A small brass plaque twinkles in the pavement between two pots of yellow pansies: “Here lived Bart Witteman It then lists the date that this policeman in the Dutch city of Haarlem his grandson Ton Witteman laid this “stumbling stone” in front of the quiet terrace where his grandfather lived With the blessing of the present homeowners the pavement became part of an artistic project by the German artist Gunter Demnig—but a controversial one With the agreement of the current residents the plaque was laid outside the house where Bart Witteman sheltered two Jewish people Courtesy Ton Witteman provided evidence of his grandfather’s heroism and laid the piece himself “Gunter Demnig developed these stumbling stones to lay before the houses where someone last lived in freedom so that you simply come across them in the street,” he tells The Art Newspaper “My grandfather is remembered as a policeman in the police station in Haarlem where there is a plaque of seven names of fallen policemen including his He lived here; this is where he was taken away After the discovery that he was sheltering Jewish people deported and murdered by the Nazis Courtesy Ton Witteman Alexander Stukenberg, the executive director of the Stolpersteine foundation, says the organisation responds to requests to create stones to be laid all over Europe, if the evidence shows people were indeed victims. “Gunter Demnig says that stolpersteine are for all victims of the Nazis, and the dream could even be that a victim from England or North Africa who had to do forced labour in a factory in Germany also gets one,” he tells The Art Newspaper. Haarlem's mayor, Jos Wienen, said in a council meeting that it would not offer struikelstenen for other victims of the Nazis—but it would not remove Witteman’s illicit stone, either. And, thanks to Witteman’s action, the city has now voted to create its own memorial pavestone, inspired by Demnig, for other victims of the Nazis who were not part of the Jewish, Roma or Sinti communities. “It is extraordinary how much this war and the horrors it brought with it are still very much alive 80 years later, and that there is such a need to reflect on them,” he said. “There’s a question about how you deal with these sorts of memories, remembrance stones, stumbling stones…but what unites is that we all want to offer them a place and a form.” Gerard van Klooster, Ton Witteman’s cousin and a Haarlem resident, has no regrets about the city's only stolpersteine for a man who resisted the Nazis. “If something like this is there, maybe a lamp goes on and people think also about Ukraine,” he says. “It brings it close to home.” one of the minds behind the project in Ukraine news9 November 2021Berlin museum acquires vast collection of antisemitic objects amassed by German man who helped Jewish people hide from NazisWolfgang Haney photographs and more bearing witness to the persecution of Jewish people archive1 November 2000“The Jewish people should be heirs to heirless art” says Knesset member, as plans are made to return Nazi-loot to rightful ownersChristie’s and Sotheby’s to help with provenance research projects feature19 August 2024‘The greatest theft in history’: a new exhibition in Amsterdam offers an unprecedented account of Nazi lootingThe two-part show reveals like never before how theft was used as a means of erasing Jewish identity the chair of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council 2025—The large new data center that construction company Heijmans announced on Monday will be located in Haarlem only North Holland was communicated as the location initially Research by the Noordhollands Dagblad now points to Haarlem as the city where the data center will be located which was done at the client’s request because “data centers have a high level of security,” would have been difficult in the long term This new data center has a floor area of ​​11,000 square meters Original – Heijmans will build a new data center in the Dutch province of North Holland the company keeps the location and the client’s name secret to be completed in October 2026 for 96 million euros The building will have a capacity of 10 megawatts and will be prepared for connection to a local heat network allowing the heat produced to be put to good use water use in the data center must be minimized the project relies on targeted water treatment which means that drinking water use is limited and used water is recycled and upgraded for reuse “Because data centers have a high level of security, Heijmans does not actively disclose the location, as well as the name of the client, at the client’s request,” Heijmans said North Holland has already proven to be an attractive province for data centers Specialized players such as Equinix and NorthC also have sites in North Holland The project is characterized by its modular construction method Parts of the finishing and installations are prefabricated at a central location in the Netherlands before being transported to the construction site this speeds up the construction process and increases work efficiency It also reduces the number of miles suppliers travel to the construction site A central transport point is used in the area from which combined construction transport is organized Heijmans sees the number of construction material transport movements decrease and expects to cause less nuisance in the area Tip: Sustainability in data centers: where do things stand? Techzine focusses on IT professionals and business decision makers by publishing the latest IT news and background stories The goal is to help IT professionals get acquainted with new innovative products and services but also to offer in-depth information to help them understand products and services better © 2025 Dolphin Publications B.V.All rights reserved Team Italy will then play games on the following respective days against USA Japan and Chinese Taipei before entering the semifinals or being relegated to the 5th-6th place final The Haarlem Week 2024 championship final and bronze medal game as well as the nostalgic Old Stars contest are scheduled to take place on Friday Below is the Haarlem Week 2024 schedule:  2024 3.30 pm Chinese Taipei-Japan; 7.30 pm Netherlands-USA  2024 11:30 am Chinese Taipei-Spain; 1:30 pm USA-Japan 2024 11:30 am USA-Italy; 3:30 pm Netherlands-Chinese Taipei; 7:30 pm Japan-Spain 2024 3:30 pm Spain-Italy; 7:30 pm USA-Chinese Taipei 2024 3:30 pm Italy-Japan; 7:30 pm Netherlands-Spain 202411:30 am Chinese Taipei-Italy; 3:30 pm Spain-USA; 7:30 pm Japan-Netherlands 2024 11:30 am 5th-6th placement final; 3:30 pm 2nd-3rd place semifinal; 7:30 pm 1st-4th place semifinal  2024 2 pm 3rd-4th placement final; 4:30 pm Old Stars Game; 7:30 pm 