Where oh Where Wednesday - Colonies of Belgium and Netherlands

Last week we talked about colonization. The Dutch were busy early on - during the Golden Age. Although we might not always recognize it, we run into remnants of that time and expansion in many places. Hoboken, Harlem, Bushwick and Flushing in New York (which was first New Amsterdam) are good examples. But Australia was also first known as Newe Holland and New Zealand is very clearly from the Dutch “Nieuw Zeeland”. 

But names are not colonies. As mentioned the Dutch colonized in many places around the world due to their commerce and trade. Indonesia was a major colony in Asia. In the new world, the Dutch colonized Surinam (the north of South America) and several Caribbean Islands. 

Indonesia fought for their independence. Surinam became independent but is still dependent in many ways. The Caribbean islands - Aruba, Saint Martin and Curaçao were all part of the kingdom of the Netherlands until most recently when Curacao became its own country. 

In the Netherlands you can still feel the influence of these times in some of the food and peoples in the country. When Indonesia fought for freedom, some Indonesians fought with the Dutch and had to flee to the Netherlands. They brought their culture with them. The Dutch enjoy Indonesian meals and have made them their own - a bit like Americans have assimilated Mexican meals into “American” culture. Loempia, spicy sambal and rice (including a "rice table") are all considered very Dutch any more. As well as a good “cup of Java” (Java is in Indonesia) - coffee. 

Food from the Antilles has also been popular, although perhaps less of a recognized cuisine. Most recently the Dutch have had to deal with various parts of their history colliding when “zwarte Piet”, the black helper of Saint Nicholas, was taken more and more as a symbol of racism by Dutch people of Surinam or Caribbean heritage. “Black Pete” has been around for hundreds of years. But is it appropriate? That is the question some are still dealing with. 

On the Belgian side, it was all about Congo in deep dark Africa. Although the Belgians did not truly bring any of the African cuisine with them to the “home country”, they did bring chocolate. And, like in the Netherlands, there are some, though far fewer, who have raised questions about “Zwartte Piet” who is also part of the Belgian Christmas tradition. 

In the area we work - the south of the Netherlands and East of Belgium - we do not have as much contact with people of color as one might have in the large cities of Rotterdam or Brussels, for example. But these days our world is a global place. The congregation in Maastricht has members of all colors and backgrounds. Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Curaçao, Ecuador, Germany, Netherlands, Nigeria, Ukraine and the United States (with its diversity) are all represented. God’s family is amazing!

Whensday - Belgian and Dutch colonization

Before New York was called this, it was called New Amsterdam and the Dutch were the ones there. There is an amazing, thrilling history there, during what is called in the Netherlands the “Golden Age”. 

The 17th century saw an enormous period of growth for the Netherlands. It was during this time that the Dutch East Indies company and the West Indies Company spread their business and influence throughout the world. These colonies and areas of influence continued until after World War II in the 20th century. Much of this, then was before the Netherlands actually was what we now know as the Netherlands. 

In Belgium things were quite different. In 1800, the very beginning of the 19th century, Belgium was one of the few West European countries without colonies. Most of this was down to Belgium not having been a separate country during the major period of colonization by European countries. Belgium officially declared itself a country in 1830 (and was recognized in 1839). Before that time it was part of Spain, Austria, France and the Netherlands. 

King Leopold I did all he could mid 19th century to remedy this lack of colonization for the small European country. Hawaii was almost a Belgian colony, and Belgium tried to start things in Guatemala, Chihuahua (in Mexico), Brazil and Argentina. But none of these colonies every really got off the ground. 

It was under King Leopold II near the end of the 19th century and begin of the 20th century that the Belgians finally got their colony. This was mostly due to working together with Henry Morton Stanley. It was Stanley who ‘found” the missing Dr. Livingstone in deep dark Africa. “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Stanley wanted to continue his explorations and was able to do so under the Belgian flag. This is how Belgium finally got their colonization going.

By the end of the 19th century the Netherlands was still present in much of what the VOC (Dutch East Indies Company) had laid claim to. Many of these colonies would end up becoming part of the Dutch empire. After WWII many of these European colonies, including those from the Netherlands and Belgium, became independent.