Dutch humanitarianism history - The Northern Times
NorthenTimes
logo The Northern Times
  • News
    • All
    • Crime
    • Economics
    • Education
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Sports
    • Tech
    • Ukraine

    University of Groningen in the top 100 in the world, second best in the Netherlands

    Rain clouds on the horizon: relief for dry spell this week

    Rain clouds on the horizon: relief for dry spell this week

    egg carton packaging egg box

    Massive fire wipes out the only egg packaging warehouse in the country

    gavel_court

    American who stabbed Groningen police officers sentenced to 7 years

    Dozens of herons die at nesting site in Leeuwarden

    Drought impacting drinking water extraction in Groningen

    Drought impacting drinking water extraction in Groningen

    Blistering temperatures across the northern provinces this week

    Blistering temperatures across the northern provinces this week

    Friesland increases current sustainability subsidies

    Student takes municipality to court over energy allowance – and wins

    University Medical Center Groningen

    Research shows even those vaccinated against COVID-19 can experience lingering symptoms

    Trending Tags

    • Lifestyle
      • All
      • Food & Drinks
      • Nightlife
      • Shopping
      • What's happening
      Buses will no longer travel through the Grote Markt in Groningen

      Buses will no longer travel through the Grote Markt in Groningen

      “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

      “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

      Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

      Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

      Plans for extensive Kardinge residential expansion revealed

      Plans for extensive Kardinge residential expansion revealed

      Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

      Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

      Food festivals set to return to Emmen

      Food festivals set to return to Emmen

      Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

      Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

      Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

      Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

      Trending Tags

      • Culture
        • All
        • Dutch history
        • Typical Dutch
        “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

        “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

        Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

        Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

        Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

        Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

        This week in Arcadia: ballerinas and gardening workshops

        This week in Arcadia: ballerinas and gardening workshops

        De Wolden named cultural municipality of Drenthe in 2023-2024

        De Wolden named cultural municipality of Drenthe in 2023-2024

        Arcadia launches performing arts festival

        Arcadia launches performing arts festival

        Popular Drenthe youth’s summer programme set to return in 2022

        Popular Drenthe youth’s summer programme set to return in 2022

        Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

        Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

        North NL theaters struggle to find a way to attract audience

        Trending Tags

        • People
          • All
          • Expats
          • International students
          Students refurbish bicycles for Ukrainian refugees in Assen

          Students refurbish bicycles for Ukrainian refugees in Assen

          Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

          Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

          What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

          What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

          Student protest Groningen: ‘Where is a vaccine against psychological problems?’

          New mini-doc highlights how Groningen students struggle to find housing

          ESN/ISO: “International students neglected in higher education in the Netherlands”

          ESN/ISO: “International students neglected in higher education in the Netherlands”

          ESN launches ‘buddy programme’ for students in Groningen

          ESN launches ‘buddy programme’ for students in Groningen

          A letter from the Editor – Internationals from 120 countries: Welcome to Groningen, Leeuwarden, Assen and Emmen!

          ‘University of Groningen must do more for the mental health of students’

          From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

          From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

          First students snap up alternate study spots in Oosterpoort

          Dutch student grades rise during pandemic whilst mental health suffers

          Trending Tags

          • Opportunities
            • All
            • business
            • Education
            Talk on International Growth by local founders to take place on the 21st of June

            Talk on International Growth by local founders to take place on the 21st of June

            Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

            Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

            Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

            Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

            Annual Beta Business Days event a success

            Annual Beta Business Days event a success

            What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

            Startup Visa Crew offers support to Ukrainian entrepreneurs (Переклад українською)

            Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

            Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

            Hundreds set to join online job-networking event

            Hundreds set to join online job-networking event

            How to enter academia in the Netherlands

            How to enter academia in the Netherlands

            3 ideas for student-friendly jobs in the North

            3 ideas for student-friendly jobs in the North

            Trending Tags

            • Submit A Tip/Article
            No Result
            View All Result
            The Northern Times
            • News
              • All
              • Crime
              • Economics
              • Education
              • Health
              • Politics
              • Sports
              • Tech
              • Ukraine

              University of Groningen in the top 100 in the world, second best in the Netherlands

              Rain clouds on the horizon: relief for dry spell this week

              Rain clouds on the horizon: relief for dry spell this week

              egg carton packaging egg box

              Massive fire wipes out the only egg packaging warehouse in the country

              gavel_court

              American who stabbed Groningen police officers sentenced to 7 years

              Dozens of herons die at nesting site in Leeuwarden

              Drought impacting drinking water extraction in Groningen

              Drought impacting drinking water extraction in Groningen

              Blistering temperatures across the northern provinces this week

              Blistering temperatures across the northern provinces this week

              Friesland increases current sustainability subsidies

              Student takes municipality to court over energy allowance – and wins

              University Medical Center Groningen

              Research shows even those vaccinated against COVID-19 can experience lingering symptoms

