Page 64 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

62  INTRODUCING THE NE THERLANDS

The Modern Netherlands

Neutrality during World War I meant that the Netherlands
survived the first decades of the 20th century relatively
unscathed. However, the economic crisis of the 1930s and
particularly World War II left deep wounds. In 1957, as the Amsterdam
country was rebuilding, it became one of the six founding Rotterdam
members of the European Economic Community (EEC).
The Dutch welfare state flourished in the 1960s and Maastricht
1970s, and Amsterdam’s tradition of tolerance made it
a haven for the hippy culture. In a survey carried out by The Netherlands Today
the United Nations in 2015, the Netherlands ranked fifth
in the list of best countries to live in.

1917 The magazine De Stijl
is set up by figures from
the movement of the same
name, such as Theo van
Doesburg, Piet Mondriaan
and JJP Oud
1949 Holland
recognizes the
1930–1940 During independence
the economic crisis of its for mer 1953 On 1 February, storms
of the 1930s, colony Indonesia cause severe flooding in Zeeland
hundreds of and South Holland, drowning
thousands of Dutch more than 1,800 people
are unemployed
1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960
TIMELINE
1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960
1926 Road tax
1918 German introduced.
kaiser Wilhelm II Approximately
flees to Holland, 10,000 lorries
where he is and 30,000 1948 Willem Drees
given asylum cars are on
the roads Sr becomes prime
of Holland minister of four
successive Catholic
socialist Drees
cabinets and lays the
foundations of the
Dutch welfare state
1962 The release of
Jan Vrijman’s film De
1934 KLM’s plane “Uiver”, a DC-2, wins the werkelijkheid van
handicap section in the London– Karel Appel brings
Melbourne air race the postwar Dutch
painter to the
attention of the
general public. Karel
Appel (b. 1921)
caused a sensation
with his statement:
“I’ll just mess
something up”
1940 On 10 May,
Nazi troops
enter Holland.
Rotterdam
capitulates on
14 May. Despite
this, the city
is bombed

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