Let’s start with Koningsnacht, King’s Night. The city centre will become a music festive called “The Life I Live” from 7pm to 1am, with bands playing at five stages around the city. There’s a whole website with all the info, an app to download and a timetable of the shows on each stage. It should be a relaxed fun vibe across the venues.
If you don’t know how to choose which band to listen to the site provides a portfolio of the bands with youtube videos and spotify lists, you can meet them virtually before heading out. There’s quite a mix of music, here’s a couple that appealed to me.
The up-tempo, round-the-world, sophistication of Collignon will make you want to dance – 00.15 Lange Voorhout 2
Something smooth and jazz but young from Brintex Collective, 7.30pm Lange Voorhout 2
The music is free on King’s Night, but keep an eye on how you’re getting home as the public transport will be on an adapted schedule.
King’s Day – Koningsdag
Shops across the country have been selling orange themed tack for weeks already in preparation for the King’s Birthday. There will be all sorts of activities across the city including free markets across the city, and a King’s Fair on Malieveld, and special canal cruises but the thing I’m looking forward to is the Geranium Market. I went to it last year and the Rosemary and Geraniums have survived. I’m planning to buy more herbs, more geraniums (I have more window boxes on my balcony now), and let’s see what flowers catch my eye this time. Expect photos.
Why is Amsterdam the capital of the Netherlands when the government is in the Hague?
I always assumed it was one of those weird political compromises – like Canberra being in it’s own territory to avoid a power struggle between Australian states. But the truth is far more interesting.
It turns out it’s all Napoleon’s fault.
The Ridderzaal in the centre of the Hague was built in the thirteenth century as a manor hall by Floris V (Jantje‘s father), the name describes it’s original purpose; The Knight’s Hall. Around the hall accommodation was built for visiting knights, and the counts of Holland lived there until their line died out in 1299 with the death of John 1 of Holland.
For some centuries the Netherlands was ruled from beyond her borders and the Binnenhof lost its purpose and was more or less abandoned. But once Napoleon took over the Netherlands he installed his brother Louis as king. Obviously Louis wanted to live in the most beautiful and grand home, so he renovated the Amsterdam’s townhall and transformed it into a palace. At the time Amsterdam was the largest city in the country and a trade for hub. As King Louis lived in the centre of the city he named Amsterdam the capital of the Netherlands.
While under French rule the Binnenhof, the ancient seat of government in The Hague was not used and it fell into disrepair, to the point where it was considered for demolition. It was only once the Netherlands became independent of France and William I was inaugurated and King in 1813 that the government and the king returned to The Hague, but Amsterdam remained the capital.
The arrival of Prince Willem Frederik van Oranje at Scheveningen, 30 November 1813. Artist Nicolaas Lodewijk Penning
It’s usually called Grote Kerk, which is Dutch for “Big Church”, and given that the tower is 92.5m tall it’s a name that works. For centuries its tower was the tallest building in the city centre, and it’s still the 11th tallest building. The tower served many functions; a watchtower for invading troops, watchtower for fires, and the city’s clock – as the carillon plays on the quarter of the hour. But the church has another, older, name, Sint-Jacobskerk, St James’s Church.
Sint Jacob is the patron saint of Den Haag, he’s also the patron saint of Spain, Santiago, vets and woodcarvers – so he’s busy. One of the symbols of Sint Jacob/St James is the scallop shell, they’re still known as “Sint Jacobsschelp on Dutch menus. You can see the shells on the pavement by the church’s entrance, and three large sculpted shells on the south side of the church. Given the Dutch weather the upturned shell is usually full of water, but one exceptional summery day it was dry and there was a young woman curled up in the shell pretending to nap while her giggling friend took photos.
How old is the church?
Very, there has been a church on this site as far back as 1256, by mid 1300’s a stone and brick church was constructed over the next hundred years the church was added to, with a larger nave, and an octagonal tower which was opened in 1424, and has its 600th anniversary this year. But in 1539 lightning struck the tower and the church burnt down, it was rapidly rebuilt funded by Charles V, Lord of the Netherlands and by public lotteries.
The last significant addition was a new carillon in 1686, it’s had new bells, more bells, renovations and retuning since then, and there is a carillonist appointed who plays it live Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 -1pm. The carillonist also resets the drum which controls the sequence played on other days. You can see more in the fascinating video below (English subtitles are available).
Royal Use
The Grote Kerk is still a consecrated church and is used for religious events including royal occasions, there have been royal weddings and christenings here, including for Princess Catharina-Amalia in 2004. It’s more commonly used for events, and it’s possible to visit the church,
Marriage of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik 1901 Hague Municipal Archives collection.
