in politics and government structures, and I think the European Union is one of the most intriguing organizations in the world as it is – as we learned from lecture today – structured like a confederation rather than a federation. Thus, one of the questions that I had about the European Union going into today was how it actually functioned and the extent of its influence when each member nation was, by itself, a sovereign state. I found just some answers to my questions from class and from the tour today.

From lecture today, we learned that there are, essentially, four major institutions involved in the process of policymaking in the European Union: the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Council. On its base level, the system runs like a republic, whereby Parliament and Commission members are elected to represent each member state. Not all member nations’ representatives are democratically elected, however; for example, the European Council consists of a gathering of the heads of states of the 28 member nations, and whether these heads of states were elected democratically or not is entirely based upon the political system in place in each member nation. In addition, the European Council elects a president to speak on behalf of the entire institution, an election that citizens of each member nation essentially have no control over.

The structure of these institutions, thus, made me question the extent to which the European Union was actually representative of the people. Although I agree with the founding nations’ motive for establishing a Union, I think it is particularly dangerous if the Union should ever make decisions that stray from the interests of the people it represents. Adding to this concern, as we learned from lecture, there have already been two instances of breaches of democracy regarding the issue of a European Constitution; specifically speaking, France and the Netherlands issued a referendum on the issue of whether or not to establish a constitution for the European Union, and even though the majority of its citizens voted against its establishment, the EU representatives for both countries went ahead and signed in support of it, anyways.

In addition, I have lingering questions about the administrative strength of the European Union. For example, during lecture today, we learned that Greece overspent on its budget by much more than the 3% cap set by the European Union, yet they were ultimately bailed out by all the other member nations to prevent a domino effect on the other member nations. Above all that, Greece got away with no more than a slap on the wrist, so to speak. Not to mention, many other member nations also overspent on their budgets (and lied about it, too), albeit by smaller magnitudes than in Greece.

Nevertheless, despite its major issues, I still support the idea behind the European Union; if nothing else, it has significantly improved the political institutions and the economic situations of the particularly poor nations in Europe and, ultimately, the standards of living of its people as well. Therefore, my, and many others’, criticisms of the EU are simply iterated in hopes of improving the Union and expanding upon its successes thus far.

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Day 13

Today’s walk around the Oldmasters, Fin-de-Siecle, and Magritte museums was tiring, to say the least. The whole exhibit in its entirety topped my list of large museums, an accomplishment I thought couldn’t be surpassed after visiting the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. In addition, a large part of the museum was underground, and – although it was cold – it was also peaceful, and it allowed me to concentrate on and observe the art pieces in silence.

Today’s lecture and the corresponding reading in the reader provided me with some things to look for in the paintings. In particular, I was interested in Pieter Brueghel’s works during the museum visit. From the reader, I learned that Brueghel focused on “an accurate portrayal of the life of the ordinary people of his time” rather than an idealized version of them (p. 123). Based on Brueghel’s likening for realistic portrayals in his works, it is no surprise that “Brueghel largely ignored contemporary art, taking the maxim that an artist should learn from nature rather than from other artists” (p. 123). Additionally, from the reader, we also know that some of Brueghel’s works were also inspired by Hieronymus Bosch – who was notoriously known for depicting feelings of pain and suffering that were characteristic of Hell; in particular, some of Brueghel’s more surreal works “include[d] scenes of torture and executions” (p. 123). Although some of Brueghel’s works that were inspired from Bosch strayed from his tendency to portray natural life, they were not completely uncharacteristic of his style; in fact, Bruegel often depicted the “suffering and helplessness of humanity masked by frivolity” in his paintings of marriages and feasts.

During the museum visit, I was especially intrigued with Brueghel’s surrealist work in The Fall of the Rebel Angels. The entire work is littered with violent images: a bird-human hybrid in the bottom right of the painting has its abdomen cut open, exposing what appears to be baby eggs inside; multiple people and animals lay on their backs as they are being trampled upon by others; and all people and animals either appear dead or screaming in agony. What was particularly interesting in this painting was the inclusion of human-animal hybrids; this feature seemed relatively unique to this particular genre of painting, as many other depictions of Hell just portrayed human subjects. As the work was most likely inspired from Bosch, if its message was also similar to Bosch’s, we can interpret these figures as people who have sinned and, as a result, turned into half-animal subjects, symbolic of their depreciation to savagery and inhumanity. In addition, the top portion of the painting features multiple angels with swords appearing to slay the human-animal hybrids. The angels have exclusively human bodies, and their bright faces and clothing starkly contrasts the darkness of the creatures under them. I interpret these angels to be those who have ascended to heaven battling to preserve the faithfulness of the world by punishing all those who have sinned.

