Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1940-45: German
Occupation
Despite Dutch neutrality,
Germany invaded Holland in
May 1940. With the deportation
of Jews to concentration camps
from 1942 onwards, the Dutch
Resistance became active and
underground newspapers
thrived. Canadian troops liber-
ated Amsterdam on 5 May 1945.
Top 10 Historic
Characters
William of Orange
“William the Silent”
(1533-84) led the Protestant
rebellion against Philip II. He
was assassinated.
Willem Barentsz
This explorer (1550-97)
failed to discover the north-
east passage but left behind
invaluable maps.
Mid-1960s: Provo
Demonstrations
The radical Provo movement took
off in the 1960s, fuelled by
antagonism to the city's transport
and housing policies. Street
demonstrations turned into full-
scale rioting on 10 March 1966,
the day of Princess Beatrix's
wedding to German aristocrat
Claus von Amsberg. The Provos
won seats on the city council, but
their popularity was short-lived.
Frederik Hendrik
An effective politician,
William of Orange's youngest
son (1584-1647) became
Stadhouder
in 1625.
Pieter Stuyvesant
Stuyvesant (1592-1672)
was Governor of the colony of
Nieuw Amsterdam, later to be
New York, from 1646-64.
Abel Tasman
In search of trade routes
to South America, Tasman
(1603-c.1659) discovered
Tasmania and New Zealand.
2002: Wedding of the
Crown Prince
On 2 February 2002, Crown
Prince Willem-Alexander married
Máxima Zorreguieta in the
Nieuwe Kerk, followed by a
reception in the Koninklijke
Paleis. After a difficult start, due
to her father's involvement with
the Videla regime in Argentina,
Máxima won the hearts of the
Dutch public.
Michiel de Ruyter
This revered Dutch
admiral (1607-76) set fire
to the English fleet in the
Medway in 1667.
Jan de Witt
A leading politician in the
Anglo-Dutch Wars (1625-72),
he was killed by a mob.
William III
William (1650-1702) was
Stadhouder
from 1672 until
his promotion to King of
England in 1688.
Louis Napoleon
Brother of Napoleon I,
Louis (1778-1846) was King
of the Netherlands between
1806 and 1810.
Johan Thorbecke
Liberal Prime Minister
Johan Rudolf Thorbecke
(1798-1872) was architect
of the 1848 Constitution.
Wedding of the Crown Prince
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