April 23 is the saint’s day of Saint George. He is usually depicted heroically busy defeating a dragon. Standing in the stirrups, he spears the head of this threatening creature with his lance. This symbol of good defeating evil can be found in The Hague. Plaque Tournooiveld 5 Saint George’s guild During the Middle Ages, …
Several times a week I cross the Haagse Thorbeckelaan, a beautiful avenue that borders my neighbourhood, the Vruchtenbuurt. Having recently read the interesting biography ‘Thorbecke wants it’, I know more about the man after whom this avenue is named: Johan Rudolph Thorbecke. Johan Rudolph Thorbecke Thorbecke was born in 1798 in Zwolle. His immediate family …
When I was in school I wrote my name on every fresh notebook. And often also a series of “addresses”: the place where I lived, the province, the Netherlands, Europe, The World ….. I now live in the province of Zuid-Holland and it is time for me to take a look into the origins of …
My maternal grandmother absolutely loved movies. And she let us, her grandchildren, share in that love. She took us to classic film musicals like The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady. And together we laughed at the weird antics of Les Gendarmes de Saint Tropez, a French comedy. Also thanks to her, I got …
In recent days, more than 20,000 people have signed a petition against a possible closing of The Hague’s Bronovo Hospital. What would the woman behind this well-known medical institution think of all this talk about her hospital? It is high time to meet this lady: Sara Katharina ‘Cateau’ de Bronovo. Rotterdam – Hellevoetsluis Sara Katharina …
The courtyards of The Hague’s Binnenhof are often crowded. Tourists are touring, activists may be protesting or supporting one cause or another, and journalists are chasing politicians for interviews. But in general the atmosphere is friendly, with at most some verbal abuse. The beheading of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, 1619, anonimous 1619* Yet blood has flowed …
These days, banks and bankers regularly get in the news. It was no different at the beginning of the 20th century, as is clear from this story about Willem Truffino, a banker in The Hague with a love for carriages. Banker in The Hague Willem Joannes Joseph Antonius Truffino (1863-1963) was the son of a …
I grew up with the advertising slogan ‘Melk is goed voor elk’ (= Milk is good for everyone). Even today, I drink a good amount of milk and buttermilk. And cycling and walking through The Hague, I can observe interesting traces of what was once a flourishing dairy industry. Neerlandia – Keizerstraat 45 The Sierkan …
If we want to learn something about history, we usually read texts or look at photos. Rarely there is the possibility to view something in three dimensions. In The Hague we have such a unique opportunity, thanks to the model of the Jewish Neighbourhood which can be admired in the Atrium of the town hall …
The Hague is known for its stately avenues and squares. Much less known is the fact that almost all the imposing houses on those avenues and squares once had a coach house somewhere on the property. In these coach houses (horse-drawn) carriages and the equipment needed to use them were stored and maintained. Someone who …
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