Iamexpat Fair November 2023
Visiting the Church
Opening hours: – from March to September on Thursday to Sunday from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. – from October to February on Saturday and Sunday at 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m.
The church will be closed for visits if there is an event so check the link below for available dates and to book your ticket.
I found it by accident, although I knew it was there, I’ve passed it from the street often enough. A brick wall, in warm, dappled, autumnal light, with a name etched on each brick. A name, a date and an age: 102,000 names, with another 1000 bricks with no name representing the unknown who died. The names are sorted by alphabetical order and it seems many women hyphenated their name on marriage so what emerges is a picture of extensive interlinked families. At the base of each wall is a long line of white stones put there not by the designer, but by visitors, to mark a death.
This is the National Holocaust Names Memorial opened in 2021, commemorating the Dutch citizens and residents killed in the Holocaust. Yes Anne Frank is listed, as is her mother Edith Frank-Hollander and her sister Margot.
On top of each brick wall float four mirrored three dimensional shapes, reflecting back the light, the trees and the surrounding buildings. From the ground it’s hard to understand what the shapes are but from above they are four letters in Hebrew, which translate as “In memorium”. The choices of materials is very deliberate, we’re meant to touch the bricks and feel the history and we’re meant to reflect on the history, that “in memory” floats above us like a thought cloud.
It’s a small site, sandwiched between a busy road and the H’Art museum (formerly the Hermitage), and it’s in the heart of what was once a thriving Jewish neighbourhood. There’s a quiet humility in the use of brick, many of the people named would have lived in brick buildings in this part of the city and in cities around the country. I like that the “memory” floats above and feels tethered to their names. It’s a quiet space despite the location, and although the primary component is walls, they are built to invite you in rather than shut you out. Come in, reflect and contemplate the names whisper.
You can read more about the design choices and the designer on the memorial site. You can also make a donation for the memorials maintenance, and you can do that as a straight donation or by adopting a brick (for which you’ll get a certificate). To visit the memorial take the Amsterdam Metro to Waterlooplein and use the exit for Jonas Daniel Meijerplein. The monument is on the corner of the Nieuwe Herengracht and Westerstraat.
There’s a statue of a small boy facing the parliament buildings, and he’s known as “Jantje” (Jant-ye), he wears a hat with an exotic plume in his hat and carries a basket of mushrooms.
But who was Jan?
He was a Graaf, or Count of Holland, known as John I of Holland in English, he inherited the title after his father was murdered in 1296. At the time he was only twelve years old, despite his early age he was already betrothed to Elizabeth, the daughter of King Edward I of England, and was living at the English court. This was a political marriage to align the Dutch and English against the French. When his father was killed in 1296 by other nobles displeased with his championing of peasants rights John was forced to returned to Holland to take over the title although with regents to steer him. It didn’t last long, he died just three years later. The cause of death is usually cited as dysentery, but there were rumours that he had been murdered like his predecessors. All in all it wasn’t a happy life.
So he stands watching the parliament buildings, pointing at them.
Under the statue there is a song, apparently known by all Dutch people about Jantje’s life
In Den Haag daar woont een graaf, En zijn zoon heet Jantje. Als je vraagt waar woont je Pa, Dan wijst hij met zijn handje, Met zijn vingertje en zijn duim Op zijn hoed draagt hij een pluim Aan zijn arm een mandje Dag mijn lieve Jantje!
In The Hague there lives a count, And his son’s name is Jantje. If you ask where does your dad live, Then he points with his little hand, With his finger and his thumb He wears a feather on his hat A basket on his arm Hello my dear Jantje!
Occasionally Jantje acquires a costume, for much of the past 18 months he’s worn the colours of Ukraine, his basket has been full of crocheted hearts, and a dove of peace settled on one finger.
On the 1st July, at a commemoration of National Remembrance Day of Slavery Past at the National Monument Slavery Past Amsterdam, King Willem-Alexander, the Dutch King formally apologised for the Dutch history of slavery, and announced that there is currently an inquiry into the role the royal house has played. Why this date? It’s 150 years since slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Dutch Antilles.
The full text of the King’s speech is available in English, and it’s moving. He points to historic events, to heros of resistance by enslaved people, he evokes Amsterdam’s long history of valuing freedom with a quote from a legal document from 1644 “Within the city of Amsterdam and its jurisdiction, all men are free, and none are slaves.” He references the more than 600,000 people transported from Africa in Dutch ships. The specific apology is brief, but sincere.
Today I stand before you. Today, as your King and as a member of the government, I make this apology myself. And I feel the weight of the words in my heart and my soul.
