Culture of the Netherlands

The culture of the Netherlands is rich and varied. It shows both regional differences and the many outside influences shaped by centuries of the Dutch people being mercantile and explorative. Because of this history, the Netherlands is well known for welcoming different ideas and ways of life.

During a time called the Dutch Golden Age, the country reached its highest point in culture, trade, and art. This period helped make the Netherlands a center for learning, art, and open thinking, which still influences the country today.

Language

Main articles: Languages of the Netherlands and Dutch dialects

The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch, and most people there speak it. Dutch is also used in places like Aruba, Belgium, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Suriname. Another language, Frisian, is spoken in the province of Friesland.

People in the Netherlands often learn other languages too. Many can speak English well, and some know a little French or Spanish.

Religion

Main article: Religion in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a long history of many different beliefs and religions. Long ago, people there mixed ideas from Celtic, Germanic, and Roman traditions. Over time, most people became Christian, first because of the Franks and later when the Netherlands fought for independence from Spain.

Today, the Netherlands is known for being open and tolerant toward all beliefs. Many people do not follow a specific religion, and religion is usually a personal matter. Christianity used to be the most common belief, but now fewer people identify with it. Islam is the second-largest belief system, growing because of immigration from places like Turkey and Morocco. Smaller groups include people who follow Hinduism, Buddhism, and other traditions. The Dutch value freedom to believe in what one chooses, and many think religion should not play a big role in government or schools.

Art and media

Art

Main article: Dutch art

Dutch Golden Age painting from the 17th century was very famous. Many paintings were made, and because there were so many, the prices went down. During this time, Dutch painters moved away from a very fancy style to a more realistic one, showing everyday life. They painted many things like history scenes, portraits, landscapes, city views, still lifes, and scenes from daily life. After a big invasion in 1672, the Golden Age slowly ended, but some good art was still made until around 1710.

Dutch painters liked to show feelings by letting people feel like they were part of a quiet, personal moment. Portrait painting was very popular, with many rich people asking for their pictures to be painted. Sometimes groups of people would all pay for one big painting together. One famous example is The Night Watch by Rembrandt. The paintings would show people in different ways depending on how much they paid. Many paintings of everyday life actually showed Dutch sayings or lessons, even if it didn’t seem like it at first.

In the early 1800s, the Hague School showed the beauty and mood of the Dutch landscape. Amsterdam Impressionism happened around the same time as French Impressionism, with artists painting quick, visible brush strokes of everyday city life. Vincent van Gogh, a famous painter from this time, used strong colors and rough styles that influenced art later on. In the 1900s, many new art styles came to the Netherlands, like pointillism, cubism, futurism, and expressionism. After World War I, the De Stijl movement, led by Piet Mondrian, used simple lines and primary colors.

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of the Netherlands

See also: Dutch Baroque architecture

The Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century was a time of big growth. Cities got bigger, and many new buildings like town halls, storage houses, and canals were made. Rich people built narrow houses along these canals, but they were narrow because houses were taxed based on their width. The architecture was simple and showed democratic values, inspired by old classical designs. In the south, influenced by the Counter-Reformation, and in the Protestant north, buildings still used Renaissance and Mannerist styles from Italy. By the late 1800s, there was a big interest in neo-Gothic styles, especially in churches and public buildings, led by architect Pierre Cuypers. Two of his famous buildings are the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Centraal Station.

In the 20th century, Dutch architects became leaders in modern architecture. From the early 1900s, different groups formed with their own ideas about modern architecture. Some focused on expressionism, like the Amsterdam School. Others were functionalists, like the Nieuwe Zakelijkheid group. A third group came from the De Stijl movement. In the 1950s and 1960s, a new group called the ‘Forum generation’ connected with international groups. From the 1980s onward, Rem Koolhaas and his Office for Metropolitan Architecture became very famous.

Literature

Main article: Dutch literature

Some important Dutch writers include:

16th century:

• Desiderius Erasmus

17th century:

• Baruch de Spinoza
• Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft
• Joost van den Vondel

19th century:

• Multatuli

20th century:

• Louis Couperus
• Martinus Nijhoff
• Anne Frank
• Simon Vestdijk
• Willem Frederik Hermans
• Gerard Reve
• Hella Haasse
• Harry Mulisch
• Jan Wolkers
• Cees Nooteboom

Comic strips

Main article: Dutch comics

The Netherlands has its own special comic book tradition. Even though many people enjoy comics from Belgium, France, and the United States, Dutch creators have made their own too. Some famous ones are Secret agent 327 by Martin Lodewijk, Storm by Martin Lodewijk, Jack, Jacky and the Juniors by Jan Kruis, and Viking by Hans G. Kresse. There are also comics with a more literary feel, like Eric de Noorman by Hans G. Kresse, and Tom Poes & Heer Bommel by Marten Toonder. The Dutch love for football is also seen in comics like Roel Dijkstra and F.C. Knudde.

The children’s comic book Miffy (Nijntje) by Dick Bruna has been published in over 50 languages and came out more than ten years before Hello Kitty.