1st-2nd placement final UPDATED TEAM ITALY ROSTER OFFICIAL HAARLEM BASEBALL WEEK 2024 WEBSITE LIVE STREAM (Photo of Team Italy and the Kingdom of the Netherlands at Haarlem Baseball Week 2022 courtesy of Honkbalweek Haarlem) Reserved area Transparent Federation Privacy policy Copyright © 2022 FIBS (Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball) - Viale Tiziano 74 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial - Share with same attribution 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA) which is available on the Internet A large fire tore through a community center on Stresemannlaan in Haarlem early Sunday morning causing significant damage to the building The fire follows two recent incidents at the same location: an explosion last week and a suspicious object thrown inside the building just one day before the fire Authorities are investigating whether the incidents are connected quickly engulfing a large portion of the building in flames Firefighters arrived promptly and managed to extinguish the fire but not before substantial damage was done and no evacuations were necessary in the surrounding area,” a spokesperson for the regional safety authority confirmed This is the third incident at the community center in just over a week an explosion at the building caused minor damage The fire department quickly contained that fire Police suspected intentional involvement and began an investigation police responded to another suspicious act at the same location Officers were called to the scene at 2:30 a.m after an object was thrown inside the building authorities sealed off the street and deployed an explosives expert and a police dog to search for evidence Investigators also reviewed nearby security footage and called for witnesses to come forward Follow along with Greg and Tom in this travelogue episode as they visit several historic cities and towns in the Netherlands — Utrecht Breukelen and Haarlem — wandering through cafe-filled streets and old cobblestone alleyways their mission remains the same as the past three episodes For there are traces of Dutch culture and history all over New York City — through the names of boroughs From Spuyten Duyvil Creek flowing into the Harlem River along the Bronx shoreline to New Utrecht All of those place names can be traced to the Dutch presence of New Amsterdam and New Netherland In the final Bowery Boys episode recorded in the Netherlands Tom and Greg head to several places that have unique links to the New York City area mostly through Dutch colonial connections made in the 17th century Utrecht — The medieval city with its unique canal wharves and monastery courtyards that may be the bicycle capital of the world quiet old town on the Vecht River become the namesake of the borough of Brooklyn Both places have “Brooklyn Bridges.” But there are a couple of other surprising parallels De Bilt — The ancestral home of the Vanderbilt family can Tom find one of their 17th-century ancestors among the stones of an old cemetery Haarlem — Manhattan’s Harlem remains one of America’s cultural centers and the rustic Dutch city that inspired its name also has cultural riches aplenty — from its museums to its historic windmill Molen de Adriaan PLUS: The special link between Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter and New York City’s Lower East Side — through pickles Over on Patreon, we released a series of daily shows while on the streets of the Netherlands. You can check out those shows — and the many other benefits of being a Bowery Boys patron — by supporting the show at Patreon. Below: Tom and producer Kieran Gannon watching the historical video at Molen de Adriaan. — Jodenbuurt, Amsterdam, meeting with Mattmo with toasties at Broodbar— Naude, Utrecht, recording at Jackrabbit We want to thank Ton de Jager for guiding us through the streets of Utrecht. If you’re heading to Utrecht, you can book a guided tour here St Martin’s Cathedral aka the Dom Church The Dom Church’s bell tower actually sits across from the church (The reason for this is discussed in the podcast.) A plaque marking those who died during the Utrechtse sodomieprocessen of 1730 One unique example of Utrecht’s famous wharves or quays Mattmo’s book de Zure Stad The first three parts of Amsterdam/New Amsterdam — Empire of the Seas The Radical Walloons and Finding Peter Stuyvesant author of The Island At The Center of the World The Lenape and other native peoples of the New York/Hudson Valley region would be both trading partners and adversaries of the Dutch who claimed to have ‘discovered’ the land those people already lived upon The story of religious freedom during the New Amsterdam/Peter Stuyvesant plays a major role in this episode which features a visit to the John Bowne House: Our original two-part series on New Amsterdam: who lived in the area it was interesting to hear your obeservations And in case you weren’t aware: you would not have found any grave stones of the persons from the 16/17th century anywhere We have what is called ‘grave rights’ which means your burial plot at the churchyard will be emptied after x amount of years (usually 20) and the stone will be removed Only rich people could afford to buy ‘eternal grave rights’ Those monuments have survived and the grave cannot be cleared Everybody else’s bones end up in the communal gravesite where all the remains are deposited that they find when they clear the grave and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Looking for the latest episode of our podcasts? Listen now on iTunes to “The Bowery Boys” and “The First” Find recent podcast episodes here, and click to read more about listening options here Find out how you can support the production of the Bowery Boys Podcast already well-established and wildly popular Haarlem Museum Night for Kids brings the fun to the little ones in the family Haarlem Museum Night for Kids is a great way to bring children into contact with art Some of the museums are keeping their cafes open late and putting on special menus to keep everyone fed and tempers in check There are so many different activities and events taking place it doesn't matter if your child is an energetic extrovert or a bookish introvert there's bound to be something to interest and engage them Here's just a few of the things happening as part of Haarlem Museum Night for Kids: Haarlem is a small city with excellent public transport links so you can either walk between the museums or take the bus when little legs get tired One ticket gets you entry to all participating institutions for the whole night, so you can choose whether you plan a route around your favourite places or hole up in one museum for the whole night. Tickets are 