There has been a slow, achingly slow, change in the Netherlands since I moved here. In my first year here I spoke of the VOC being involved in transporting slaves, and Dutch people denied it (It is true, the VOC brought people from Dutch colonies in Asia to what is now South Africa, quite separate from the Atlantic slave trade.) For many years the museums here have skimmed over the troubling question of how to treat slavery as a subject in museums. In 2017 an exhibition in the Rijksmuseum still used the term ‘slaves’ for people depicted in an exhibit (labels are given in English and Dutch).
At the same time there has been some progress. In 2002 the National Monument Slavery Past was unveiled, from 2009 various municipalities began marking Keti Koti. In 2019 the Mauritshuis had an exhibition specifically examining where Johan Maurits obtained his wealth. It wasn’t a secret in his lifetime, in fact the Mauritshuis, then his home, was known as the “Sugar House” because he made money from the sugar industry while he was Governor General of Dutch Brazil. In 2021 two-thirds of Dutch people were reported as being in favour of a national museum on the history of slavery. And friends with children report that age-appropriate discussions colonialisation and slavery are happening in Dutch schools, discussions they never had during their Dutch schooling. Of course it’s not all progress, there are plenty of dissenting voices – as documented in a 2014 report from Humanity in Action.
This is a slow way of behavioural change that I find typical of the Netherlands, but I believe it received a boost following the death of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Suddenly I heard a lot more conversations examining the dark past that the Netherlands shares with the United States.
The King’s speech yesterday is a big step forward in healing the wrongs of history, the real test is in what action will follow.
I had a day in Amsterdam, I went to the World Press Photo exhibition at the Nieuwekerk for the first time in about five years!
It’s always a somber experience, the images document the most newsworthy events from the year’s news, and the news is rarely good. This year was no exception, the winner was an image from the war in Ukraine of a very pregnant woman being moved on a stretcher.
Iryna Kalinina (32), an injured pregnant woman, is carried from a maternity hospital that was damaged during a Russian air strike in Mariupol, Ukraine. Her baby, named Miron (after the word for ‘peace’) was still born, and half an hour later Iryna died as well.
The contrast between the beautiful arches of the Nieuwekerk and the grim scene of the photo made it even more dramatic. It’s the largest image in the collection and it completely stops you as you enter the exhibition. Everyone who came in stopped, I’m sure we were all wishing better for Iryna and Miron, and hoping for peace in Ukraine soon.
The competition is run on a regional basis, and the exhibition reflects this grouping the images by region and colour-coding each section. You can see more of the entries for each region on the World Press site.
Before you got to this year’s photos there was a selection of winning images from previous years. Including this one, which might be the first image that really hooked me as photojournalism (at least of my lifetime).
Known as “Tank Man” it was taken as Chinese tanks rolled into TianAnMen Square on the 5 June 1989 during the student uprising. It was taken by Jeff Widener. The fate of the Tank Man is still not know. I later lived in Beijing, but by then there was no sign of the protests, and they were rarely mentioned.
Just as I was thinking of the bravery of the journalists I came across a memorial to all the photo journalists who have died doing their job, it’s a frighteningly long list.
After about wandering around the images I left the church into brilliant sunshine, the burble of Amsterdammers going about their day, and tourists posing for the perfect instagram shot against the background of the Palace.
The exhibition is on in Amsterdam at the Nieuwe Kerk until the 30 July, it’s free with a museum card, and 15.50 euro without.
I managed to get tickets to a guided tour of the Royal Waiting Room at the Den Haag Holland Spoor train station, one of three royal waiting rooms in the Netherlands along with Amsterdam and Baarn. It’s rather magnificent, and of course there are no ticket check gates.
The entrance is just to the left of the station’s main entrance, through a pair of dark wooden panelled doors. Inside it’s cool and there’s a slight dustiness, it’s well maintained but rarely used. The interior is designed to be full of symbolism and it is highly ornate.
Apparently there is usually a carpet on the stairs but it has been removed for cleaning, you can already see the ornate floor tiles and all the marble.
The stained glass above the staircase, with the arms of Rotterdam and Amsterdam flanking those of The Hague, The other shields I think are from the Dutch provinces.
There is a dramatic ceremonial staircase leading to a central waiting room, which has doors with direct access to the platform. There are two side rooms parallel to the platform – one for the monarch and any partner the other for the children, each with their own bathroom (the one thing we were asked not to photograph!). On the side facing the street there is a room for the attendants and another room that leads to the balcony to allow the royal family to wave to people. Of course if the Royal Family are travelling by train it’s in the royal train which will be standing at the platform ready to travel. The royal train is a single carriage that gets a regular NS train engine added to it, and one or two first class carriages for attendants.
