holland/netherlands

[nextqueen]

i have heard it said that the dutch generally like the british as we helped them during the war. why is this so, what happened exactly. the dutch are very close knit and dont mix well with foreigners, i have friends in amsterdam who are finding it very difficult to integrate. this surely contradicts the former notion.

[McMouse]

Ihave worked with many Dutch people and also met a number on vacation. Without exception they have been very friendly and welcoming.

[Hopkirk]

I think as the years pass, the effect of WW2 is diminishing around Europe.

We are tarnished by other factors nowadays.

[bookbinder]

Before the war, there was a certain amount of anti-British feeling among some sections of the Dutch people. This was a hangover from the Boer war, and was connected with the British practice of putting people in concentration camps. Not surprisingly, during WW2 Britain was seen as a possible saviour of the Dutch and feelings changed. Air drops of weapons, etc. to the Dutch resistance, plus the provision of a place of refuge for the Dutch government in exile, a safe haven for Prince Bernhard, and (I think) for Queen Wilhelmina, all served to raise the profile of Britain in the wartime Netherlands. Of course, the sight of British troops on Dutch soil was the ultimate blessing for the Dutch people. The Dutch are well known for welcoming (some) foreigners, so a comment on your friends' case, in Amsterdam, is not really possible here. Do your friends speak Dutch? That in itself is not a major problem in the big cities, as many Dutch people speak English, but it is seen as a compliment if a foreigner makes an effort to learn something of the language.

[Vagrant]

"the dutch are very close knit and dont mix well with foreigners"
I worked in the Netherlands for many years and found exactly the opposite to be true!

[Marijn]

I've never heard that before, about the Dutch not mixing with foreigners. I find them the opposite, and very open and warm.

[shaneystar2]

I lived in the Netherlands for a number of years,in Krimpen aan den IJssel and am still in touch with people I met there .We were made very welcome .Had some good times there. Nice people .And when you have a baby practically the whole street comes round with flowers and pressies :))

[zimmer]

Dutch have always seemed pleasant to me.

[heathfield]

In history, the Dutch were colonisers, just as the British were. They were to be found all over the world, mixed well, and probably got on better with the locals than the British did. Indeed, they somehow came to an agreement with the Caribs of the Caribbean, (no-one knows how) and while other nationalities were for years the subject of frenzied attacks, the Dutch tended to be left alone.

[jno]

the Dutch and British (English, anyway) are racially quite close and though it may not look like it, their languages are similar. I've found both peoples to be similar - friendly but a bit reserved and won't instantly invite you into their homes (as, say, many Americans or Australians would).

[VHG]

The Dutch generally dont like the Germans.

This is a hangover from WW2 where the Germans killed many Dutch civilans.

When the Dutch and Germans play an international football match it can get very nasty.

[Count-A-Strong]

I've been on a boatig holiday around northern Holland and to Amsterdam and founfd the Dutch to be very friendly on both occasions. We even had a drink bought by a bank manager in one small town.

[237SJ]

I`ve certainly had a few parties with the KLM crew! They do like to enjoy themselves

[bookbinder]

Apropos VHG's post: my wife and I stayed in a hotel in the Netherlands, and the car park was accessible to anyone (not locked). A German car got a deep scratch along one side, and it wasn't accidental. It went right down to the primer. Our car was OK. We once stayed with Dutch friends in Rotterdam, and we had to park on the street. Our friends joked next morning that our car still had all 4 wheels, "but then, it is a British car" they said.

[cc1]

On holiday, a long long time ago, we took a sick car into a Dutch garage, asking, in German, if they could fix it. They were very unhelpful, until they heard us talking English between ourselves. The owner was apoplectic, "Don't ever speak German in Holland if you're asking for something" We got the car fixed pdq, though I think nowadays the situation is different.