8,50 euros, and everyone over three years old needs one. You can explore the programme and buy your tickets on the Haarlem Museum Night for Kids website The Symposium will be an opportunity to enhance international cooperation on the successful implementation of practical measures in several areas It will notably enable sharing best practices in providing assistance to accident victims and families and in management of defining the way forward for short and long‑term strategies The overall picture of the regulatory framework related to the Symposium topic is provided by Annex 9 — Facilitation and Annex 13 — Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation the Council adopted Amendment 29 to Annex 9 which includes a new Standard 8.47 requiring States to establish legislation regulations and/or policies in support of such assistance as adopted by the 41st Session of the Assembly (A41) Resolution A41-14, Assistance to victims of aviation accidents and their families encourages States that have legislation regulations and/or policies to support civil aviation accident victims and their families to review these documents in consideration of the ICAO Policy in Doc 9998 and of the guidance material in Doc 9973 gmun@george.gov.za MORE CONTACTS George Municipality © 2020 | All rights reserved Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker 2025 The AIVD's headquarters in Zoetermeer Photo: WikipediaThe Dutch intelligence service AIVD has accused Iran of being behind an attempted murder of an Iranian activist in Haarlem last summer The claim, described as “likely, based on intelligence” is made in the agency’s annual report It marks the first time in years that Dutch authorities have publicly accused another country of orchestrating a targeted attack on Dutch soil, broadcaster NOS reported A similar accusation was last made in 2019 after the Netherlands expelled two Iranian diplomats over the killing of dissidents The Haarlem case involved Iranian activist Siamak Tahmasbi, who discovered two men climbing onto his balcony in the middle of the night They were in contact via phone with a third individual who appeared to be directing the operation remotely Two of the suspects are known to police through criminal networks and are also wanted in connection with a failed murder attempt in Madrid in late 2023 That case involved former Spanish politician and vocal Iran critic Alejo Vidal-Quadras Members of the Iranian diaspora have repeatedly called for stronger protection in the Netherlands was murdered in The Hague in 2017 after reporting multiple threats to the police and the family has since held the Dutch state liable for his death parliament has pushed for a national reporting point for diaspora communities facing threats or intimidation The platform has yet to be launched although the current cabinet aims to begin a pilot programme by the end of this year In its report the AIVD also warned that the shifting global power balance poses risks for the Netherlands because it owes much of its peace and prosperity to international trade and a rules-based global system “We are experiencing a transition — from a situation in which our security felt self-evident to one in which it has become the main concern for many Western countries,” said AIVD director-general Erik Akerboom “The service is doing everything it can to respond to today’s challenges and to be prepared for a range of possible geopolitical developments.” We could not provide the Dutch News service without the generous support of our readers Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days We could not provide this service without you Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey The 10th edition of the Santa Run Haarlem is coming to town - the perfect opportunity to practice your “ho ho ho” and run for charity Starting at Grote Markt in Haarlem participants cheerfully dressed as Santa Clauses reindeer and Christmas trees will enjoy a fun run going through the city centre Participants can walk or run either 3 km or 6 km on a beautifully illuminated course There is an option to get a Santa suit with your ticket at an extra cost but participants are encouraged to put together a Christmas outfit from items they own or to rent a Santa costume to prevent waste Not only will the Santa Run in Haarlem be a jolly time but through participation runners and sponsors are contributing to charities that reduce child poverty You can pick up your race number and Santa suit at RunX in Kruisstraat you can fetch your starting number at the Santa Run cabin on Grote Markt things will become festive from 6.30pm with a DJ getting everyone moving to the beat There will then be a joint warm-up session at 7pm before the race starts at 7.30pm After an exhilarating walk or run through Haarlem runners can enjoy an energising Santa borrel and join in on the Santa afterparty even spectators who come to support the many Santas Conveniently located in the centre of Haarlem, you can get to the race easily by public transport. To find out how to donate or to get your tickets for the race, check out the official Santa Run Haarlem website On day three of Haarlem Baseball Week the Azzurri Elite under the guidance and direction of Italian development director Gianguido Poma sought out its first win of the week-long international tournament in the Netherlands against the USA The Team Italy lineup card looked like this: Ricardo Paolini Italian starting pitcher Mattia Sireus looked good striking out leadoff hitter Brayden Smith and shortstop Gabriele Angioi flashed his defensive prowess in the bottom of the first inning Team Italy came close to scoring its first Haarlem Baseball Week run In the top of the second inning Jesus Carrera hit a single up the middle off USA starter Ryan Borberg stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout by Filippo Agretti he would be left stranded 90 feet away from home plate Pitcher Mattia Sireus dug deep after issuing a walk to Robby Bolen with one out and got back-to-back strikeouts to end the bottom of the second inning Mattia Sireus got in a jam when USA scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning After surrendering a single up the middle to Braydon Plain he hit Kainen Jorge and threw a wild pitch to advance both runners into scoring position Michael Young followed with a sacrifice fly to center field and Robby Bolen delivered an RBI single to give the Americans a 2-0 lead Mattia Sireus escaped further damage after issuing a walk to Gehrig Goldbeck by striking out Adam Singer to end the inning 6 K) was replaced by lefty Jordan Huskey in the top of the fifth inning when the Italians answered with one run The reliever gave up consecutive