There is tremendous detail and symbolism in every aspect of the decor, with paintings showing royal virtues of Justice and loyalty. Everything was made by the best artisans and craftspeople – the fabric on the chairs is original and was made by the same company that provided upholstery fabric for the titanic. The mosaic on the landing of the stairs use stone from Belgium and is a rare example of a European mosaic.
The waiting room was opened in 1893 by the thirteen-year-old Queen Wilhelmina and it’s her cypher that is on the mantelpieces and the wallpaper. At that time rail links were growing throughout Europe and it must have seemed very promising that the young Queen was using something so very modern. In fact the new Queen, with her mother who acted as regent, made a goodwill tour of every Dutch province in an effort to “meet the people” and build confidence in the new young monarch.
It is still used by the Dutch Royal Family today but rather infrequently, perhaps once every three years. The last use I can find is 2017, but I suspect Covid might have upset any travel plans since then.
The tickets are all sold for the tours this year but keep your eyes on This is Den Haag accounts on Instagram and Facebook for the next announcements. The cost was 9.95 euro, and the tour took about half an hour. The tour I went on was in Dutch, so if you need English check before booking. If you can’t wait for more tickets to be available maybe the Dutch Spoorwegen Museum is worth a look.
a note on images – the first is swiped from Google maps, the others I took on the tour
Today I learnt that there is an annual plant market for King’s Day in the Hague known as the “Geranium Market”
I went, and I purchased plants. It was delightful. Never felt so middle aged in my life.
Of course, it’s not just geraniums, it’s all sorts of plants. I spotted dahlias, roses, daisies, herbs, lobelias, mandevilla and fuchsias. Almost all in flower, and all ready to plant out. There was also at least one stall selling house plants with exotic succulents and vivid orchids.
I bought bright pink geraniums for the window box, an aquilegia (Granny’s bonnet) and some herbs, I’ve had a lovely afternoon planting them out on my tiny balcony. Now just need some sunshine to sit out and enjoy them. Happy Birthday King Willem Alexander.
I’ve always loved Henry Moore‘s sculpture, the fluid lines seem organic yet the human form is recognisable. Some of the sculptures are so monumental that they seem to be of the landscape, others seem to be like long forgotten fossils . So the exhibition of Moore’s works on at the Museum Beelden Aan Zee is a must-see for me.
The most impressive exhibit for me was the massive piece shown above, it looked to me like a super-sized mastodon tooth, but it’s called “Three Way Piece No1 Points” and was made in 1964-65. When you look at the surface more closely it resembles patterns of herd of animals.
The exhibition is well set out, and it’s interesting to see shells, rocks and bones showcased in the first cabinet as Moore was inspired by elements from nature in all his work. I loved that Leiden’s Naturalis had contributed to the exhibition.
When I go to exhibitions I often contemplate which work I would want to live with, and I probably spent the most time contemplating the Mastodon’s tooth above, it was probably the Three Way Ring that was safely behind glass that spoke to me the most. The curves seemed perfectly formed from all angles, and yet the view and light changed as you walked around the object. Some of Moore’s large scale works have similar interior spaces, apparently Moore endorsed the idea of “children playing inside and around his open forms, exploring them fully in space” according to the exhibition guide, and that seems kind and unpretentious for a man who changed art.
Three Way Ring 1967, behind glass because it’s porcelain and fragile, but oh I wanted to touch it.
Elephant Skull, Moore often studied bones to inspire his sculpture
Detail from “King and Queen”, Moore’s only sculpture of two adults posed together.
Detail from Two Piece Reclining Figure No2, reminds me of a dramatic coastline
Upright Motive sculptures in the museum’s courtyard
Working Model for a Divided Oval: Butterfly 1967, perhaps a butterfly emerging
The exhibits are set out in the huge main exhibition space with plenty of space to view the objects from all angles. I was there on a public holiday but it was not crowded at all, and we had plenty of space to wander around. It was a pleasure to look at the works in relative calm. I may even go back for a second viewing on a warmer day.
Museum Beelden Aan Zee is open Tuesday to Sunday, and this exhibition is on until 22 October. Entry Fee: 21 euro which includes an extra fee for this exhibition Entree for Museum Card holders: 3.50 (but you can go to the exhibition on a later date without paying the 3.50 again) Address: Harteveltstraat 1, 2586 EL The Hague Public transport access from the Hague: no1 tram from the city centre.
I am not a tourist 