The Fall of the Rebel Angels

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Day 12 - Parliament Visits

During our visit to the Belgian Federal Parliament, I couldn’t help but notice how large the entire building was. Even the pamphlet I picked up after the tour called the building the “Palace of the Nation,” which was quite fitting given that it seemed more like a palace than a government building. In addition, many conference and assembly rooms in the building featured intricate and complex gothic architecture; its appearance reminded me of a Catholic church, and it deeply contrasted the brightness and overall simplicity of the Dutch Parliament in the Netherlands.

It was very interesting to see examples of some of the things we learned about in lecture today during our tour through the two Parliament buildings. For example, during lecture, we learned that in Belgium, both regional and federal levels of government are considered to have equal amounts of competence; thus, regional governments are free to enact policies without fear of denial from the federal government. During the tour today, we learned that some of the responsibilities of the Flemish Parliament are to pass laws, ask questions about potential policies, and vote on the annual budget; the subsequent decisions of the Flemish Parliament are exclusive to the area within Flanders. In turn, from class, we learned that the federal government oversees areas of the nation that should not be left to the individual decisions of the regions, such as the army, transportation, and social security.

In addition, during the tour, we learned that the political nature of the northern and southern regions of Belgium has changed significantly since the era of the Socialist Movement. During lecture today, we learned that the Socialist Movement in Belgium was widely supported by those in the southern half of the country, as the people there were mostly factory workers who pushed for unionization and higher wages; however, the movement did not enjoy much support from the northern half, as many workers there were farmers who held conservative views and despised the idea of socialism as they considered it a Marxist idea. This difference in ideology led to the development of two different types economic policies in the two regions; the southern region favored socialism, whereas the northern region advocated for free markets and free trade. However, during the tour today, we learned that in the past few years, it has been difficult for parties to form a coalition and establish a majority in the Flemish Parliament. Additionally, despite the tendency for the Flemish population to favor free market ideas, there has never been a party who was strong enough to occupy more than half the seats in the Flemish Parliament. This suggests that the political climate now is not as clear-cut as it may have been before; in fact, we learned from the tour that within the Flemish Parliament, seats are now occupied by parties from all across the political spectrum. People’s opinions have changed, or at the very least, they have become more diverse. Therefore, it’s no surprise that – due to the equal powers of the federal and regional governments – challenges that used to only affect the federal government, such as the opposing ideologies of the parties in Parliament, are now affecting regional governments as well.

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Day 11 - First Day in Brussels!

Walking around Brussels today, I found it to be a visually heterogeneous city. This seems to be supported by information in the reader, which states that before 1980, “streets tend[ed] to be a surprising mix of incongruous architectural styles” (p. 68). This could be seen in the outskirts of the city where buildings with a more modern look stood next to buildings with architectural styles from the 17th century. However, we can also see this within the city center square; a tall and dark building with intricate sculptures, cylindrical vertical beams, and an overall exuberant exterior design stood next to a bright and wide building with gold accents, rectangular beams, and simpler designs. These differences in architectural styles made each building in the square distinct in their own way, lacking a sense of cohesiveness and consistency other than the fact that they comprised the border of the city center.

Perhaps this idea of unity in diversity serves as a metaphor for the culture in Belgium. As we learned from lecture today, immigrants make up a large part of Belgium’s population; during the 1960s, people from southern Europe, northern Africa, and Turkey immigrated to Belgium in search for work. Those immigrants were eventually able to bring their families to Belgium as well, diversifying the racial and ethnic makeup of the country. Today, “there are so many identities in Belgium that one cannot pin down a single one” (p. 68). In addition, these identities now seem to come from all parts of the world, not just from those noted earlier; for example, seeing lots of authentic Chinese and Indian restaurants while walking around Brussels today suggested that there now exists a substantial Asian population as well.