singles to Lorenzo Morresi and Federico Celli before walking Giulio Monello and Ricardo Paolini for the first Team Italy run of the tournament USA added two runs In the bottom of the fifth inning after triples from Brayden Smith and Braydon Plain were followed by an RBI single by Kainen Jorge The day was done for pitcher Mattia Sireus (4.2 IP He was replaced by left-handed reliever Maurizio Andretta who walked Robby Bolin before striking out Cole Bullen to stop the bleeding Team Italy was unable to get any traction off reliever Jordan Huskey The Italians had an opportunity in the top of the seventh inning after a leadoff single by Lorenzo Morresi He advanced into scoring position on a passed ball but the Americans held him at second base without any further damage Team Italy went to the bullpen and summoned relief pitcher Simone Carnevale After Robby Bolin singled and Cole Bullen reached first on an infield error Gehrig Goldbeck hit an RBI single to put the USA on top 5-1 Ricardo Paolini legged out an infield single Nathanael Batista followed with a single just out of the reach of shortstop Adam Singer Reliever Francesco Bonvini came into the contest in the bottom of the eighth inning He walked Brayden Smith and Jake Monroe before Kainen Jorge hit an RBI single to give the USA a comfortable 6-1 advantage Team Italy rallied for three runs when right-handed relief pitcher Eli Hoyt entered the game in the top of the ninth inning who advanced to second base on a wild pitch and third base on a balk Giulio Monello hit a bloop RBI single to left field Then Samuele Gamberini and Nathanael Batista hit back-to-back RBI singles it was too little and too late for the Italians to make a valiant comeback as the USA prevailed in the 6-4 victory ITALY-USA BOX SCORE VIDEO REPLAY Team Italy returns for a battle against Spain on Monday HAARLEM BASEBALL WEEK 2024 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS Read also:Team Italy loses Haarlem Baseball Week debut to Kingdom of the Netherlands 4-0 (Photo of Team Italy's Jesus Carrera stealing second base against USA on July 14 Employees at the IKEA stores in Haarlem and Amsterdam will go on strike for 24 hours on Friday this is an extension in the push for a new collective bargaining agreement: instead of a strike at one store there will now be strikes at two locations of the home furniture stores The trade union is demanding a wage increase of seven percent FNV board member Danielle Wiek thinks that this would be sufficient compensation for inflation for the staff members and would also increase their purchasing power IKEA previously reported that salaries have already risen considerably in recent years making them relatively high for the retail sector at the Swedish company cost increases and a decline in turnover offer little room for a significant wage increase the workers are also demanding that the work pressure be reduced This will be the latest in a long line of strikes that have taken place at a IKEA store USA(4)-JAPAN(10) BOX SCORE In the battle for the bronze medal earlier in the day, Chinese Taipei and the Kingdom of the Netherlands were scoreless until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Haarlem Baseball Week 2022 Champion Dutch scored four runs to place third in the tourney CHINESE TAIPEI(0)-KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS(4) BOX SCORE HAARLEM BASEBALL WEEK RESULTS HAARLEM BASEBALL WEEK FINAL STANDINGS On the Team Italy tip, Samuele Gamberini was named Best Hitter at Haarlem Baseball Week 2024 a double and collected six RBI in five games (.304 BA Read also: Team Italy places 6th at Haarlem Baseball Week after loss to Spain (Photo of Samurai Japan celebrating after winning the Haarlem Baseball Week Championship title on July 19 The Dutch prison population has fallen by more than 40% – and awareness of the harms of harsh sentencing could explain why I went to the cinema in the Dome prison in Haarlem panopticon-style facility first opened in 1901 – is one of more than 20 Dutch prisons that have closed in the past decade Some of them have ended up serving significantly more enjoyable purposes The Dutch have seen their prison population decrease by more than 40% over the past 20 years. At the other end of the spectrum, Britain has the highest rate of incarceration in western Europe and is struggling with an unprecedented prisons crisis calls the Netherlands a source of inspiration This does not necessarily mean that there is actually less crime overall who has studied the reasons for the emptying Dutch prisons a lot of conventional crime went online and is less visible And it is quite possible that there is a kind of organised crime that we have little visibility on But fewer serious cases are coming to the police and courts.” And so fewer people end up in jail But while the Dutch don’t have a model policy the world can copy the overall Dutch attitude towards imprisonment could be instructive the Dutch are much more aware that a stay in prison does more harm than good Society may be rid of a criminal for a while criminals simply resume their activities when they leave prison due to the violent prison climate in which they have had to survive And perhaps they have a wider criminal network that they built up behind bars Even these can completely turn an offender’s life upside down And you rarely become a better person during a short stay in jail Due to the excesses during the Nazi occupation in the second world war, there is a culture in the Netherlands of not imposing long prison sentences the culture is different: many British and American politicians advocate for harsher sentences to present themselves as strong leaders more politicians – often rightwing ones – in the Netherlands are now doing this This attitude of Dutch judges is not the reason for the recent decline in the prison population. But the Netherlands has consistently had a lower proportion of people in prison than places such as England and Wales Long sentences put enormous pressure on the prison system if this money were spent on prevention instead Timpson might also consider the remarkable prison system of Norway Its prisons are often small and very focused on reintegration They are designed so that daily life can proceed as normally as possible It is easier for them to integrate than for a person coming from an overcrowded British prison where they have been locked up for 22 hours a day because the staff couldn’t manage otherwise the transition to the outside world can be extremely abrupt You may see someone reoffend within the first few days after their release You can argue whether a system from a sparsely populated country like Norway is suitable for Britain or other