              Trending Tags

              • Lifestyle
                • All
                • Food & Drinks
                • Nightlife
                • Shopping
                • What's happening
                Buses will no longer travel through the Grote Markt in Groningen

                Buses will no longer travel through the Grote Markt in Groningen

                “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                Plans for extensive Kardinge residential expansion revealed

                Plans for extensive Kardinge residential expansion revealed

                Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

                Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

                Food festivals set to return to Emmen

                Food festivals set to return to Emmen

                Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

                Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

                Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

                Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

                Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                Trending Tags

                • Culture
                  • All
                  • Dutch history
                  • Typical Dutch
                  “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                  “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                  Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                  Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                  Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

                  Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

                  This week in Arcadia: ballerinas and gardening workshops

                  This week in Arcadia: ballerinas and gardening workshops

                  De Wolden named cultural municipality of Drenthe in 2023-2024

                  De Wolden named cultural municipality of Drenthe in 2023-2024

                  Arcadia launches performing arts festival

                  Arcadia launches performing arts festival

                  Popular Drenthe youth’s summer programme set to return in 2022

                  Popular Drenthe youth’s summer programme set to return in 2022

                  Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

                  Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

                  North NL theaters struggle to find a way to attract audience

                  Trending Tags

                  • People
                    • All
                    • Expats
                    • International students
                    Students refurbish bicycles for Ukrainian refugees in Assen

                    Students refurbish bicycles for Ukrainian refugees in Assen

                    Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                    Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                    What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

                    What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

                    Student protest Groningen: ‘Where is a vaccine against psychological problems?’

                    New mini-doc highlights how Groningen students struggle to find housing

                    ESN/ISO: “International students neglected in higher education in the Netherlands”

                    ESN/ISO: “International students neglected in higher education in the Netherlands”

                    ESN launches ‘buddy programme’ for students in Groningen

                    ESN launches ‘buddy programme’ for students in Groningen

                    A letter from the Editor – Internationals from 120 countries: Welcome to Groningen, Leeuwarden, Assen and Emmen!

                    ‘University of Groningen must do more for the mental health of students’

                    From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

                    From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

                    First students snap up alternate study spots in Oosterpoort

                    Dutch student grades rise during pandemic whilst mental health suffers

                    Trending Tags

                    • Opportunities
                      • All
                      • business
                      • Education
                      Talk on International Growth by local founders to take place on the 21st of June

                      Talk on International Growth by local founders to take place on the 21st of June

                      Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

                      Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

                      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                      Annual Beta Business Days event a success

                      Annual Beta Business Days event a success

                      What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

                      Startup Visa Crew offers support to Ukrainian entrepreneurs (Переклад українською)

                      Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

                      Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

                      Hundreds set to join online job-networking event

                      Hundreds set to join online job-networking event

                      How to enter academia in the Netherlands

                      How to enter academia in the Netherlands

                      3 ideas for student-friendly jobs in the North

                      3 ideas for student-friendly jobs in the North

                      Trending Tags

                      • Submit A Tip/Article
                      The Northern Times
                      logo The Northern Times
                      Home Culture
                      Charity

                      Dutch humanitarianism history

                      Traci White by Traci White
                      May 29, 2018
                      in Dutch history
                      0
                      Share on TwitterShare on FacebookWhatsapp

                      If you live in this country long enough, you are pretty much guaranteed to learn firsthand about Dutch philanthropic activity. Any given week of the year, young, slightly nervous do-gooders hit the streets to pull at your heartstrings, equipped with an iPad or a collection box.

                      By Traci White

                      In the Netherlands, 700,000 volunteers annually contribute their time to recruiting new donors for a wide variety of good causes. There are roughly 18,000 registered charitable organisations in the Netherlands, and as of 2016, the World Giving Index ranked the Netherlands as the 13th most charitable country in the world: 66 percent of Dutch people donate to charity and 33 percent report volunteering for an organisation.

                      Many regions across the country have their own straatkrant, a newspaper distributed by homeless men and women, typically outside grocery stores and on the corners of shopping streets. The northern Netherlands’ street newspaper is De Riepe. The principle behind it is to provide a source of income for homeless people, to inform readers about topics that are relevant to their local homeless population and to bridge the gap between the general public and the men and women who live on the streets or in shelters. The Dutch do not get credit for inventing the format, however: that goes to the Salvation Army in London.