Lastly, we learned in class that there is a grown sense of optimism and confidence within the Belgian government and its people. The reader points to the fact that “having thrown off the domination of the French-speakers and the Catholic Church, the Flemish have started to believe that they can take on the world and win” (p. 69). This belief is further strengthened by the fact that Belgium has many powerful countries by its side since World War I. For example, the United States helped Belgium rebuild after World War I; additionally, today, many international organizations have headquarters in Brussels such as the European Parliament, the European Commission, and NATO. Taking a small tour around Brussels this evening, its appearance in some places didn’t make the city seem like an ideal place for international diplomacy. Also, given the small size of the country and its short existence since its independence, it really leaves me scratching my head as to why the headquarters of many organizations would be here. Nevertheless, the fact that it is adds to the distinct Belgian identity that started during World War I of being an underdog country that is repeatedly able to overcome tremendous odds in its efforts to remain a power on the world stage.

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Day 10 - Rotterdam/Last Class in the Netherlands :(

It’s kind of hard to believe that our time in the Netherlands is coming to a close already. It felt like these two weeks went by in a flash. While it lasted though, we saw and learned so many things, and, whether intentional or not, I’m glad that our the sequence of our lectures and excursions took us from the Golden Age of the 17th century and ended at Rotterdam, the hallmark city of 21st century Netherlands. This tour really brought us in a ride through history from the Netherland’s cherished cultural past to its highly modern and industrialized present.

However, unlike many of the other cities we’ve visited, I can’t say that I loved the city of Rotterdam. Granted, the city was impressive with its modern architecture and beautiful views, but, there was something eerie about the whole place. The city seemed almost too modern, as if it was completely void of any historical presence. I discussed these thoughts with some of my classmates today, and I think Janieke said it best when she described the city as “like a dystopia”; it was just strange to see the modern and minimalist design of the whole cityscape that strayed so far from the Venetian-inspired buildings that I’ve come to associate with the Netherlands. The whole city seemed so out of place from the rest of the Netherlands.

The bombing of Rotterdam by the Nazis in World War II resulted in destruction of much of the city. Undoubtedly, the aftermath of the bombing sparked the reconstruction of Rotterdam, and perhaps the modernity of the cityscape was influenced by the turn of the century. However, it could also be that the interest in modernizing the cityscape came from the desire for the city to indicate the nation’s political and cultural change since the end of the 20th century. Throughout the 18th until the 20th century, the Netherlands did a lot of things that would be considered reprimandable today. For one, we learned from lecture that the Dutch trading companies eventually turned into slave trading companies. In addition, Dutch colonialism led to lots of violence and abuse against the native populations; for example, after the colonial war, many claimed that the Dutch had committed serious war crimes, so much so that the Dutch government had to step in and concede that “there had been unfortunate ‘excesses’ [by the Dutch side]” (p. 54). These historical wrongdoings tarnished the Dutch name on the world stage and have served as a source of shame for many. Therefore, the reconstruction of Rotterdam could have been for more than just conventional purposes; it could have, alternatively, served as a way for the Dutch to revive the dignified status of their country and to start anew.

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Day 9 - The Anne Frank House

I think it’s both funny and amazing that a girl who once dreamed of becoming an author wrote one of the best-selling books of all time. What’s terrible is that she didn’t get to see her success.

All the thoughts, sentiments, and images that come up when the name “Anne Frank” is mentioned can be overwhelming. For me, the name “Anne Frank” brings up images of World War II, Nazi German occupation, and the Holocaust; but alongside that, her name and character has become a symbol for bravery, defiance, courage, and perseverance. In visiting the museum, what was most surprising to me was that Anne Frank was an ordinary girl; she was just like you and me. I really appreciated the way the museum emphasized this point: objects like posters, wall markings indicating Anne and Margot’s height changes, and Otto Frank’s self-made map of the liberator’s progress through Europe were all kept in their original places in the house. Even the stairs were kept in their original state so that visitors may experience their loud creakiness as they move slowly through the house. Everything in the house seemed so innocent and so normal; it was hard to imagine that eight people in total had to spend over two years in hiding in the space. Yet, this feeling of normalness showed me that there was, in fact, nothing extraordinary about the families that lived there; they, too, were just like you and me, and the horrible things that happened to the Jews could have happened to any other group of people. In addition, this normalness allowed me to connect to the families on an emotional level, and it allowed me to sympathize with what they may have felt while living there.

