The 'Keep in touch with the Dutch' Page ....

General Sites of Interest 

Dutch Parliament

Dutch Royal House

Netherlands Tourist Board

Rijksmuseum

Van Gogh museum

Search the Netherlands 

The Dutch Press
Algemeen Dagblad - national, daily

NRC Handelsblad - national, daily

De Telegraaf - national, daily

De Volkskrant - national, daily

Trouw - national, daily

Television
NOS - oversees the three national Dutch public networks

BVN TV - external TV service for overseas Dutch-speakers

RTL - commercial company which operates channels RTL4 and RTL5

SBS - also commercial; it operates SBS6, Net5 and Veronica channels

Radio
NOS - oversees public radio stations, including news and information station Radio 1, music network Radio 2, pop station 3FM, cultural station Radio 4

Radio Netherlands - international broadcaster, language services include English

Sky Radio - commercial FM station, continuous music

Radio 538 - commercial FM station, pop and dance music

The Dutch Flag 

The Netherlands tricolor with its three horizontal stripes is not the country's first flag. When at the end of the l5th century, the majority of the Netherlands provinces were united under one lord, one common flag came into use for joint expeditions. This was the banner of the Lord of Burgundy, which consisted of a white field charged with two bundles of red laurel branches in the form of an X, with flames issuing from the intersection: the Cross of Burgundy. Under the House of Austria, this flag remained in use.

The provinces of the Low Countries, however, rose in revolt against King Philip II of Spain, and the Prince of Orange placed himself at the head of the rebels. The "Watergeuzen" (pro-independence pirates), acting on his instructions, harassed the enemy everywhere and they did this under a tricolor Orange White Blue or "Orange Blanche Bleu", the colors of the Prince's coat of arms. It was thus a flag easily associated with the leader, and the association was expressed in the name: the Prince's Flag. It is not known when this flag was unfurled for the first time, but it can be seen in illustrations dating from the earliest days of the Dutch War of Independence.

The flag had three, sometimes six or even nine horizontal stripes, but also took the form of rays projecting from a circle. The colors were used without any fixed order and it was only towards the end of the 16th century that any degree of uniformity appeared. After 1630, the orange stripe was gradually replaced by a red one, as paintings of that time indicate. Since there was no political reason for introducing a non-orange motive in the flag, the probable reason is that orange and blue are faint colors and more difficult to distinguish than red and dark blue, especially at sea. However that may be, it is remarkable that our national flag, since about the year 1630, has always been red-white-blue and that it always bore the name of the Prince's Flag.

The orange-white-blue flag, however, continued to be flown as well. In addition to these two flags, a third official flag, that of the States-General, came into being, although it never assumed the importance of the tricolor. Originally it consisted of the red lion of the Province of Holland, taken from its coat of arms, on a gold field, and later, of a gold lion on a red field. It marked no contradistinction to the Prince's flag and in old paintings of ships and sea battles, both flags may be seen flying harmoniously side by side, thus illustrating the complex forrn of government with its two centers of authority: the Stadtholder (who was always a member of the House of Orange) and the States General.

The diversity in form and color of the Netherlands national flags in the time of the Republic of the United Provinces, shows clearly that a flag is not an immutable object, but one which evolves with the country it represents and frequently reflects that country's history. Very few national flags retained their original form. The oldest national flag existing is that of Denmark, the so called "Dannebrog" (Denmark's strength), which dates from 1219. Since a flag evolves with its country, the most radical changes take place in periods of revolutionary upheaval. The best known example of this was the replacement of the "fleur-de-lis" flag of the French monarchy by the present tricolor during the French Revolution.

The revolution in the Netherlands, in the last decade of the 18th century, and the conquest by the French also resulted in another flag. The name "Prince's Flag" was forbidden. There came no change in the red-white-blue (colors to which the French liberators were kindly disposed, analogous as they were to their own tricolor), but in 1796 the red division of the flag was embellished with the figure of a Netherlands maiden, with a lion at her feet. In one hand she bore a shield with the Roman fasces and in the other a lance crowned with the cap of liberty. This flag had a life as short as that of the Batavian Republic for which it was created. King Louis Napoleon, who wished to pursue a purely Dutch policy and to respect national susceptibilities as much as possible, removed the maiden of freedom from the flag and restored the old tricolor. His pro-Dutch policies led to conflicts with his brother Napoleon, however, and the Netherlands was incorporated into the French Empire. Its flag was replaced by the imperial emblems.

In 1813, the Netherlands regained its independence and the Prince of Orange returned to the country from England. The tricolor reappeared from the attics and cellars where it had remained hidden for three years, waiting for better times. In order to demonstrate the attachment of the people to the House of Orange, the orange-white-blue and the red-white-blue fluttered together on the roofs. Which of the two flags should be the national flag was left undecided. Until recently, both had the same rights, although the red-white-blue was generally given precedence. This is apparent from the fact that it was not only hoisted on public buildings but also chosen by the first King as his personal standard, showing the national coat of arms on the white stripes. From the same period dates the custom, prescribed spontaneously by popular will, to fly an orange pennant together with the national flag as a sign of allegiance of the people to the House of Orange.