large countries But it is also clear that the British system has reached its limits and that a new approach is not a luxury We in the Netherlands will be interested to see what plans he will come up with Renate van der Zee is a Dutch writer and journalist 24 players have been selected to represent Team Italy at the 31st edition of Haarlem Baseball Week 2024 in Reggio Emilia for two days of training before flying to the Netherlands to play in the most prestigious international competition in Europe The Italians boast both experienced players from Serie A such as Jesus Carrera from Hot Sand in addition to 10 young prospects from the Club Italia LA28 program vying for Olympic qualification Under the guidance of development coordinator Gianguido Poma Team Italy will be assisted by coaches Michele Gerali pitching coaches Rolando Cretis and Roberto Corradini physiotherapist Marco Mennella and delegation manager Riccardo Soglia The following players will represent Team Italy at Haarlem Baseball Week: Haarlem Week was inaugurated in 1961 and showcased the most important national teams in the world four for the Netherlands and Japan and one for Canada Team Italy has reached as high as third place (1972) In 2000 manager Silvano Ambrosioni led the squad to a 1-0 upset over Chinese Taipei threatened Cuba in a 3-2 loss and went head-to-head against USA (Simontacchi's debut) In the last two editions of Haarlem Baseball Week the Azzurri have closed the tournament with two wins and three losses with Davide Dalleditore the best hitter of the tournament manager Giampiero Faraone registered big wins against the Reno Astros (USA) and the Netherlands In 2018 manager Gilberto Gerali picked up historic wins over Cuba and Germany and lost by slim margins to Japan and Chinese Taipei After defeating the Netherlands in round-robin action the Italians were narrowly defeated by the Dutch in the playoffs before being eliminated by Cuba In 2022 manager Mike Piazza led the Azzurri to victories over Curacao (5-3) and Cuba (2-0) after strong pitching performances by Quattrini and Aldegheri as well as offensive excellence by Friscia (Photo of Team Italy’s Ricardo Paolini during the 2022 Haarlem Baseball Week by K73) Reg. Trib. Bologna n° 8033 – Director Marco Landi Copyright © 2022 FIBS (Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball) - Viale Tiziano 74, 00196 Roma Haarlem, The Netherlands Colorful Modern “We lived in Amsterdam for many years and really love that city, but it became too busy and too expensive. So we started looking further, also outside the city. That’s how we ended up here in Haarlem,” begins Danielle Sijmons who works in primary education teaching visual arts and as a cultural coordinator supervising interns Keep up with our latest house tours each weekday with our House Tour of the Day newsletter By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy but with the heart of a true city,” Danielle continues they are known as “Daan and Daan” in Dutch) white corner house from 1890,” and amazingly it was located in a neighborhood with the same street names as where the couple lived before who says there are lots of photos of what it used to look like with a view of the intersection,” she writes but we do have a lovely roof terrace” and she reports that the beach is only about 15 minutes away Danielle says she “can’t imagine a world without color and a world without all the sweet friends and family around me.” I try to bring all of this together in our house painting walls in my favorite colors (taking my boyfriend into account as much as possible) and often inviting friends and family for a dinner or a party.” This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form Read the comments The home you love starts here The home you love starts here Apartment TherapyThe wordmark for the Apartment Therapy brand.More From Us By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Those in the Netherlands in life threatening danger should immediately dial 112 for emergencies, and anyone suffering from depression or contemplating suicide can call 113 Zelfmoordpreventie at any time by dialing either 113 or 0800-0113, or by visiting 113.nl At the request of the Swiss authorities, the Dutch police raided the Haarlem office of Philip Nitschke, the man who invented the Sarco suicide pod, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) confirmed to NOS According to the Volkskrant the authorities searched the Exit International premises on Monday and seized several computers and the first non-functioning prototype of the Sarco It has around 30,000 members and fights for self-determination in ending your life Nitschke previously said that he deliberately placed the pod in Switzerland because the country’s laws allow for assisted suicide under certain conditions But Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said that the Sarco does not comply with the law because supervisor Swissmedic determined that the pod was not a medical device It is unclear whether Stiwzerland asked the Dutch authorities to arrest and extradite Nitschke or his wife a Swiss organization that assisted the American woman in her suicide The attempted assassination happened during the early hours of June 6 in Haarlem The police haven’t released any details about what happened other than that the target was an Iranian activist and publicist The police previously arrested three suspects for the attempted assassination - a 38-year-old Tunisian man, a 27-year-old Colombian man, and a 27-year-old woman from Den Bosch Investigators believe the assassination attempt was orchestrated by Sami Bekal Bounouare, who the police placed on the national wanted list on Monday along with a 50,000 euro reward for information about his whereabouts Bounouare is also wanted for an attempt to assassinate Spanish politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras in Madrid in November 2023 and for the murder of 37-year-old Wisam Al-Albassi in Capelle aan Den IJssel in 2021 The Tunisian man and Den Bosch woman in custody for the Haarlem assassination attempt are also suspects in the attempt to kill Vidal Quadras The 6’4” right-handed hurler’s dream of playing baseball in America came true through the FIBS College Pipeline The Parma native received a scholarship to Kingsborough Community College in New York where he was named 2022 CUNYAC 2022 Pitcher of the Year en route to a conference title and later earned another scholarship to attend College of Staten Island “College helped me a lot because I got to play a lot more than if I stayed back in Italy I played in 50 games last year and 50 every year before that you can play a limited amount of games so you gain less experience Because of the various techniques and different ways of training that I have learned the past few years my pitching repertoire has vastly increased.” the FIBS College Pipeline and the Italian American Baseball Foundation for where he is today representing Team Italy at Haarlem Baseball Week “Without my mom and dad I wouldn't have succeeded I wouldn't be here because I wouldn't have been able to go to college If it had not been for Joe Quagliano and Carmine Gangone and all the others from the IABF that believed and invested in me And special thanks to the coaches who showed me the way My positive experience abroad has prepared me to be here today pitching for the Team Italy Elite in Holland at Haarlem Baseball Week.”  