Yet, as we know from lecture and from the readings, there was nothing normal about the events that happened, and many Dutch refused to let them become the new normal. In resisting against Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, “most Dutch civil servants such as teachers, police officers, and mayors stayed on their post” since “their resignation would only mean replacement by willing henchmen of the Germans” (p. 59). The Dutch resisted orders to abide to Nazi rule in passive ways; even when the Nazis enacted stricter rules and regulations, this only “undermined the willingness [of the Dutch] to accommodate throughout all layers of society” (p. 59).

Nevertheless, their resistance was only minimally successful. In the end, we learned from lecture that the Netherlands suffered the largest loss of Jews in the Holocaust of all countries by percentage. In addition, as we learned in the session after the museum visit today, monetary incentives issued by the Nazis urged some Dutch to turn Jews in, progressing the Nazi’s plans. I was shocked to learn that one Dutch woman named Ans van Dijk, who was also Jewish, turned in a few hundred Jews to the Nazis during the war.

I think I speak for lots of people when I say I am grateful for Anne Frank for sharing her life within the confines of the Secret Annex; because of her, we know more about the personal experiences from those who escaped into hiding during Nazi occupation. Yet, I think it’s important to note that Anne was just one person; there were millions of other stories from the Holocaust and the war, many of which may never be known. Therefore, from all the stories that are still left to be heard, it is up to us to listen and to learn from them so that we may never make this mistake ever again.  

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Day 8

Today was a very informative day in that it opened my eyes to the struggles of those who lived in fishing communities in the Netherlands. I enjoyed the museum in that it was interactive rather than showing us pictures and descriptions about their lives; I was impressed that the houses in the Zuiderzee Museum were real houses from cities of fishing communities like Kampen and Harderwijk, and to add to this interactive experience, there were workshops and activities that mimicked the daily routines of those who lived in these communities. In addition, small details like organizing the museum according to the same floor plans as the actual fishing communities, having actors in some of the houses, and recreating the sights and smells of the neighborhoods really made it seem as if we had taken a trip to the past.

Though it is not a direct comparison, reading about the lives of those who stayed at home while the men worked abroad made me think of similar circumstances in the United States during World War II. In these fishing communities, women and children worked together to support their families back home while the men went out for long periods of time; similarly, women took on the burden of providing for their families in the United States during World War II. Additionally, the motto in the fishing communities during this time was all hands on deck, and, similarly, during World War II, the United States pushed propaganda that Americans’ hard work and monetary contributions at home directly helped those who were fighting abroad. This idea also makes me think of the Dutch mentality of gewoon – the idealization of being normal; in this kind of environment, everyone is doing their part in helping out the family, and all members of the family are equally needed for their individual contributions.

I also appreciated how this museum visit grounded me and my view of the Netherlands. Before this trip, I had somewhat of a fantasized view of the Netherlands just based upon the places we’ve been, the things we’ve seen, and my predisposed image of the country. To me, the Netherlands was a beautiful country with a rich history in art (such as the Golden Age) and one that has been historically successful from its mercantilism and colonization. However, after visiting this museum, I realized that there is so much history that is simply washed over by my mainstream image of the Netherlands. If it were not for places like this museum, which keep not only the items but also the stories of these fishing communities, I would not have known about the immense obstacles these people had to go through daily. There is no doubt that the lives of those in these fishing communities differs greatly from those in wealthier cities like Amsterdam; even something as simple as clean drinking water and proper plumbing that we take for granted was not generally accessible to these communities. Trips like this make me take a step back and realize that, even in a socialist country like the Netherlands, inequality still exists and, sometimes, the differences between two communities may be drastic. Therefore, I am grateful for this museum not only for its interactiveness, but also for the lessons it has taught me.