                      Sinterklaas

                      While many religions hold tithing as a central tenant, modern Dutch willingness to give cannot be directly attribute to religiosity. Roughly half of Dutch people identified as “irreligious” in 2015, followed by about 25 percent identifying as Catholic, 15 percent as Protestant, 4 percent as some other form of Christianity and 5 percent identifying as Muslim. But at least one holiday tradition can be directly linked to religious origins: a beloved part of Sinterklaas Eve – setting out your shoes for them to be filled with treats and small presents –  traces back to 1427 at the Sint-Nicolaaskerk in Utrecht. Impoverished citizens of the city received donated goods from the rich at the church. The collection took place on December 5, and the donations were distributed on December 6.

                      During the Dutch Golden Age, philanthropy in the Netherlands was so well established that foreigners would come to the Netherlands to admire its system of poor houses, orphanages, guest houses and other charitable organisations. The city of Groningen has 32 “hofjes” – almshouses – which were primarily affiliated with local houses of worship and were often financed by wealthy members of the congregation, whose wealth in turn at times came from the resources and commercial activities, including the slave trade, in the Dutch colonies. One example of such a property is the Saint Anthony Guest House, located across the street from the St. Jozefkerk in Groningen. It was founded in 1517 and served the poor, people with mental health issues and those suffering from the plague. Leeuwarden also has several such hofjes, including their own Saint Anthony Guest House.

                      Guesthouses

                      Living in these humble but beautiful accommodations involved meeting certain strict conditions: being well born and of outstanding character, observing a 10 p.m. curfew, and mandatory attendance at the church affiliated with the housing were among the requirements. In 2017, Groningen alderman Roeland van der Schaaf proposed that the Groningen Monuments Fund become responsible for at least some of the centuries old courtyards rather than private housing corporations who may not feel obligated to preserve the historic structures when renting them out.

                      Religious tolerance has long informed a national willingness to provide safe haven for refugees, asylum seekers and political exiles. During World War I, the Netherlands was officially neutral, but they accepted Belgian and French refugees, as well as British prisoners of war. In Groningen, at the site of the modern day Van Mesdag clinic on the Herestraat, thousands of British soldiers were housed in wooden barracks. There were so many troops that the area became known as the English Camp. Dutch ambulances also provided aid outside the Dutch borders, as far away as Serbia and Hungary, during the war.

                      Anne Frank

                      The fact that the Netherlands was a place where those fleeing for humanitarian reasons felt they would find safety in the 20th century is thanks in large part to the diary of a young Jewish girl. Anne Frank’s personal journal, released by her father following her death in a concentration camp, humanized the scope of the Holocaust and Germany’s military campaign in Europe. Her family was originally from Germany and moved to Amsterdam when Anne was four years old as the Nazis took control in their home country. The Franks, along with the Pels family and family friends, hid for more than two years in an attic annex of a building where Anne’s father had worked on the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam.

                      Even though antisemitism has been present in the west for centuries, the Dutch have provided some measure of safety and tolerance for Jewish people throughout their history. In the 1400s, Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula moved to Amsterdam when they were being compelled to either convert to Catholicism or leave their home countries, and Ashkenazi Jews fled to Amsterdam to escape violence in much of the rest of Europe during the Thirty Years’ War in the 1600s.

                      Refugees

                      In 1933, 35,000 German refugees – Jews, communists, socialists and other vulnerable groups – had crossed the border into the Netherlands in the hopes of escaping the Nazis. However, many more were not allowed to enter the country: in that year, Dutch attorney general Josef van Schaik stated that asylum would be granted as an exception rather than as a rule. “While the position of the Jewish people in Germany is lamentable, it will take more than that to qualify for asylum”, van Schaik said. He and his contemporaries referred to the fleeing Germans as an “invasion” which could have an undesirable racial, economic and social effect.

                      In the 21st century, many refugees escaping the ongoing civil war in Syria have come to the Netherlands and other European countries in search of safety. There are more than 60 asylum seekers centers which are in operation across the Netherlands, including 14 in Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland. The exodus of men, women and children fleeing the civil war, along with economic and political refugees from other countries, has led to similar rhetoric about a flood of foreigners entering the Netherlands and changing the culture. Between 2013 and 2015, during the peak period of people seeking refuge in the Netherlands, several meetings about placing asylum seekers centers in rural and less affluent municipalities turned violent. But hundreds more Dutch people participated in demonstrations across the country to welcome the refugees with open arms.

                      Photo source: Wikipedia

                      Tags: charityDutchGroningenhofjeshomelesshumanitarianismLeeuwardenNetherlandsreligiontolerance
                      Previous Post

                      Construction beginning on Grote Markt hotel next week

                      Next Post

                      Cheap rent in historic housing: a thing of the past?