Read also: Team Italy makes Haarlem Baseball Week debut against Kingdom of the Netherlands on July 13, 2024 (Photo of Team Italy pitcher Francesco Bonvini during a practice in Haarlem on July 12 The Haarlem court ruled on Thursday that Jos Wienen is not authorized to threaten four climate activists from the Extinction Rebellion with fines Wienen had informed the activists in advance that they would have to pay 1,000 euros if they took part in a blockade or occupation The four activists regularly participate in the Extinction Rebellion protests Because they did not cooperate with some of the actions when the demonstration had to be stopped they were given a penalty order with a maximum fine of 5,000 euros the XR protesters appealed against this in court the mayor of Haarlem did not make it clear to which locations the demonstration ban applied and what exactly the four activists were not allowed to do "If the demonstrators want to participate in a demonstration in Haarlem in a non-public place it is therefore not clear to them in advance whether they are committing a criminal offense," the court said Extinction Rebellion is pleased with the ruling and calls it "an important victory for the activists and for the right to demonstrate in the Netherlands which has come under severe pressure recently." was also happy with the result and said that the court ruling sent a clear message to mayors in the Netherlands that this is not the right way to deal with demonstrations "It is a very nice result that the court has followed XR's argument on several points The fact that the court acknowledges that these burdens do not fit within the system of the Wom This makes it crystal clear that mayors cannot enforce demonstrations in this way" Team Italy and undefeated Japan opened day five of Haarlem Baseball Week in a contest which would prove to be one of the most competitive of the international tournament The Italians had an uphill battle ahead of them against a strong Japan pitching staff 1.69 ERA) and Kentaro Shinogi had one victory (6.0 IP 35-year-old veteran starting pitcher Hayato Takagi made his NPB debut for the Yomiuri Giants in 2015 before playing with the Saitama Seibu Lions (2017) and the Kanagawa Future Dreams (2021 He also pitched a short time in the Mexican Leagues in between stints in Kanagawa Team Italy starting pitcher Mattia Aldeghieri would be facing one of the best offensive teams in the tourney catcher Taiga Kojima led all hitters with a .636 batting average (7-for-11 with two doubles Not far behind was infielder Kenjo Yanagidate with a .455 batting average (5-for-11 with two doubles Japan scored one run in the top of the first inning when starter Mattia Aldeghieri hit leadoff hitter Ayuto Matsushita and later surrendered an RBI double to Seiya Watanabe  A bloop single between the pitcher and first baseman put Kengo Yanagidate on first base Mattia Aldeghieri dug deep and got a Masahiro Tateishi strikeout to limit the damage The Team Italy defense got Mattia Aldeghieri out of potential trouble in the top of the second inning Naru Katsuda reached first on a fielder’s choice Then Ayuto Matsushita hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play Mattia Aldeghieri showed strength when he returned to throw a quick 1-2-3 out third inning Opposing pitcher Hayato Takagi kept the Azzurri offense quiet minus a single by Gabriele Angioi for the first three innings with four strikeouts Japan went to the bullpen in the bottom of the fourth inning and summoned lefty Issei Watanabe He hit Tommaso Battioni before surrendering an RBI double to Lorenzo Morresi to tie the game 1-1 Jesus Carrera did his job in advancing the runner to third base with his groundout to first Then Issei Watanabe balked to allow Lorenzo Morresi to score from third base and give Team Italy a 2-1 advantage Japan answered and regained the 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning Misho Nishikawa connected with an RBI single and stole second base to get into scoring position Pitching coach Rolando Cretis made a visit to the mound in an effort to calm down Mattia Aldeghieri the runner advanced to third base on an ensuing groundout and crossed the plate on a wild pitch 2K) was replaced by reliever Marco Artitzu in the top of the sixth inning Masahiro Tateishi received a gift double courtesy of the Haarlem winds which kept the ball away from shortstop Gabriele Angioi Lady Luck was on Team Italy’s side as center fielder Federico Celli made a sensational overhead catch for the third out to keep Japan off the board Marco Artitzu helped himself to a scoreless top of the seventh inning after hitting Ayuto Matsushita and then assisting in a textbook 1-4-3 double play Japan right-handed reliever Azuma Sotomaru also threw a scoreless bottom of the seventh inning Control issues haunted Marco Artitzu in the top of the eighth inning when the Samurai scored five runs Marco Artitzu gave up a single to Kengo Yanagidate and hit Tsubasa Yoshino to load the bases for Japan Third baseman Marco Servidei fielded a ground ball cleanly and got the force out at home plate for the first out but Riku Kamizato was hit by a pitch to give the Japanese a 4-2 lead another run was added and Italian reliever Francesco Pomponi entered the contest Ayuto Matsushita followed with a three-run triple to put Japan in front 8-2 Despite singles from Federico Celli and Ricardo Paolini in the bottom of the eighth inning Francesco Pomponi returned to pitch a scoreless top of the ninth inning Taiga Kojima tripled but never crossed the plate Filippo Agretti singled off reliever Hiromasa Takasu in the bottom of the ninth inning but the Italians came up empty in the 8-2 loss to Japan JAPAN-ITALY BOX SCORE VIDEO REPLAY The Italians return for a clash against Chinese Taipei on Wednesday (Photo of Team Italy's Tommaso Battioni rounding the bases to score against Japan on July 16 to its Most Wanted list for his alleged involvement in the 2004 murder of a pregnant woman in Haarlem Authorities