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Day 7 - The Hague

I really enjoyed the guided tour we went on today around the Binnenhof in The Hague. Although I am not the most politically active person, I have always been interested in civics, politics, and the organization of governments. When I learned that the Netherlands had a constitutional monarchy, I immediately thought of the only constitutional monarchy I knew of and learned about during high school, which was the one in the United Kingdom. There, the monarch is the head of state, but he/she is essentially a figurehead and has no significant powers.

As we learned during lecture on Monday, this is also the case in the Netherlands, where the monarch’s only duty in the law-making process is to sign bills that have been passed by the Parliament into laws, an act that he/she must abide by. This characterizes the extent of the monarch’s limited powers, and this extent is clearly emphasized by the large poster of Article 42 of the Dutch Constitution, a revision that placed all responsibilities for the acts of the government upon the Ministers, not the King. In addition, we also learned in lecture that the monarch is responsible for making a speech from the Throne every year during King’s Day detailing the Parliament’s agenda for the year. During the tour today, we learned that this happens in the Hall of Knights, which is the oldest building in the Netherlands and one built in the 13th century by the counts of Holland. We also learned that the room used to serve as the judicial room; wooden heads were sculpted all around the bottoms of the ceiling beams that were supposed to be the “eavesdroppers” who listened to testifiers and informed God if they ever lied. Overall, the room was very Dutch in character and appearance; the small size of the room gave it an intimacy and coziness that aligned with the Dutch preference for a gezellig feeling. Not to mention, the carpeted floors were orange, and the colorful wall carpets had emblems that represented all the different provinces of the Netherlands.

Additionally, I was very happy to see The Girl with the Pearl Earring painting in the museum today. This became my favorite Dutch painting after seeing it in class, and seeing it in person, I was fascinated at just how detailed the painting was; I was particularly mesmerized by Rembrandt’s masterful depiction of light and color to make the painting seem so real. Lastly, I was glad to see that the painting’s description provided me with more insight into the piece, noting that it was not considered a portrait but more like a fantasy, especially considering the bright reflection of light from the girl’s eyes, lips, and the (unpractically) large pearl earring.

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Day 6 - When in Utrecht

One of the things I noticed about Utrecht when we arrived was how similar it was to Berkeley during vacation time. For one, there were not a lot of people around Utrecht University, and there were much less people in general in the streets of Utrecht than in Amsterdam; additionally, the weather was chilly and windy but also humid, much like Berkeley during the fall and winter seasons. Walking around the city, I couldn’t help but notice how quiet the streets were. Granted, it was a weekday (and a Monday, at that), but this was a huge change from what we experienced in the central squares of Amsterdam with streets buzzing with people, bikes, and the tram. In addition, I noticed that, strangely, many stores in the busiest part of the Utrecht closed at 6 p.m., and this might suggest that people in that city slept earlier than those in Amsterdam. Nevertheless, there were parts of this city that characterized the epitome of Netherlands. These included long chains of connecting canals, streets made of brick, and buildings influenced from Venetian architectural styles. It was clear that though Utrecht strayed far from the other cities we’ve visited (both geographically and culturally), it still maintained an identity and appearance that was unmistakably Dutch.

The guided tour around Utrecht and its university opened my eyes to some of the Dutch cultural ideals at play. This “Dutch mentality” even stretched as far as when the city was first constructed. For example, the tour guide pointed out that there were an odd number of windows in some of the buildings that made those buildings look strange; she explained that this was a conscious decision, and it came about during a time when the owners of these buildings were taxed based on the number of windows on the exterior of their property. As we learned in class, the Dutch hold a reputation of being thrifty (termed zuinig in Dutch), and we witnessed a historical account of this today in seeing an area where these owners sacrificed aesthetics for their economic savings.

Another example of the Dutch mentality came as we walked in an alleyway. Quynh pointed out to me that some of the apartments had their curtains wide open even though no one was home. She asked why that was, and I remembered learning that this was typical in the Netherlands, as people strived to be normal (a concept called gewoon in Dutch) and wanted to, in a way, show everyone that they were normal. Open curtains invited neighbors and those roaming the streets to peek inside, and it demonstrated that the homeowners were proud of their normality. It was nice to see these two ideas in play today while walking around Utrecht, and it helped me solidify my understanding of the Dutch mentality and Dutch culture.

