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Clothing and fashion are often affected by regional differences, although HBC has just begun to collect information on this topic. In modern times, it has been less important in a small country like the Netherlands, although it has affected folk fashions.
The process of the unifying the Netherlands was begun by the Burgundian Dukes. It was completed during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. While the individual provinces of the Netherlands came to share a ruler (Emperor Carles V and then his son King Philip II of Spain). Despite their common ruler, each of the different provinces had no experience at working together as an actual united province. Until the Reformstion forged common bonds, the individual provinces were in effect autonomous with parliaments (Estates/Staten). The Burgundian Dukes in Brussels began introducing central institutions for the Netherlands as a whole. They created the Great Council, a kind of supreme court at Mechelen. The individual provinces at the time they became a Hapsburg possession had little experience with these new institutions. Emperor Charles V in an effort to improve administration, split the Great Council into three offices: the Council of Finances, the Secret Council (a chancellery in charge of domestic affairs), and a Statre Council. Th Emperor also established Governor General to reporesent him in the Netherlands. Another office, the Burgundian Imperial Circle was established from the Burgundian territories that the Habsburg controled (1548). The attempt of Chatles V and hi son, Philip II, to suppress the Protestants resulted in the Dutch Reformation and the split between the Dutch and Spanish Netherlands.
At the time of the Reformation there were great differences among the different provinces. Several had developed along lines that was not common in Europe at the time. Flanders, Zeeland, Holland and Brabant were already heavily urbanized. Friesland and Groningen for centuries had not experienced feudalization and control by aristocratic lords. In these provinces and in Drente, the rural communities has established a significant degree of autonomy. Friesland and Groningen had a history of resisting any kind of central control. In the provinces to the south and east (roughly modern Belgium), the relation between nobility, clergy and cities was more like that of the rest of Europe, although the provinces were not accustomed to the centralized, absolutist rule that Charles V and Philip II were attempting to impldement. There are now 11 Dutch provinces: Drente, Groningen, Friesland (Frisia), Gelderland, Limburg, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, South Holland, Utrecht, and Zeeland.
Drente recognized Charles V as their territorial lord in 1536.
Frisia includes the coastal area of the northern Netherlands, extending into Germany as far as the mouth of the Weser River. The Frisian people have lived on these sandy shores for ages. They are notable as English because their language in the European tounge most closely related to English. This is in part because it is the area from which the Anglo-Saxons set out on their conquest of Britain. Friesland is the only province that has a different language: Frisian. It is not a dialect, but a distinctive language, for other Dutchmen hard to understand. In many Frisian towns signs are bilingual. Frisia evolved into small local units involved into intercine warfare. This condition was ended by Spanish troops acting under Imperial authority at the end of the 15th century. Portions of Frisia were later ruled as both part of the Spanish Netherlands and United Provinces evolving into the Dutch Kingdom. Eastern Frisia became a distinct region during the time of internecine feuding of the 13th century. The separation became permanent when the Dollart Estuary at the mouth of the Ems River was flooded in 1277. Isolated from the caos of the resy of Frisia, regional control slowly emerged. Friesland recognized Charles V as their erritorial lord in 1524.
Gelders is located in the central Netherlands, east of Utrecht. It was made a principality in 1317 and a Duchy 1339. Gelderland (Guelders) recoignized Charles V as their territoriasl lord in 1543. Gelders and Gelderland are the same (the name used to be Gelre).
Groningen recognized Charles V as their territorial lord in 1536
The only major territory in the Netherlands that was not directy under Habsburg
rule was the Princebishopric of Liege.
There are two provinces, North Brabant and Limburg, bordering on Belgium, where the population speaks a dialect similar to Flemish and where the majority is Catholic. However, they do not consider themselves Flemish.
There are two provinces, North Brabant and Limburg, bordering on Belgium, where the population speaks a dialect similar to Flemish and where the majority is Catholic. However, they do not consider themselves Flemish.
Holland was first noted in 1101. Previous rulers had governed the area as "Counts of Frisia" or "Counts of Kennemerland". Holland is coastal area between the Rhine delta and the Zuider Sea. Holland is the core of what would develop into the Dutch Kingdom. The Netherlands even today is sometimes referred to as Holland. Amsterdam lies in the province of North Holland.
Overijssel recognized Charle V as their territorial lord in 1528.
The Hague and Rotterdam are in South Holland.
Utrecht was a princebishopric. The province recognized Charles V as their territorial lord in 1528.
Zeeland is notable for the many people, mostly the women, who wear traditional costumes.
In most Dutch provinces there are villages where traditional, regional garb is being worn. In North Holland: Volendam and Marken, in Utrecht: Spakenburg, in Zeeland: Goes and Middelburg, in Overijssel: Staphorst, just to mention the most important ones. On Marken Island little boys are dressed as girls until the age of 5. When dressed, they only differ in the little hat they are wearing, because they also have long hair.
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