3. Willem-Alexander van Oranje and Máxima
Engagement photo of Prins of Orange and Maxima Zorreguieta, 2001.
Willem-Alexander is the eldest of 3 sons of Beatrix, who was Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 till 2013. When Queen Beatrix retired, Willem-Alexander became King of The Netherlands. Willem-Alexander (and the monarchy) was not very popular in The Netherlands until he married the beautiful and intelligent Argentine Máxima, thereby turning the entire country monarchy-friendly.
Prins Pils
He is also known as Prins Pils, which refers to his love of beer. But he is also famously sporty, skating the Elfstedentocht and (former) member of the International Olympic Committee.
Videla-regime
Maxima, Queen of The Netherlands is the daughter of Jorge Zorreguieta, who was part of the government during the military dictatorship of Jorge Videla in Argentina. Her father was not therefore not invited to the marriage ceremony.
4. Blade runner actor Rutger Hauer
Rutger Hauer is a Dutch actor born in 1944 who moved to Hollywood to pursue a successful international career. You might have seen him in Nighthawks, Blade Runner, Blind Fury, Flesh & Blood or Escape from Sobibor.
In Holland, Rutger Hauer has made a lasting impression with the film Turks Fruit (Turkish Delight), after the book by Dutch writer Jan Wolkers, where he plays a bohemian artist in 70s Amsterdam.
Paul Verhoeven, Dutch film director
In The Netherlands, Rutger Hauer became famous when he played Floris in 1969, a television series by Paul Verhoeven.Paul Verhoeven later became very big in Hollywood, directing films like RoboCop (1987),Total Recall(1990) enBasic Instinct(1992).
Carice van Houten and Thekla Reuten
Dutch actrice Carice van Houten starred in the HBO series Game of Thrones playing Melisandre. Thekla Reuten is also Dutch. She played in In Bruges, The American and Red Sparrow.
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5. DJ Tiësto and Armin van Buuren
How long the names of Tiësto and Armin van Buuren and, recently DJ Hardwell will stay famous, time can only tell. The fact is The Netherlands has produced some very famous DJs in the last 10 years.
Tiësto was the first name to spread around the world. Behind the worldwide brand is Tijs Verwest from Breda.
250.000 dollar per gig
In the nineties Tiesto quickly became a popular trance DJ, playing at parties all over the world and making record amounts of money (250.000 dollars per gig) behind the decks. Armin van Buuren, another trance DJ, started the road to fame and fortune in 2001 with the radio show A State of Trance. The latest rising star is the young (born 1988) DJ Hardwell, Robbert van de Corput. He makes mostly dance and house music and has his own radio show Hardwell On Air at Dutch Radio 538. DJ Mag named Hardwell the best DJ of the world in 2013 and 2014.
6. Famous Dutch people: Geert Wilders
Dutch politician Geert Wilders often travels abroad to criticize Islam and ends up in the international newspapers as the object of protests and controversy. Wilders started his own party Partij voor de Vrijheid (Freedom Party) in 2004 and running it practically on his own. The overly blonde man from the South of The Netherlands receives many treats.
Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn shot dead
The treats are not to be taken lightly. In 2002 Dutch populist politician Pim Fortuyn was shot dead. His party, the new LPF, was about to make a big winning in the forthcoming elections. Pim Fortuyn was killed by an extreme animal activist outside a radio station.
Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh
Only 2 years later, Theo van Gogh, a Dutch film director, and television persona was murdered in a gruesome manner in broad daylight after dropping off his kid at school. His killer was an Islamic extremist. Sometime before, Van Gogh had made a film with Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali in which they criticized Islam. (And yes, Theo van Gogh is related to the famous painter.)
7. Dutch Photographer Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer most well known for his portraits of famous people, mostly in music.Among them are:Simple Minds,Bob Dylan,Tom Waits,David Bowie, Miles Davis,Joy Division,Björk,Captain Beefheart,Robert De Niro,New Order,Stephen Hawking,Luciano Pavarotti, and Clint Eastwood.
