William the Silent – Willem van Oranje

William I, Prince of Orange (24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584), also known as William the Silent or William the Taciturn (translated from Dutch: Willem de Zwijger), or more commonly known as William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1581. He was born into the House of Nassau as Count of Nassau-Dillenburg. He became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, he is also known as Father of the Fatherland (Dutch: Vader des Vaderlands).

A wealthy nobleman, William originally served the Habsburgs as a member of the court of Margaret of Parma, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Unhappy with the centralisation of political power away from the local estates and with the Spanish persecution of Dutch Protestants, William joined the Dutch uprising and turned against his former masters. The most influential and politically capable of the rebels, he led the Dutch to several successes in the fight against the Spanish. Declared an outlaw by the Spanish king in 1580, he was assassinated by Balthasar Gérard (also written as “Gerardts”) in Delft in 1584.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Silent

Canon van Nederland – Canon of Dutch History

https://www.canonvannederland.nl

English: https://www.canonvannederland.nl/en/

Canonvannederland.nl is bedoeld voor alle geïnteresseerden in de Nederlandse cultuur en geschiedenis, en in het bijzonder voor leerlingen en docenten in midden- en bovenbouw basisonderwijs en onderbouw voortgezet onderwijs.

Geschiedenis van deze site
Deze website is ontwikkeld in opdracht van stichting entoen.nu en het Nederlands Openluchtmuseum. In 2006 werd de eerste versie van de website entoen.nu gepresenteerd door de commissie Ontwikkeling Nederlandse Canon en ondergebracht bij stichting entoen.nu. Sinds 2014 wordt de website beheerd door het Nederlands Openluchtmuseum. In 2020 is de Canon van Nederland herijkt door de commissie Kennedy. Bij die gelegenheid is www.entoen.nu hernoemd in www.canonvannederland.nl.

Het Kofschip or The history of the Koff

The t kofschip (Dutch pronunciation: [ət ˈkɔfsxɪp], the merchant-ship), t fokschaap (the breeding sheep) or (among foreign language learners) soft ketchup rule is a mnemonic that determines the endings of a regular Dutch verb in the past indicative/subjunctive and the ending of the past participle. This rule should not be confused with the so-called T-rules (t-regels).

The history of the Koff

A koff is a historical type of sailing vessel that was used for coastal shipping off Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany in the 18th and 19th centuries. A typical koff had one and a half masts with a gaff rigged main sail and spanker and one or two square sails in the main top. The hull was plump with a flat bottom and a heavily rounded, raised bow and stern. Smaller koffs could be equipped with leeboards. Due to the shallow draught, koffs were especially suited for inshore shipping in shallow waters.

The koff had been developed in the late 17th century in the Netherlands. Smaller than the fluyt, its rounded bow and stern provided however for more storage on board. This made it a popular type that saw increasing service.

Koffs were often counted among the galiots by contemporary sources because the differences are very subtle: the galiot was considered more slender and therefore more elegant. On the koff, a deckhouse could be installed between the two masts which would provide shelter for up to twelve crew men. The typical dimensions have been reported as “80 feet long, 21 feet wide and 11 feet deep”. Later versions could have a schooner or galeas rig.

Wat is een kofschip?

Als we het over een echt kofschip hebben, bedoelen we eigenlijk een kof. Een kofschip is een zeeschip met een brede achtersteven. Een kofschip gaat niet snel en is geschikt voor de oceaan.

Wikipedia:
Een kofschip was oorspronkelijk een zeilschip van ca. 12 meter lang voor kust- en binnenvaart. Het leek veel op een smak en had een ronde voor- en achtersteven, een platte bodem en zwaarden. Het schip voerde meestal twee masten. Na 1735 kwam er een versie voor dieper water, met een scherper voor- en achterschip, en zonder zwaarden. Dit type werd wel een schoenerkof genoemd.

Een typisch kenmerk van de kof is het geveegd onderwaterschip, iets wat direct terug te voeren is op de scheepstypes kogge en ewers. Ook had zij meer zeeg. Grote koffen, tot circa 28 meter, hadden een bezaansmast achter de roef. Zij werden hoofdzakelijk gebruikt voor de handel op landen rond de Oostzee en haalden daar onder andere graan, vis en hout. Deze lading werd verkocht tot in het zuiden van Frankrijk, en daar werd veelal wijn als retourvracht ingenomen. Er zijn ook overtochten bekend naar Noord-Amerika.

Het woord is bekend van het taalkundige ezelsbruggetje ‘t Kofschip.

Taking the integration exam

Practicing the integration exam
There are practice exams for the integration exam and for the Dutch as a Second Language state exam (NT2).

Practice exams for Integration exam
DUO has practice exams for Writing, Speaking, Listening, Reading and Knowledge of Dutch Society. These give you the chance to practice before the real exam. Click on one of the exams for the practice exam

Go to: https://www.inburgeren.nl/en/taking-the-integration-exam/practicing.jsp

Dutch Holidays 2020 & 2021

Dutch holidays are regulated in collective agreements (CAO) and labour agreements so check your employer’s CAO or labour agreement to see what holidays are considered to be free days. If you work on a public holiday, you are (often) entitled to extra pay. Finally, as an employee, you are also entitled to holiday leave.

Types of Dutch holidays
Holidays in the Netherlands can be divided into three categories:

Dutch national holidays
There are two national holidays in the Netherlands: King’s Day (Koningsdag) and Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag).

Dutch public holidays
The commonly recognised public holidays in the Netherlands are the Dutch national holidays, New Year’s Day, and a few Christian holidays.

Other holidays in the Netherlands

Additionally, the Netherlands also has a number of holidays that are not legally recognised (e.g. Sinterklaas).
School holidays in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, there is a school-free period of six weeks in the summer (zomervakantie) and two in the winter (kerstvakantie). In addition, schools also schedule holidays in:

  • Spring (voorjaarsvakantie, carnavalsvakantie or krokusvakantie)
  • May (meivakantie)
  • Autumn (herfstvakantie)

Find out more about the Dutch school holiday system.

Read more: https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-holidays

Nederland in de jaren 20 – A trip through the Netherlands in the 1920s