Cultural History of the Netherlands in a Golden Age and a Global Age

Between 1580 and 1690 two nations emerged in Europe from what had been one unified region. To the north, the Dutch Republic gained its independence from Spain and developed as a bastion of liberty, ideas in ferment, visuals arts, Calvinist faith, science, technology, and global economic reach. To the south, the "loyal" Netherlands, now Belgium, returned to the Spanish and Catholic fold, but sustained its leading position in the arts, competed in global trade, and negotiated a new compromise of government. In this course we present an interdisciplinary, comparative view of the "two" Netherlands and their legacy in the world.