Record design
Corbijn also designed many record covers, for U2 (The Joshua TreeenAchtung Baby), Green Day, Depeche Mode,Nick Cave,Metallica,Therapy?,The Rolling Stones,REM and theBee Gees.
Music videos
He also directed music videos for U2,Metallica,Roxette,The Killers,Joy Division, Depeche Mode,Front 242,Coldplay,Johnny CashenArcade Fire.For his music video Heart-Shaped Box of Nirvana from 1994, he won an MTV Award. Lastly, he also directed films: The American (with George Clooney), A most wanted man, Life and Home.Corbijn has also made several successful movies.Another famous Dutch photographer is Erwin Olaf.
8. Big Brother producer John de Mol
John de Mol might not be a famous name, but his influence on the world of reality television is huge, as he was the creator of the first Big Brother television series. In 1999 the first Big Brother series was aired in The Netherlands.
In Big Brother, 12 people were locked up in a special building with cameras everywhere. Every now and then one of the people was nominated by the other participants to leave the house. It caused quite a stir and a big media hype.Since 2000 Big Brother is produced and aired in at least 58 different countries.
9. Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas
Rem Koolhaas is a famous Dutch architect. In 1975 he founded the Office for Metropolitan Art (OMA) in London. His creations stand out and Koolhaas plays a big role in the international debate about urban architecture.
Kunsthal in Rotterdam
Examples of his work are Parc de la Villette, Paris (1982), Kunsthal in Rotterdam (1992), Embassy of The Netherlands in Berlin, Seattle Central Library Seattle, Beverly Hills Prada, Second Stage Theatre in New York, and Central China Television Headquarters Building in Beijing, China. In 2008, Time named Rem Koolhaas in their top 100 of The World’s Most Influential People.
10. William of Orangeaka William the Silent
The reason Dutch people dress on national occasions in orange is this man: Willem van Oranje (William of Orange). Willem van Oranje is known as the founding father and hero of The Netherlands.Willem van Oranje, also known as William I, Prince of Orange or William the Silent (Willem de Zwijger) made his fame when he led the Dutch uprising against the rule of the Spanish Habsburg. The uprise led to the 80-year war (1568–1648) between the Dutch states and Spain.
Freedom of religion
William of Orange was a wealthy nobleman born in the House of Nassau (Germany) and a proponent of freedom of religion for all people.Declared anoutlawby the Spanish king in 1580, he was assassinated byBalthasar Gerardts inDelftin 1584.
In 1677, his son William II married his cousinMary Stuart. She was the daughter of the future KingJames II of England.
After their marriage, in 1688, William threw his Catholic father-in-law from the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland. William and Mary were crowned King and Queen of England.
William III died childless after a riding accident on March 8, 1702. The main male line of the House of Orange was left to extinction. Scotland, England, and Ireland were left to his sister-in-law Queen Anne.
Willem-Alexander, present King of The Netherlands is a decedent of William of Orange through the female line. Though William III did not have any children, there are conspiracy theories that say otherwise.
Thenational anthemof The Netherlands, theWilhelmus, was originally a propaganda song for William of Orange. That makes William of Orange the most famous of all famous Dutch people.
FAQs
What are the Dutch most famous for? ›
The Netherlands (or Holland) may be a small country, but it's packed with world famous icons. Discover our bulb fields, windmills, cheese markets, wooden shoes, canals of Amsterdam, masterpieces of Old Masters, Delft Blue earthenware, innovative water-management and millions of bicycles.
What's Amsterdam famous for? ›Amsterdam is known for its window brothels, wild nightlife, and coffeeshops selling soft drugs. Amsterdam is also famous for housing more bicycles than citizens, more canals than Venice, more bridges than Paris, and more crooked houses than any other place.
What country are Dutch people from? ›The Dutch people are from the Netherlands.