believe Xia may be living in Spain under a different name was found strangled to death in an apartment on Boerhaavelaan in Haarlem She was seven months pregnant at the time of the murder Xia is alleged to have stolen personal belongings from the victim He is believed to have withdrawn 1,000 euros using the stolen card Police last tracked Xia to the Antwerp area on December 21 but no further leads on his whereabouts have emerged since then Jian Xia is one of 24 new names added to Europol’s Most Wanted list Europol has emphasized that a single tip could make the difference in solving these cases Three other suspects wanted in the Netherlands are also on the list. Among them are Sami Bekal Bounouare, wanted for murder, and Jos Leijdekkers, nicknamed “Bolle Jos,” who is wanted for organized crime and drug trafficking has been reported deceased by some media outlets Haarlem has emerged as the cryptocurrency capital of the Netherlands, with over half of its residents actively following crypto-related news, according to a recent study by Crypto Insiders the largest crypto news platform in the Netherlands This places Haarlem at the forefront of digital currency interest surpassing larger cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam in relative engagement The study revealed Noord-Holland as the most crypto-engaged province in the country with 116 active readers of cryptocurrency news per 1,000 inhabitants which recorded 107 active followers per 1,000 residents interest in cryptocurrencies has surged following a recent record-breaking increase in Bitcoin’s value Crypto Insiders analyzed over a million anonymized website users between August and November finding broad national interest in digital assets “Haarlem’s high engagement and Noord-Holland’s dominance demonstrate how cryptocurrency is becoming mainstream in the Netherlands,” said Niels Poerwoatmodjo Haarlem leads Dutch cities with 564 crypto-news readers per 1,000 residents a figure nearly double that of Eindhoven (397 per 1,000) and The Hague (200) rounded out the top five Limburg remains the least engaged province with only 38 active crypto-news readers per 1,000 people Despite rising public interest, cryptocurrency companies in the Netherlands face significant hurdles. All major Dutch banks, except Bunq, refuse to open business accounts for crypto entrepreneurs due to compliance risks. Rabobank, ABN Amro, ING, and Volksbank cite concerns about money laundering and terrorism financing as reasons for rejecting such businesses Rabobank spokespersons have emphasized the unregulated nature of cryptocurrencies and their inherent anonymity as high-risk factors ING has stated that it implements strict due diligence and is “very cautious” with crypto-related companies “While cryptocurrencies are an important market development our policies aim to mitigate risks,” said Bunq founder Ali Niknam whose bank remains the sole institution offering limited services to crypto enterprises The DNB has repeatedly urged stricter regulations warning that the anonymity of cryptocurrency transactions poses significant risks “Unregulated markets make supervision nearly impossible,” the central bank said in a recent statement Despite this momentum, financial regulators, including the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), warn of the risks inherent in crypto investments. Laura van Geest volatile phenomenon” and advised potential investors to only use funds they could afford to lose Team Italy development director Gianguido Poma leads the Club Italia LA28 initiative and the Azzurri squad during Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands The Italians get their first big test on Saturday night July 13th at 7:30 pm when playing host Kingdom of the Netherlands at Pim Mulier Stadion in Haarlem The Dutch defeated a group of top college prospects from the USA 6-1 last night USA-NETHERLANDS BOX SCORE Having played at Haarlem Baseball Week 2022 Federico Celli understands there are no easy games ahead this year Defending champion and host Kingdom of the Netherlands beat Curacao 6-1 for the 2022 gold medal while USA won the battle for the bronze with a 5-1 victory over Japan Federico Celli admitted, “We know that it's a great tournament with high competition. So we want to play really good baseball and execute the fundamentals while enjoying the game.” As one of the oldest players representing Team Italy at Haarlem Baseball Week and having played three years of professional baseball from 2014-2016 in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization he embraces the opportunity to mentor fellow teammates “It's an honor to be there for the young players and talk with the guys It’s important to share with them what you have to do in certain situations during the game It becomes intuitive as you gain more experience playing.”  As the Rimini-born Federico Celli approaches age 30, he feels like he has lots more baseball to play for Team Italy and is not ready to hang up the cleats for good with the 2026 World Baseball Classic and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics looming The hope for a player is to play for as long as possible hopefully this is not going to be the last time I play for Team Italy I am healthy and hoping to have a long career The World Baseball Classic and the Olympics…I am praying to be involved with those milestones UPDATED TEAM ITALY ROSTER AT HAARLEM BASEBALL WEEK 2024 Read also: Francesco Bonvini makes Team Italy Elite debut at Haarlem Baseball Week via FIBS College Pipeline and IABF Scholarship Team Italy makes Haarlem Baseball Week debut against Kingdom of the Netherlands on July 13, 2024 (Photo of Team Italy slugger Federico Celli in action against Sweden in the 2023 European Baseball Championship by Duck Foto Press) Haarlem’s move is part of efforts to cut consumption after meat was found to contribute to climate crisis A Dutch city will become the first in the world to ban meat adverts from public spaces in an effort to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions Haarlem, which lies to the west of Amsterdam and has a population of about 160,000, will enact the prohibition from 2024 after meat was added to a list of products deemed to contribute to the climate crisis Adverts will not be allowed on Haarlem’s buses prompting complaints from the meat sector that the municipality is “going too far in telling people what’s best for them” Recent studies suggest global food production is responsible for one-third of all planet-heating emissions with the use of animals for meat accounting for twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods who drafted the motion banning meat advertising said she had not known the