Music and dance

Main articles: Music of the Netherlands, Music of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, and Dance in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has many kinds of music, from folk and dance to classical and ballet. Traditional Dutch music, called levenslied, has simple melodies and rhythms and often talks about love, death, and loneliness. Common instruments include the accordion and barrel organ, but today many artists also use synthesizers and guitars. Famous artists in this style include Jan Smit, Frans Bauer, and André Hazes.

Since the 1950s, the Netherlands has kept up with music trends from the United States and Britain. Dutch rock and pop music, known as Nederpop, started in the 1960s and was heavily influenced by music from the USA and Britain. Bands like Shocking Blue, Golden Earring, and Focus became internationally famous. By the 1980s, more artists began singing in Dutch, inspired by the success of the band Doe Maar. Today, Dutch rock and pop music is popular in both Dutch and English, with artists recording in both languages. Current successful groups include symphonic metal bands Epica and Within Temptation, jazz/pop singer Caro Emerald, rock singer Anouk, country pop singer Ilse DeLange, rock band Kane, and Dutch-language duo Nick & Simon.

In the early 1990s, Dutch and Belgian house music came together in the Eurodance project 2 Unlimited, which sold 18 million records and remains one of the most successful Dutch music acts. Dutch language rap and hip hop, known as Nederhop, became popular in the mid-1990s. In the 21st century, artists from North Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East have greatly influenced this genre.

Since the 1990s, Dutch electronic dance music (EDM) has become very popular around the world in many forms, such as trance, techno, gabber, and hardstyle. Famous Dutch DJs include Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Hardwell, Martin Garrix, and Afrojack. The Amsterdam dance event (ADE) is the world’s leading electronic music conference and the biggest club festival for many electronic music styles. These artists also help shape mainstream pop music worldwide by working with many famous artists.

In classical music, Jan Sweelinck is the Netherlands’ most famous composer, and Louis Andriessen is among the best-known living Dutch classical composers. Famous Dutch conductors include Willem Mengelberg, Eduard van Beinum, Bernard Haitink, Jac van Steen, and Jaap van Zweden. Notable violinists are Janine Jansen and André Rieu, who tours the world with his Johann Strauss Orchestra. Acclaimed harpist Lavinia Meijer released an album of Philip Glass works for harp in 2012. The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam is home to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, often voted the world’s best orchestra.

Aruba and the five main islands of the Netherlands Antilles are part of the Lesser Antilles. Their music mixes native, African, and Dutch influences and is connected to trends from nearby islands like Barbados, Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guadeloupe, as well as Suriname. Curaçao and Bonaire have the most active music scenes. Curaçao is known for tumba music, named after the conga drums used in it.

Cabaret

The Dutch have their own special kind of cabaret that aims to make people think and sometimes feel, along with making them laugh. Famous performers from the 1960s and 1970s include Wim Kan and Toon Hermans. Later, the tradition grew rich with artists such as Youp van 't Hek, Freek de Jonge, Herman van Veen, Theo Maassen, Claudia de Breij, Dolf Jansen, Brigitte Kaandorp, Hans Teeuwen, and Herman Finkers.

Film

Main article: Cinema of the Netherlands

Some Dutch films, especially by director Paul Verhoeven, have been seen around the world. These include Turkish Delight (1973), Soldier of Orange (1975), Spetters (1980), and The Fourth Man (1983). Verhoeven later directed big Hollywood films like RoboCop and Basic Instinct, and returned with the Dutch film Black Book in 2006.

Other well-known Dutch film directors are Jan de Bont (Speed), Dick Maas (De Lift), Fons Rademakers (The Assault), documentary maker Bert Haanstra and Joris Ivens. Film director Theo van Gogh gained international attention in 2004 when he passed away in Amsterdam.

Internationally successful Dutch actors include Famke Janssen (X-Men films), Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones), Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner), Jeroen Krabbé, and Derek de Lint.

Radio and television

Main pages: Television in the Netherlands and Category:Radio stations in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a strong radio and television system, with both commercial and non-commercial channels. Imported TV shows and interviews in foreign languages are usually shown with subtitles, except for children’s programs.

Dutch TV exports often take the form of formats and franchises, most famously through Endemol, a big TV production company started by Dutch media leaders John de Mol and Joop van den Ende. Endemol creates and runs reality, talent, and game shows worldwide, including Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, 1 vs. 100, and The Voice.

Two big yearly Dutch radio events are 3FM Serious Request and the Top 2000 — both all-day national broadcasts in December that many people listen to. Serious Request is a Red Cross fundraiser held the week before Christmas on pop music station 3FM, and it has become an international event done by eight other countries. The Top 2000 is a special broadcast of the 2,000 most popular songs of all time on Radio 2, airing from noon on Christmas Day until midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Lifestyle

The Netherlands is a country where many people live close together, and part of it is below sea level. Because of this, the Dutch have made clever ways to plan their cities and manage water. In some places, they share land to make sure everyone has fair access to housing. Cycling is very popular, and many people use bikes for everyday trips.

Traditional celebrations in the Netherlands include Sinterklaas, which children enjoy on December 5th, and King’s Day on April 27th, a fun day when people sell and buy used items. Families often share special foods like stroopwafels (syrup waffles) and poffertjes (tiny pancakes). The country also enjoys many sports, with football being the most popular. Speedskating is another favorite, especially in the northern areas.