What 5 famous artists were Dutch? ›The history of Dutch painting is a rich one, yielding some of history's most significant painters including Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Pieter Bruegel, Hieronymus Bosch, and Vincent van Gogh.
What is Dutch short for? ›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 is a Dutch drink? ›There are many drinks that can be described as typically Dutch, the best-known being beer and jenever, hugely popular both in the Netherlands and abroad. In bars across the country, and at events and festivals, beer is a popular choice and if you ask, you are likely to find jenever too!
What language is Dutch? ›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.
What are people from Amsterdam called? ›All about the Dutch Capital's inhabitants. Amsterdam is one of the best-known cities in the world – but what are people from Amsterdam called? The correct term is Amsterdammers in both Dutch and English but people from the city are sometimes referred to as Mokumers.
Is Amsterdam a beautiful city? ›Amsterdam is just as beautiful as other European cities, but it's unique and special in its own way — sure to make your pictures unforgettable. If you want to know more about Amsterdam, have a look at our list of interesting Amsterdam facts.
Why are Dutch people tall? ›Scientists attribute this to a diet that is rich in milk and meat. The Dutch have grown so quickly in a short period of time that most of the growth is attributed to their changing environment. They are one of the world's largest producers and consumers of cheese and milk.
How tall are Dutch people? ›
At just over 6 feet for men and about 5-foot-6 for women, the Dutch are still the world's tallest population. But the growth that has seen the country to the top of global height charts for decades appears to have ground to a halt.
What is a Dutch person called? ›In the Dutch language, the Dutch refer to themselves as Nederlanders.
Was Van Gogh a Dutch? ›Vincent van Gogh: a star is born
Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh is an international star attraction of Holland's art scene. Born in the Dutch province of North Brabant on 30 March 1853, the post-impressionist artist famously struggled to attain the artistic success he yearned for.
Born on July 15, 1606, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is the greatest painter in Dutch history, and one of the greatest painters in all of the history of Europe. Like so many of the great painters, Rembrandt's life was marked by hardship and financial difficulty.
Where do celebs go in Amsterdam? ›- Het Gooi. This is an area on the outskirts of Amsterdam and this spot can be one of the celebrity hotspots as surrounding of the town of Hilversum, is where Dutch TV is being produced. ...
- Heineken Brewery. ...
- The Rozentheater.
Well, Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, a small country in Northwestern Europe. There are other cities named 'Amsterdam' — mostly in the USA.
What are people from Holland called? ›The people of Holland are referred to as "Hollanders" in both Dutch and English, though in English this is now unusual. Today this refers specifically to people from the current provinces of North Holland and South Holland.
What is a Dutch name for a girl? ›- Ada (name)
- Adriana.
- Agatha (given name)
- Aleida.
- Aletta.
- Alida.
- Amalia (given name)
- Anna (name)
t/m (tot en met): up to and including.
What is a male Dutch name? ›
Common & popular Dutch boy names
Liam. Lucas. Daan. Finn.
It is illegal to sell alcohol to people under 18. This is laid down in the Licensing and Catering Act. Local authorities monitor businesses that sell alcohol for compliance with the legal age limits and with the conditions of their licence.
What cheese is Dutch? ›Gouda cheese is the most famous, and most produced, Dutch Cheese, followed by Edam, Maasdam, Boerenkaas, Leyden and lesser known cheeses. Gouda: Gouda is the best known Dutch Cheese and its recipe has been copied (but rarely equalled) by cheese makers around the world.
What is a traditional Dutch meal? ›The old-fashioned Dutch dinner consists of one simple course: potatoes, meat and vegetables—known under the acronym "AVG" (aardappelen, vlees, groente). AVG consists traditionally of potatoes with a large portion of vegetables and a small portion of meat with gravy, or a potato and vegetable stew.
Is Dutch older than German? ›Dutch, German and English are in the same family tree
Around the year 500 A.D., the Germanic dialects gave rise to separate languages, including Old Dutch. So Dutch is about 1500 years old. To simplify a little bit, you can see it like this. German is the oldest form.
