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Clothing and fashion are often affected by regional differences, although HBC has just begun to collect information on this topic. Until World War II the tradition of regional clothing was still fairly common in rural areas. Girls' dresses showed if the girl was married or single as well as her religious affiliation. This was an aspect of folk dress. This was much less common for males, although people sometimes work these regional folk costumes for specual occassions. A Dutch reader tells us, "There were about 20 different regions in our very small country with different types of clothing." Since the War, wearing folk and regional clothing has gradually declined even in rural areas. You do sometimes see elderly ladies wearing these outfits.
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. A Dutch reader tells us, "There were about 20 different regions in our very small country with different types of clothing." Several provinces 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. The people there, however, do not consider themselves Flemish. Limburh of course is best known for its cheese.
There are two southern provinces, North Brabant and Limburg, bordering on Belgium, where the population speaks a dialect similar to Flemish and where the majority is Catholic. Barbant was a medieval duchy. That duchy today is divided between the Netherlands and Belgium which is why the Dutch portion is called Noord Brabant. Barbant was extremely prosperous in the lare medieval period (14th and 15th centuries). The major cities were Leuven (Louvain), Antwerp (both now in Belgium), Breda and 's-Hertogenbosch. After the Union of Utrecht (1579), Brabant became a battlefield in the Dutch War for Independence against Catholic Spain (1588-1648). Spain prevailed in the southern Netherlands which is basically modern Belgium. The War was ended by the Peace of Westphalia, the northern part of Brabant became a part of the Netherlands. It was referred to as Staats-Brabant (State Brabant) which was placed under federal rule. The founding provinces of the Dutch Republic which were self-governing. The Dutch Government promoted efforts to preach Protestantism in Brabant, but did not impose it by force. (In contrast to Spanish policies in the south.) ThecDutch efforts to convert the population failed, and Barbant remained as a largely Catholic military buffer zone. Gradually the name Noord Brababt became recognized. The people in North Brabant while Catholic, consider themselves Dutch and not Flemish. A typical rural village in North Barbant is Zigtaart.
Noord Holland is the North Sea coastal province between the Rhine delta and the Zuider Sea. Holland is the core of what would develop into the Dutch Kingdom. This is why the Netherlands is still often referred to as Holland. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam, the best known Dutch city. For most of its history, modern-day Noord Holland has been an integral part of Holland. The history of Noord Holland is esentially the history of Hollnd until modern times. The modern destinction between Noth and South Holland were not well established. The Counts of Frisia/Kennemerland were the first rulers of Holland. The counts of Holland ruled Holland (9th - 16th centuries). The Counts of Holland added West Friesland and incorporated it into their possessions. For some time after Holland was called "Holland and West Friesland". The inhabitant of West Friesland still have, however, a strong sense of identity as a region within Holland and even North Holland). The Dutch developed a sea faring traditon and were at the center of commerce between the Baltic and Wesrn Europe. The Dutch also participted in the trade opened up with the East, Africa, and the Americas opened up by the Portuguese and Spanish (late-15th century). It was here that most Dutch trading vessels were based and the center of resistance to Spanish rule and the eventual independence. It was also here where capitalism was essentially invented. Holland including what is modern North and South Holland was the heart and the wealthiest and most important province on the United Provinces, the Dutch Republic (16th - 19th century). Holland dominated the United Provinces. It is during this period that a distinction began to develop between the North (Noorderkwartier) and the South (Zuiderkwartier). The formal province of North Holland was formally constitued during the French Revolution when the Dutch Republic was occupied by the the French (1795-1813). And this destinction was retained by the Dutch Kingdom tht was created after the Napleonic wars. Amsterdam is one of the most modern cities in Europe. Other areas of the province are much more traditional.
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.
Until World War II the tradition of regional clothing was still fairly common in rural areas. Girls' dresses showed if the girl was married or single as well as her religious affiliation. This was an aspect of folk dress. This was much less common for males, although people sometimes work these regional folk costumes for specual occassions. Since the War, wearing folk and regional clothing has gradually declined even in rural areas. You do sometimes see elderly ladies wearing these outfits.
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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