Why do Germany and the Netherlands hate each other?
For the Dutch, the origins of the rivalry are primarily based on the anti-German sentiment resulting from World War II in which, during a five-year German occupation, a quarter of a million Dutch people died and the country itself was devastated.
What is the relationship between the Netherlands and Germany?
According to the official website of the Dutch government, relations between the two are currently “excellent”, enjoying “close political, economic, social, cultural, administrative and personal ties”. Germany is also by far the Netherlands’ main trading partner, both in imports and exports.
Was Holland ever part of Germany?
The Dutch didn’t regard themselves as Germans any more since the 15th century, but they officially remained a part of Germany until 1648. National identity was mainly formed by the province people came from. Holland was the most important province by far.
Why are Germans referred to as Dutch?
The Old English cousin to Dutch, thiod or theod, simply meant “people or nation.” (This also helps explain why Germany is called Deutschland in German.) Over time, English-speaking people used the word Dutch to describe people from both the Netherlands and Germany, and now just the Netherlands today.
What do the Dutch think of Germany?
The Dutch see the Germans as arrogant, noisy, rigid and intolerant – everything in fact that the Dutch are not. They are wary of a nation that shows such a passion for living in forests. But usually they don’t even bother to try and explain. They simply do not like Germans.
Are Netherlands German?
The Dutch language is a West Germanic language that is the national language of the Netherlands and, with French and German, one of the three official languages of Belgium. Dutch is also called Netherlandic or Dutch Nederlands; in Belgium it is called Flemish or Flemish Vlaams.