Officially, according to the number one dictionary in the Netherlands, Van Dale - which is also responsible for selecting the country's word of the year every December - the longest Dutch word is meervoudigepersoonlijkheidsstoornis (35 letters) which, when plural, becomes even longer: ...
Is Dutch hard to learn? ›How hard is it to learn? Dutch is probably the easiest language to learn for English speakers as it positions itself somewhere between German and English. For example, you may know that German has three articles: der, die and das, and English only one: the.
What time is dinner in Amsterdam? ›Amsterdam restaurants opening hours
The Dutch usually eat lunch between 12:00 and 14:00 and have dinner between 19:00 and 21:00. In most restaurants the kitchen closes around 22:00, however there are also places for midnight snacking.
While the Netherlands' official language is Dutch, the country sits at a unique crossroads of Europe, such that French, English, and German are all also fairly common to hear. On top of that, there are dozens of dialects you may notice.
What language is spoken in Amsterdam? ›The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch, spoken by almost all people in the Netherlands. Dutch is also spoken and official in Aruba, Bonaire, Belgium, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten and Suriname.
Why is it called Dutch? ›
The word Dutch comes from a Proto-Germanic word meaning “of the people.” It shares a root with the German word Deutsch, which has led to some confusing names. The name Germans call Germany, for example, is Deutschland and the people there Deutsch. Dutch and German are related, after all, both being Germanic languages.
What are the 3 X's in Amsterdam? ›The three Xs (XXX) are actually the three Saint Andrew's crosses. St. Andrew was a fisherman who was martyred on an X-shaped cross in the 1st century AD, which is relevant to Amsterdam as the city's symbol dates back to 1505 when it was a fishing town and all ships registered in Amsterdam flew this flag.
Can you speak English in Amsterdam? ›As we've mentioned earlier, the people of Amsterdam and the Netherlands as a whole speak pretty great English and you're very unlikely to face a language barrier with the locals (assuming that you too speak English!). If you do want to learn a couple of words to use, the Dutch will definitely appreciate it!
Why does everyone go to Amsterdam? ›The unique traffic (bikes), tons of museums, beautiful canals, amazing buildings, lot's of places for drinking, coffeeshops, the multiple parks (like Vondelpark), the red light district. Several reasons. City is nice with it's canals and old houses.
What is the nicest city in Netherlands? ›Groningen is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in the Netherlands, and despite it being in the somewhat remote north of the country, it is very easy to get to. Particularly if you are travelling around the Netherlands by train.
How tall are Dutch girls? ›A land of giants, the Netherlands is the loftiest nation on Earth: the average height of a Dutch man is 182.5cm; a Dutch woman 168.7cm. By comparison their American counterparts measure 177.1cm and 163.5cm respectively.
Why are the Dutch so happy? ›The Netherlands scores well on social structures, generosity and on GDP per capita and discerns low levels of perceptions of corruption. These scores result in a high level of trust and benevolence, both important contributors to feelings of well-being.
Are Dutch people nice? ›While there may at times be some amount of antipathy towards outsiders, most Dutch people are actually extremely humble, welcoming, and friendly towards outsiders. It's just that their way of being friendly is a little different from what most people are used to.
What is it like dating a Dutch guy? ›When it comes to dating, the Dutch like to keep things casual and let things progress naturally. And just like anything else in life, they prefer to approach their romantic pursuits with a sense of practicality.
What is the tallest race? ›* Dutch men are the tallest on the planet, with an average height of 182.5cm. Latvian women are the tallest on the planet, with an average height of 170cm. * The top four tallest countries for men are the Netherlands, Belgium, Estonia and Latvia.
What nationality is the tallest? ›
According to the report, the Netherlands is still the world's tallest nation with the average height in the country for men 183.78 cm, or 6 foot, and 170.36 cm, or 5 foot 7 inches for women.
