The Hague History, Netherlands
The Hague History – Early Settlement and Function
The Hague history is prolific as an administrative capital, since it has had such functions ever since its foundation in 1230. This was when Rex Romanorum (who was supposed to be the Holy Roman Emperor but died just soon before) decided to settle his residence there and his plans were continued by his son. Since then, the counts of Holland used the city as residence and administrative centre for the period when they were travelling in Holland. The name of the city comes from here, as “Des Graven Hage” means “the count’s wood” (or shelter). The Hague had no walls around it due to the privileged position it had always occupied, but this allowed the Spanish to easily conquer it in the 16th century, when demolishing the city because of extensive damage was considered.
The Hague History – Modern History
Belgium and Holland had to make a compromise and alternate the capital between Brussels and Amsterdam every two years. Still, during all this time, the government remained in The Hague, so when the separation took place in 1830 it was settled that Amsterdam would remain capital and The Hague the seat of government. This strongly influenced the city’s architecture, as houses were built to host diplomats and government workers, so streets were wider and the city expanded faster and faster. The city suffered severe damage during WWII, when Nazi occupants based in Berlin torn down a large part of the city and mistakenly bombed a heavily populated area. Over 500 civilians were killed and this affects the inhabitants of The Hague even today. Still, after the war, The Hague was one of the busiest building sites in Europe and the city quickly expanded southwards, while rebuilding all areas that were damaged during the war.
The Hague History – “The Widow of the Indies”
A very important part in Hague history was played by the Dutch colony of Netherlands East Indies. This was constituted in 1800 by the colonies of the former Dutch East India Company and it meant complete hegemony over the Indonesian territory of today. Very many Dutch families were settled there so when the island gained its independence in 1949 they all came home and left a heavy cultural mark on the city. There are many streets and areas that bare oriental names and the Indo-Dutch community is quite sizeable. Since Holland lost Indonesia, The Hague has been called “The Widow of the Indies”.
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The Hague, the netherlands
review by adam posted more then 30 days ago
The Hague, is the political capital of the Netherlands and because of it's status, the city is highly developed in every aspect. It is affluent, crowded and diverse. Important places to visit in The Hague is the Dutch Parlament, Noordeinde Palace, and Ridderzaal. Although the city is know for...
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