revised and enlarged edition Discovering the Dutch On Culture and Society of the Netherlands EMMELINE BESAMUSCA & JAAP VERHEUL [EDS.]
discovering the dutch
Discovering the Dutch On Culture and Society of the Netherlands revised and enlarged edition Edited by emmeline besamusca jaap verheul amsterdam university press
ISBN 978 90 8964 792 4 e-isbn 978 90 4852 609 3 NUR 688 Emmeline Besamusca and Jaap Verheul / Amsterdam University Press B.V., Amsterdam 2014 Cover design, book design and image research: Kok Korpershoek Cover illustration: Victor Torres Amsterdam University Press English-language titles are distributed in the US and Canada by the University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book. Every effort has been made to obtain permission to use all copyrighted illustrations reproduced in this book. Nonetheless, whosoever believes to have rights to this material is advised to contact the publisher.
Table of Contents Note for the Revised Edition Introduction emmeline besamusca and jaap verheul Neither Wooden Legs nor Wooden Shoes: Elusive Encounters with Dutchness wiljan van den akker 11 13 16 Society 1 Citizens, Coalitions, and the Crown emmeline besamusca Queen Máxima: Enchanting the Monarchy Binnenhof: Traditional Heart of a Modern Democracy 2 Politics between Accommodation and Commotion ido de haan Pillarization: Pacification and Segregation Pim Fortuyn: Libertarian Populist 3 Economy of the Polder jan luiten van zanden Bulbs, Flowers, and Cheese: The Agricultural Face of an Urban Economy Royal Dutch Shell: Corporate Legacy of Colonialism 4 Dilemmas of the Welfare State lex heerma van voss Labor Productivity: Balancing Work and Leisure Pensions: Well-Deserved and Well-Funded 5 Randstad Holland ben de pater and rob van der vaart The Amsterdam Canal Ring: Urban Heritage of the Golden Age The Port of Rotterdam: Logistical Hub of Europe 6 Distinctive within the Global Fold? paul schnabel The Elfstedentocht: Beating the Forces of Nature Sinterklaas: A Controversial Morality Tale 21 23 26 33 34 39 45 45 49 57 58 63 69 70 75 83 86 91 5
History 7 From the Periphery to the Center marco mostert The Roman Limes: A Cultural Meeting Place Hebban Olla Vogala: The Beginnings of Literature 8 The Golden Age maarten prak The Tulip Bubble: Horticultural Speculation William of Orange: Founding Father 9 A Tradition of Tolerance wijnand mijnhardt Hugo Grotius: Founder of Enlightenment Thought Baruch de Spinoza: Philosopher of Liberty 10 From Colonial Past to Postcolonial Present gert oostindie Slavery: Recognizing a Black Page in Dutch History Indonesian Independence: Silenced Warfare, Hesitant Reconciliation 11 The Second World War: The Dilemmas of Occupation christ klep Ausweis: The Dangers of Identity Registration Anne Frank: Icon of the Holocaust 12 Religious Diversification or Secularization? david bos The Portuguese Synagogue: Monument of Asylum Mosques in the Polder: Corner Stones or Stumbling Blocks? 97 99 105 109 111 113 121 124 126 133 134 139 145 148 152 157 162 165 Arts & Culture 13 The Making of Rembrandt and Van Gogh ghislain kieft and quirine van der steen Vermeer: Interior Fantasies Mondrian: Is this Art? 14 Style and Lifestyle in Architecture rob dettingmeijer The Rietveld Schröder House: Icon of Architecture for the Modern Age The Royal Tropical Institute: Architectural Symbol of Colonialism 171 175 179 183 187 194 6
15 Literature, Authors, and Public Debate frans ruiter and wilbert smulders Multatuli: Anti-Colonial Literature The Assault: Writing the Second World War 16 Three Feminist Waves rosemarie buikema and iris van der tuin Joke Smit: Mobilizing Female Discontent Dolle Mina: Second-Wave Feminism and the Media 17 The Double Bind of Television sonja de leeuw Broadcasting Guides: Mediating Identities Utopia: Selling a Window on the Future 18 Global Dutch marjo van koppen Afrikaans: Creolized Heritage Frisian: Acknowledging Linguistic Pluralism 199 202 206 211 213 216 223 224 231 235 242 244 Contemporary Issues 19 Living with Water rob van der vaart The Beemster Polder: Masterpiece of Designed Reclamation The Great Flood: Inducement for the Delta Works 20 Excellence and Egalitarianism in Higher Education jeroen torenbeek and jan veldhuis Aletta Jacobs: Emancipation through Education University College Utrecht: Challenging Academic Traditions 21 Immigration and Diversity han entzinger Indonesian Rijsttafel: Sharing the Table Ahmed Aboutaleb: Mayor of a Diverse City 22 Legal Culture wibo van rossum Coffeeshops: Controlled Permissiveness Smoking Ban: Between Health and Liberty 249 250 253 261 265 269 275 277 283 287 290 294 7
23 Idealism and Self-Interest in the World duco hellema Hollanditis: The Politics of Pacifism Srebrenica: A Catastrophic Peace Mission 24 In Foreign Eyes jaap verheul Hans Brinker: Morality Behind the Dikes Frau Antje: Ambassador of Dutchness 299 301 306 311 315 318 Notes About the Authors Illustrations Index 323 335 341 343 8
The Netherlands geomedia, faculty of geosciences, utrecht university