Are Germans Dutch? ›They are not. Dutch people are from the Netherlands. German people are from Germany. These are different countries, with different cultures, different languages and different histories.
What do the Dutch call their country? ›The official name of the country is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. King Willem-Alexander is the king of the nation. Holland actually only means the two provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. However, the name Holland is often used when all of the Netherlands is meant.
Why is it not called Holland anymore? ›The Dutch government has officially decided to drop the moniker of Holland going forward, and will only refer to itself as the Netherlands. The Netherlands actually consists of 12 provinces, two of which combined make up Holland, so referring to the Netherlands as a whole as Holland is just wrong.
Who is the most famous Dutch actress? ›Audrey Hepburn. Being one of the most widely recognised Dutch actors in Hollywood, Hepburn was born in Belgium in 1929 but grew up in Arnhem with her mother, a Dutch Baroness.
Who was the most famous Dutch explorer? ›Willem Schouten, in full Willem Corneliszoon Schouten, (born 1567?, Hoorn, Neth. —died 1625, Antongil Bay, Madagascar), Dutch explorer whose 1615–16 expedition discovered a new route, the Drake Passage, around the southern tip of South America, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific.
What sport did the Dutch invent? ›korfball, game similar to netball and basketball, invented in 1901 by an Amsterdam schoolmaster, Nico Broekhuysen. It was first demonstrated in the Netherlands in 1902 and was played on an international level, primarily in Europe, by the 1970s.
What have the Dutch invented? ›- The Microscope.
- Cassette, CD, DVD and Blu-Ray.
- Bluetooth.
- Wi-Fi.
- Orange Carrots.
- The Stock Market.
- Fair Trade.
- Levees and Man-Made Islands.
Holland is not a country, but a region of the Netherlands that is made up of two provinces where most of the population of the Netherlands lives. (Provinces are similar to counties.) The Netherlands is made of twelve provinces and the ones specific to Holland are Noord Holland and Zuid Holland.
Who is the most famous Irish actress? ›- Saoirse Ronan.
- Ruth Negga.
- Brenda Fricker.
- Katie McGrath.
- Bronagh Gallagher.
- Caitríona Balfe.
- Michelle Fairley.
- Alison Doody.
Who was the first Dutch explorer? ›
Gulf of Carpentaria (Northern Australia) (1623)
The first known European explorer to visit the region was Dutch Willem Janszoon (also known as Willem Jansz) on his 1605–06 voyage.
Many of the Dutch immigrated to America to escape religious persecution. They were known for trading, particularly fur, which they obtained from the Native Americans in exchange for weapons.
Why did the Dutch start exploring? ›Dutch aims in colonizing new territories were primarily commercial: maximize profit and minimize financial risk. Unlike the English in North America and (later) in South Africa, they had little interest in establishing colonies with a high degree of political autonomy.
Did Dutch create WiFi? ›The beginning of WiFi. WiFi was made possible in 1997, thanks to a Dutch project led by Victor Hayes. The Dutchman Cees Links - also known as the father of WiFi - played a vital role.
Who invented Dutch? ›The early form of Dutch was a set of Franconian dialects spoken by the Salian Franks in the 5th century. These happened to develop through Middle Dutch to Modern Dutch over the course of fifteen centuries.
Did the Dutch create New York? ›The colony of New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624 and grew to encompass all of present-day New York City and parts of Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey. A successful Dutch settlement in the colony grew up on the southern tip of Manhattan Island and was christened New Amsterdam.
What is Dutch short for? ›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 sport are the Dutch best at? ›Football is the most popular team sport in the Netherlands and has produced many famous players. The Dutch are well-known for their beautiful style of football and players like Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Denis Bergkamp are considered amongst the best players to have ever played the game.
What are Dutch values? ›Freedom, equality and solidarity are very important in the 'Grondwet'. The Netherlands has also signed up to international human rights treaties (such as the European treaty for Human rights) which also encompass these values. In the Netherlands, you are responsible for making a living.