Trying to figure out what to write for today’s blog, colorized 2019.

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Day 5 - End of Week 1 :(

Walking around the New Church at Delft today, it was hard not to notice the immense amount of pride and admiration that the Dutch society had for William of Orange and his descendants. Other than the fact that there was a huge tombstone for the revolt leader at the back of the church, there was also a path surrounding the tombstone with the names of some of his most influential and consequential descendants, illuminated in a bright orange color. In addition, all of William of Orange’s descendants rest in the New Church, even those who may have been controversial during their rule. For example, King William I was the first king of the Netherlands of House Orange-Nassau; during his rulership, he invested in trade, shipping, and industry by creating a series of canal and road networks. However, as politics was something he was not particularly interested in, King William I received criticism from some of the Dutch population. Nevertheless, King William I received a relatively large installation in the church in honor of his contributions to the Dutch society.

I think this goes to show the Dutch society’s pride towards their kingdom. According to the reader, “the monarchy… enjoy[s] broad support in society at large” (p. 2). This is in large part because “the monarchy represents the continuity of the nation” (p. 2). The Dutch cherish the historical story of how William of Orange and his supporters successfully came together to revolt against Spanish rule and claimed independence for the Netherlands; the successive consummations of William of Orange’s descendants to the crown only add to this sense of pride by the public as they are able to preserve a part of this remarkable history in their current political system.

This sense of pride in the country’s monarchy has its downsides though. The Netherland’s monarchy has responsibilities and powers set forth by their constitution that includes some policymaking influence. An extreme sense of nationalism and support towards the nation’s monarchy could prove to be dangerous if the monarchy makes a poor decision and is not challenged by the public. It can be argued that this is somewhat happening in the United States right now; although the US is not a constitutional monarchy, Donald Trump has repeated called for restrictive immigration policies, and under the nationalist claim that these are protecting American jobs and lives back home, they are rarely challenged by his supporters. The Trump administration preaches that they are putting America’s interests first, and that ultimately garners him a lot of supporters even if some of his policies have a high probability of actually being detrimental to the US.

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Day 4

In the lecture today, we learned that the turn of the 17th century saw the rise of the Netherlands in the field of world trade that rivaled the powerful Spanish and Portugal empires – the only two nations that, before the 17th century, conducted overseas trade. As the Dutch grew their own trading empire, they held a monopoly over the spice trade and their very own Dutch East India Company competed against the English East India Company. This eventually led to wars between the two countries where they would battle over the possession of colonies as well as international goods.

Walking around the museum today, there were items on display that showed the splendor of the Dutch trading empire. Large models of ship vessels appeared all over the west side of the museum; the full-size ship model in the outside of the north side of the museum allowed visitors to not only interact with these trading ships, but also to marvel at the grandeur of its size and capacity. In addition, cargo boxes labeled “VOC,” representing the Dutch East India Company, filled the bottom deck of the ship – showcasing the immense amounts of goods carried by each vessel.

It was hard not to stand back and be amazed by the sheer size of these ships. Just looking at the models of the ships in the museum, I found it hard to visualize how big they would appear in real life. The tallest mast on the models covered about four-fifths of the ship’s total height and were all linked together through an intricate and complex set of ropes and pulleys, and cannons lined the right and left ends of the ships, spanning the space of three vertical rows on each façade. And, even though I had visited the life-size model, I still found it hard to imagine how many people it would take to operate just one ship.

One of the countries the Netherlands gained control of during their trading empire was Surinam. However, “in the postwar period, moves for the independence of Surinam gained momentum, and these met with little resistance in the Netherlands, where the dubious prestige of a colonial empire no longer seemed worth the financial drain it caused” (p. 48). After visiting the museum, I now have a better understanding as to why the Dutch decided to release some of the control they had over their colonies. Trade wars led to a profound amount of human and economic loss, and these produced a great strain on the nations involved. At some point, these countries had already amassed so much wealth that it did not make sense for them to continue to pursue overseas trade and colonialism if they did not yield any significant benefits. Thus, as all empires must come to an end, the Dutch made the right decision to turn away from the failure of their colonial empire and instead focused on constructing higher standards of living for their ever-growing population.