                      Traci White

                      Traci White

                      Related Posts

                      Bittersweet Heritage

                      Bittersweet Heritage: a cultural event exploring Groningen’s connections to slavery

                      February 15, 2022
                      Fries Museum to loan series of renowned portraits from London’s National Portrait Gallery

                      Frisians Mata Hari and Titia Bergsma to feature in History Canon

                      February 9, 2022
                      A stumbling stone in Groningen

                      New foundation for “stumbling stones” in Groningen

                      February 8, 2022
                      Roman fibula found during archeological excavations in Groningen village Adorp

                      Roman fibula found during archeological excavations in Groningen village Adorp

                      August 9, 2021
                      Drenthe’s ‘Veenkoloniën’ get UNESCO World Heritage status

                      Drenthe’s ‘Veenkoloniën’ get UNESCO World Heritage status

                      July 27, 2021
                      Zuidlaren’s 820 year old horse market to go ahead this year

                      Zuidlaren’s 820 year old horse market to go ahead this year

                      June 8, 2021
                      Next Post
                      Cheap rent in historic housing: a thing of the past?

                      Cheap rent in historic housing: a thing of the past?

                      N361

                      Changes coming to N361 between Groningen and Lauwersoog

                      Discussion about this post

                      Most popular this week

                      • University of Groningen in the top 100 in the world, second best in the Netherlands

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • American who stabbed Groningen police officers sentenced to 7 years

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Drought impacting drinking water extraction in Groningen

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Massive fire wipes out the only egg packaging warehouse in the country

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Student takes municipality to court over energy allowance – and wins

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      The Northern Times

                      The Northern Times

                      NorthernTimes.nl is an English-language news site for internationals and anyone interested in news and activities in the three northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The website provides daily coverage and summaries of local news in the north, as well as human interest stories, backgrounds and a regional events calendar. The Northern Times is an initiative of the International Welcome Center North in cooperation with Persbureau Tammeling BV, which owns and operates the website.

                      Powered by:

                      Akkoord van Groningen, Gemeente Groningen, Koninklijke Metaalunie & FME, University of Groningen, Hanzehogeschool Groningen, Samenwerking Noord, Campus Groningen, and DUO/NEC NL (Nationaal Europass Centrum Nederland). 

                      Privacy statement and disclaimer 

                      NorthernTimes.nl is an English-language news site for internationals and anyone interested in news and activities in the three northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The website provides daily coverage and summaries of local news in the north, as well as human interest stories, backgrounds and a regional events calendar. The Northern Times is an initiative of the International Welcome Center North in cooperation with Persbureau Tammeling BV, which owns and operates the website.

                      Newsletter

                      Once or twice a week, we send out a digital newsletter to our subscribers. We will not and cannot share email addresses or any other personal data provided by our subscribers with any third parties, nor will we use this information for any purposes other than providing the newsletter. 

                      Questions or comments?

                      If you have any questions concerning your privacy or comments about ways that you think we could further protect and inform you about your privacy, please let us know by contacting us at info@tammeling.nl

                      Disclaimer

                      The Northern Times reserves the right to change its privacy policy, but will inform our subscribers and readers in advance prior to implementing any such changes. These changes will be published in a timely manner on The Northern Times’ website.

                      Tags

                      Arriva (50) Art (62) Assen (183) Climate Change (49) Coronavirus (500) coronavirus regulations (49) COVID-19 (333) COVID 19 (59) culture (46) Drachten (47) Drenthe (881) earthquakes (53) Eelde (45) Emmen (157) festival (45) football (62) Friesland (948) Groningen (1887) Groningen Airport Eelde (53) Groninger Museum (48) Grote Markt (42) Hanzehogeschool (53) Heerenveen (41) Hoogeveen (49) housing (112) international students (55) jobs (63) Leeuwarden (410) Make it in the North (55) Mark Rutte (44) music (41) natural gas (57) Netherlands (67) NHL Stenden (52) NS (43) police (67) protest (56) RUG (146) Sneek (43) students (93) train (63) UMCG (109) University of Groningen (200) Wadden Sea (42) what's on (67)
                      • News
                      • Lifestyle
                      • Culture
                      • People
                      • Opportunities
                      • Submit A Tip/Article

                      © Copyrights The Northern Times 2018

                      No Result
                      View All Result
                      • Culture
                        • Dutch history
                        • Typical Dutch
                      • Lifestyle
                        • Food & Drinks
                        • Nightlife
                        • Shopping
                        • What’s happening
                      • News
                        • Economics
                        • Politics
                        • Sports
                        • Tech
                      • People
                        • Expats
                        • International students
                      • Opportunities
                        • business
                        • Education
                      • Bloom: Subscribe