The Netherlands Demographics

The Land

Many refer to the Netherlands as Holland. This country lies on the western coast of Europe by the North Sea, with Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. About half of the country has been claimed from the sea by use of dikes, canals, polders, windmills, and huge storm barriers. The Dutch like to say, “God created the world, but the Dutch created Holland.”

Floods

Most of the land is at sea level or below since so much of the land has been claimed from the sea. History tells many stories of catastrophic floods, such as the flood of 1570, when even the granite blocks that protected the dikes were tossed aside like driftwood by the fury of the waves. The floodwaters were more than 16 feet deep at some places. Many houses were swept into the sea, and an estimated 50,000 lives were lost. The last serious flood was in 1953, with a loss of more than 1800 lives. Since then the dikes have been greatly improved in a government project called the Deltaworks, but the danger remains.

Viking Raiders, Romans, and Franks

The first people to live in this region faced many dangers and difficulties. For one thing, if they escaped being drowned by some terrible flood, they still had Viking raids to reckon with. Many times the Vikings attacked at the least expected time, raided, and carried people away to be slaves.

In 58 B.C. Julius Caesar led the Roman army to conquer the Netherlands, which the Romans called the Lowlands. After their take-over they built forts, trading centers, roads and dikes. The Netherlands remained a part of the Roman Empire for over four hundred years.

The Franks began to rule in A.D. 700s. Charlemagne became their emperor. He chose men to be leaders of armies and to build castles and fortresses to stop the raiders.

Persecution

During the reigns of Charles V and Philip II in the 15th century, terrible persecution began for Anabaptists and Protestants. Philip made an attempt to force all of the people of the Netherlands to be Catholic, but not all were willing to give up their faith. Some fled, while many who remained bravely laid down their lives as martyrs.

When William of Orange revolted and became king, the persecution was greatly diminished. His royal line still rules today, though over the years other countries have taken over for a time.

Perhaps due to the fact that the state churches still adhere to all teachings that were the cause of their martyrdom, the dark pages of Anabaptist persecution have been erased from Dutch history, except for references to the Münster revolutionaries.

World War II

In May 1940 the German airforce bombed the Netherlands, destroying most of the port city, Rotterdam. They took over for five years. This was a very sad time in Dutch history. Many Jews were living in Holland at the time. 90% of them were sent to death camps, though a few managed to escape with the help of their sympathetic countrymen. The story of Corrie ten Boom from The Hiding Place took place in this setting.

After the Germans were defeated in 1945, the Dutch began to rebuild their country and repair the damage done by the war. They worked hard and were successful.

The Language

The Dutch language is spoken all over the Netherlands. It is near to German, including many English and French words. Many Netherlanders speak several languages. English is spoken by nearly everyone, making it easy to communicate if you are a visitor.

The Netherlands Today

Many people think of tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes when they think of the Netherlands. They think of little Dutch boys in loose, full trousers and aproned girls with “winged” caps. The tulip festivals every spring draw millions of tourists. At these festivals the traditional dress is on display, though the rest of the year modern dress is upper hand, and the klompen (wooden shoes) are mainly made for tourists to purchase. But the Netherlands has another face that many do not know.

Contradictions?

The Dutch are a people of contradictions in many ways. They are known for their devotion to cleanliness and order, yet, the capital city, Amsterdam, is known for the slovenly drug addicts and graffiti-marred walls. While they hate taking orders and promote liberalism, they revere their monarchy. They fiercely guard their privacy, yet leave their curtains open, saying they have nothing to hide.

They will not try to explain it, but simply maintain that it is part of being Dutch.

Openness—to what?

The Dutch have a reputation for being open-minded and open to those in need.

The latter is a good reputation. They have been a refuge to many needy people, sheltering those suffering religious persecution in times past and refugees by the thousands in present days. Its population of 16.2 million is very diverse mainly due to the colonial background and because of great numbers of migrant workers. About 83 percent are Dutch, and the rest are Indonesian, Surinamese, Turkish, Antillean and Moroccan.

Open-minded, freethinkers, liberal, models of enlightened thinking—these are some of the terms that have been used to describe the Dutch. This is because they have legalized some things that more “conservative” countries have not, including: euthanasia, abortion, “soft” drugs, brothels, and same-sex marriages. They uphold allowing anyone to do anything they wish, provided that it doesn’t bother others. This may seem to contradict the strong sense of order and respectability that they also uphold, but it is the case, nonetheless.

At present most inhabitants are either very indifferent to the gospel, or do not want to be confronted with God at all. Before WW II the churches (in the north, predominantly Calvinistic and in the south, Roman Catholic) were full, and most people were Christian in name. However, especially since the seventies, increasing wealth and also television have taken their toll. A large Christian radio and TV broadcasting organization that started out with upright seriousness 30 years ago has drifted for the most part into very loose and worldly attitudes, especially concerning youth. Their yearly “Christian” youth rallies where tens of thousands attend resemble rock concerts more than anything else.

Holland is truly a very needy country. It has for several hundred years had no awareness of a national or regional revival. Public preaching of God’s view on sin is not accepted anymore, and can lead to jail sentences. Anti-discrimination sentiments are moving the country toward a strong resistance against absolutes such as the Bible teaches. Schools have very liberal views, and home schooling is not allowed.

Pray

Pray that God would send a revival in such an intense way that darkness and evil would be transformed by the power of His might. Pray that His light would flood and expel the darkness that takes place even in the daytime.

Scattered families of concerned Dutch Christians are worried about the course of their families and their church fellowships. Pray that these remnant believers will be unified in their convictions and form fellowships that are alive, Spirit-filled, and willing to suffer persecution.

Pray especially for September 17-19, 2004, when Bro. Denny Kenaston and a delegation of others from primarily Charity Christian Fellowship plan to be in Holland for a weekend of meetings in Well. Contacts in Great Britain, Belgium, Germany and Holland have been invited. Please pray for renewal and revival, and also for a shining witness to the neighborhood.