In 1937 a Royal Decree laid down the red, white and blue colors as the national flag (heraldic colors of bright vermilion, white and cobalt blue).

List of the days on which the flag will be flown on official buildings:

The Dutch National Anthem 

The Dutch national anthem, the "Wilhelmus", has 15 eight-line verses. It was written about 1568, possibly by the poet and diplomat Philip van Marnix, Seigneur of Sint Aldegonde (1540-1598) an ardent supporter of Prince William of Orange. The first and sixth verses are usually sung at national events. In the first verse, Prince William vows that he will remain true to his country unto death; in the sixth, he prays to God for strength to rid the land of tyranny. In periods of oppression especially, these verses have had a strong appeal for the people of the Netherlands. The "Wilhelmus" has been the official Dutch national anthem since 1932.

Origin

In 1567, Prince William fled the Netherlands with thousands of other opponents of Spanish rule. The following year, Prince William tried in vain to free his country from tyranny and religious persecution. But his three invasions with mercenaries from the Holy Roman Empire failed completely. In the "Wilhelmus", the composer depicts the Prince addressing the oppressed people of the Netherlands in this terrible and dramatic situation. In his elevated speech interrupted by a prayer in verses six and seven, the Prince bears witness to his sincerity and determination, and expounds his innermost motives for rising against the King of Spain.

Prince William comforts his followers, but at the same time exhorts them to join in the struggle. He also reminds them of their duty to obey God. In what might be called a psalm of defiance, the poet compares Prince William with David, who had to flee from Saul, the first King of Israel, before himself becoming King. He commends the Prince to the people as the chosen leader of the revolt against Philip of Spain.

Melody

The tune of the "Wilhelmus" is based on a French soldier's song, which was popular around 1568 and alternates between three/four and four/four time. It probably originated at the time of the siege of Chartres. The melody was further developed by Adriaen Valerius (approx. 1575-1625). The oldest copy of the "Wilhelmus" is to be found in Deuchdelijke Solutien (Antwerp, 1574). Since 1626, it has been included in Valerius's Gedenckclanck, a wellknown collection of national songs.

Structure

The song's style resembles that of the work of the Rederijkers ("rhetoricians"), sixteenth-century companies of poets. For example, the first letters of the 15 verses spell the name "Willem van Nassov". The text is also thematically symmetrical, in that verses one and 15 resemble on another in meaning, as do verses two and 14, three and 13, etc., until they converge in the eighth verse, the heart of the song: "Oh David, thou soughtest shelter/From King Saul's tyranny". The sober language and deep feelings that inspired "Wilhelmus" make it far superior to the fashionable works of its period.

History

On 10 May 1932, it was decreed that on all official occasions requiring the performance of the national anthem, the "Wilhelmus" was to be sung to the melody by Valerius. The need for an official national anthem was first proclaimed at the time of the foundation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. A contest was held, and a poem by Hendrik Tollens (1780-1856), Wiens Neerlands Bloed ("Whose Dutch Blood") was chosen. The music was by the composer J.W. Wilms. Although Wiens Neerlands Bloed was gradually replaced by the "Wilhelmus" during the late l9th century, regulations in the Royal Netherlands Navy and the National Police Force continued to require that both anthems be honored until 1939.

The "Wilhelmus" has been sung on many official occasions and at many important events since 1568. Important events have included the siege of Haarlem in 1573 and the ceremonial entry of the Prince of Orange into Brussels on 18 September 1578. Trumpets sounded the "Wilhelmus" at the visit of Prince Maurice to Breda, and again when he was received in state in Amsterdam in May 1618. When William V arrived in Schoonhoven in 1787, after the authority of the stadtholders had been restored, the church bells played the "Wilhelmus" continuously.

By then, it had come to be called the "Princes' March", having been banned during the rule of the Patriot party. At the celebrations marking the birth of the child who would later be King William II on 16 December 1792, it was sung after High Mass in the Catholic church in Venlo. Following the surrender of 's-Hertogenbosch to the French on 9 October 1794, the garrison withdrew with full military honors to the sound of the "Wilhelmus".

Once the rule of the Patriots had ended and the Netherlands had been liberated from the French in 1813, the "Wilhelmus" ceased to be the anthem of one Dutch party. It again came to symbolize freedom and independence. During the struggle between the Northern and Southern Netherlands, around 1830, the "Wilhelmus" became particularly popular. It was even played at the unveiling of the Plein 1813 independence memorial in The Hague 1869, and again at the inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina in 1898

Full text translation of the Dutch National Anthem

'Tot ziens' from an admirer of the Netherlands !

You should be hearing the Dutch National Anthem ! Home

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