• MyHeritage Wiki
  • Genealogy research by location
  • The Netherlands
  • The Netherlands

    • See all articles relating to: The Netherlands

    Amsterdam, the Netherlands
    Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    The Netherlands, also known as Holland, has a rich and diverse history that dates back to prehistoric times. The area was inhabited by various Germanic tribes, and it was not until the 16th century that the country became a unified nation. One of the most significant periods in Dutch history was the Golden Age, a time of great prosperity and cultural development in the 17th century. During this time, the country was a major colonial power and a leading center of art, science, and commerce. Renowned figures such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and Hugo Grotius made significant contributions to Dutch society during this period. The legacy of the Golden Age can still be seen today in the country's art, architecture, and culture.

    Research your ancestors on MyHeritage

    The provinces of The Netherlands

    The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces, each with its own governor (also known as the King's Commissioner) and provincial council:

    In addition to the provinces, there are three special municipalities in the Caribbean Netherlands: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. They're not part of any province but have a similar status to one. Together with Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, it forms part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, a collection of states and territories united under its monarch.

    History of The Netherlands

    The area around the river deltas of the Rhine, Meuse and Schelt has been inhabited for thousands of years, with the earliest records available from the four centuries during which the region formed a militarized border zone of the Roman Empire. As the Western Roman Empire collapsed and the Middle Ages began, three dominant Germanic peoples lived in the area – Frisians in the north and coastal areas, Low Saxons in the northeast, in addition to the Franks in the south. By the year 800, the Frankish Carolingian dynasty integrated the area into an empire that spanned a wide area of Western Europe, as part of the Duchy of Lower Lotharingia within the Holy Roman Empire,[1] but neither of them were governed in a centralized manner. The modern Kingdom of the Netherlands originated in the aftermath of French Emperor Napoleon I's defeat in 1815, when the great powers of Europe, decided in the secret treaty of the London Protocol to establish a single state in the territories that were previously the Batavian Republic, the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (today part of Belgium and Luxemburg), awarding rule over this territory to William, Prince of Orange and Nassau; however, the southern territories remained under the control of Prussia rule until Napoleon's return from his first exile on Elba and his posterior defeat.

    See also: Dutch history

    Geography of The Netherlands

    The Netherlands is geographically very low relative to sea level and is considered a flat country, with over a quarter of its area located below sea level, the result of a process of careful water management dating back to medieval times.[2]This particular situation gives its name to the country, with Niderlant ("Low land") used already in the Middle Ages to denote the region between the Meuse and the lower Rhine, and official documents under Hapsburg rule called the area Neder-landen[3] as a translation from pays d'embas ("lands down-here").[4]

    See also: Dutch geography

    Researching family history in The Netherlands

    See also:

    Ethnic groups in The Netherlands

    Bouquet of tulips The Netherlands
    Bouquet of tulips The Netherlands

    The Netherlands is home to a diverse population with various ethnicities, including Dutch, Indonesian, Moroccan, and Turkish ethnicity, among others. The largest ethnic group in the Netherlands is Dutch, accounting for approximately 78.3% of the total population.[5] The Netherlands has a history of immigration and colonization, which has contributed to its diverse population.

    See also:

    Surnames in The Netherlands

    Dutch surnames can also offer valuable insights into a family's history and cultural background. The country's tradition of using patronymic surnames (i.e., last names based on the father's first name) can make it challenging for researchers to trace their ancestry beyond a few generations. However, many Dutch surnames have interesting origins, including references to geographic locations, occupations, and personal characteristics. For example, the surname De Jong means "the young," and Bakker means "baker". Surnames in the Netherlands were not standardized until the Napoleonic era,[6] so spelling variations and pronunciation changes can also make it difficult to trace family history. Some of the most common Dutch surnames are De Jong, Bakker, Jansen, Van der Meer, Van Dijk, Visser, De Vries, Van den Berg.

    See also:

    Search for records in the Netherlands

    References

    1. ↑ Baedeker, Jarrold; Court, Alec (1992). Netherlands. Pearson Education Canada. ISBN 978-0-13-063611-9.
    2. ↑ Netherlands. Encyclopedia Britannica
    3. ↑ De Opstand in de Nederlanden (1555-1648)
    4. ↑ Elton, Geoffrey Rudolph (1990). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 2, The Reformation, 1520–1559. ISBN 978-0-521-34536-1
    5. ↑ Ethnic Groups In the Netherlands, World Atlas
    6. ↑ SURNAMES 1811. Historische Vereniging Noord-oost Friesland

    The Netherlands

    Retrieved from ""