It is important to distinguish between long standing stereotypes of the Dutch and changing social and historical realities. Yes, the Dutch were sensible, hard-working and thrifty because they were fighting with the North Sea to preserve their land. It is not that the Dutch spend less (go to a restaurant in Amsterdam and you'll see what I mean, or look at some of the jewelry or antique stores in Amsterdam as well), they just are not ostentatious with their wealth (which is considerable). And the Dutch were historically absolute models of religious tolerance -- long before the Pilgrims sought refuge there, many of the Jews driven out of Spain in 1492 settled in Amsterdam (and Hamburg, and Istanbul). I live very close to Holland, in Munster (Westfalen), and so have contacts on an almost daily basis with Dutch people, who are actually, above all, fun-loving and lots of fun (even if they like this really sweetish honey cake for breakfast). During the last Soccer World Cup, everybody loved the Dutch fans, painted in orange. They were silly and sweet. Great fun. Historically Holland has been drawn toward France to the south, Germany to the west and England across the Channel. Erasmus, the great humanist, once wrote that he could be "French" or maybe "German" but certainly not a "Batavian" (the word which Dutch Renaissance humanists re-introduced to call themselves, based on the name of a Germanic tribe which disappeared in the 4th century A..D.). It's not easy being Dutch, and the Reformed Church, while tolerant toward others, has historically been rather austere. By the same token, Dutch Catholics have always inspired dread in more conservative quarters of the Catholic church. And yes, at the same time, please remember, there are some dark sides to Dutch history which any Dutch person will admit to. The Dutch had a vast colonial empire and made few friends in the Dutch East Indies. Much of Holland's considerable wealth depended not only on trade but on the colonial system which favored the mother country. The Dutch sent the largest number of SS volunteers to the Eastern Front and many Dutch did well and truly collaborate with the Nazis. (For example, there is a new exhibition here in Muenster, which is where the independence of the original Republic of the United Provinces was declared, whence its special place in Dutch history, devoted to the children of Dutch collaborators and how they were marked in postwar Dutch society.) And last but not least, the Dutch tolerance of recreational drugs -- and the connection between Surinam and Amsterdam making drug smuggling from South America to all of Europe very easy -- is not exactly something many people in Holland are particularly proud of. And in the last few years, every Dutch tolerance has been recently tested to the limit with a number of political murders and the torching of some mosques. So, well, being Dutch is not always easy. But hey, is being a part of any national community easy? Cheers, Jeff Richards Muenster, Germany -----Original Message----- From: dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of ALarue3325@aol.com Sent: Donnerstag, 22. März 2007 23:45 To: Dutch-Colonies@rootsweb.com Subject: [DUTCH-COLONIES] (no subject) The Dutch are seen as sensible, hard-working, and thrifty. They are very direct. Depending on your point of view, this is rude, tactless or refreshing. Dutch people spend less, and when they do spend it is on more practical items than extravagant decorations and status symbols. When given a chance to practically economize, they will. ************************************** AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message