city would be the world’s first to enforce such a policy when she proposed it She told the Haarlem105 radio channel: “We are not about what people are baking and roasting in their own kitchen; if people wanted to continue eating meat fine … We can’t tell people there’s a climate crisis and encourage them to buy products that are part of the cause there are a lot of people who find the decision outrageous and patronising but there are also a lot of people who think it’s fine “It is a signal – if it is picked up nationally There are many groups of GroenLinks who think it is a good idea and want to try it.” fossil fuels and cars that run on fossil fuels The ban is delayed until 2024 due to existing contracts with companies that sell the products Free daily newsletterOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day telling you what’s happening and why it matters There is some opposition within Haarlem’s council to the move with critics arguing that it restricts freedom of expression said: “It is remarkable that the municipality of Haarlem is holding a large poster campaign that you can be yourself in Haarlem and love whoever you want but if you like meat instead of soft grass ‘the partronising brigade’ will come and tell you that you are completely wrong.” Greenpeace research suggests that to meet the EU target of net zero emissions by 2050 meat consumption must be reduced to 24kg per person per year In the photograph above youngsters take part in games at the Haarlem Youth Day event George Municipality Youth Office in Uniondale celebrated National Youth Day in Uniondale and Haarlem in June 2024 The Municipality held two successful events in collaboration with SAPS the Department of Social Development and Nikwe Enterprise The two events that were held on different days were held at the Uniondale Lyonville Sports Ground and at the Haarlem Community Hall Coordinator of the Youth Office in Uniondale the programmes included motivational speakers Jansen said both events were very well attended by the youth with approximately 450 youngsters in attendance Youngsters in the Haarlem Community Hall during the event Haarlem United Congregational Church Youth Dance group Justin Jooste gave a speech on the background and history of Youth Day in Uniondale Masibulele Ndlela from the Department of Labour speaks to the youth about employment and opportunities  Sergeant  Eslin Du Preez speaking on crime to the Youth in Uniondale Youngsters playing soccer at the Haarlem event The Uniondale Boys brigade walking through the streets of Uniondale Youngsters challenge each other during a basketball game A young boy getting his face painted during the Uniondale event The Uniondale Junior dance group entertaining the youngsters at the event Some of the youngsters took part in different sport codes including Netball Photo: DutchNews.nlAmsterdam city council is recommending that people travelling to the city park their car as far away as Sassenheim and Almere and continue their journey by public transport – a measure that has irritated councillors in most of the capital’s surrounding towns The city’s website highlights six out of town Park and Ride locations pointing out that they are all free to park in Parking in the city costs €7.76 an hour in the city centre and city transport chief Melanie van der Horst are being accused of dumping the capital’s parking problems on other towns “Sassenheim’s car park is meant for commuters,” local D66 councillor Ruben Kroeze told the Telegraaf The situation is similar in Hoorn – which is at least 31 minutes from Amsterdam by train Local councillor Roger Tonnaer described the situation as “absurd” “Amsterdam should solve its own parking problems,” he said “That is what we do.” Haarlem too is irritated by the Amsterdam move saying the Spaarnwoude P+R is there to “relieve pressure on Haarlem town centre” Haarlemmermeer’s transport chief Marja Ruigrok, however, is pleased with the measures, telling local broadcaster AT5 that “we all want people from outside the ring road to switch to another form of transport” Van der Horst herself blames the shortage of P+R places on the edge of Amsterdam for the situation Several have been closed in recent months because the land is to be used for housing Earlier this month it emerged that Amsterdam is the slowest city in the country to drive around by car – due to council policy and road works officials warned that 2025 threatens to be a “horror year” for motorists in Amsterdam because of a combination of road works and big events such as the city’s 75th birthday celebrations The Dutch city of Haarlem will become the first in the world to ban meat advertising and it is more likely to be a trendsetter than an outlier The city of Haarlem in the Netherlands isn’t ‘lovin’ it’ anymore and is banning the advertising of meat products located in Amsterdam’s metropolitan area and hosting a population of about 160,000 will become the first city in the world to introduce such a ban.  At the same time, the report stated that Europeans consume about twice as much meat as the global average and about three times as much dairy Such figures could lead one to ponder whether the promotion of meat products in particular is necessary How many people really favour one brand of bacon over another And that is the point: let people continue to eat meat just like they continue to smoke and drink alcohol but there is no need to continue promoting it.  Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis Haarlem councillor Ziggy Klazes of the GroenLinks party said during a radio interview with Haarlem105: “We are not about [dictating] what people are baking and roasting in their own kitchen; if people would like to continue to eat meat So far, the news from Haarlem has received masses of coverage, even though the ban is yet to be implemented. Whether other cities – or even countries – follow suit remains to be seen, but if meat advertising follows the route of alcohol and cigarettes into near oblivion, the benefits could be many, including helping to move closer to achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals then Haarlem will be recognised as a pioneer and not the outlier it is currently being portrayed as Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network. NetherlandsChevron GettySave this storySaveSave this storySaveHaarlem may not be as famous as its one-A namesake neighborhood in New York City, but that's good news for travelers who want to experience a slice of the Netherlands without the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam which is sometimes nicknamed "little Amsterdam" for its similar aesthetic to the Dutch capital—look for tall thin wooden houses lining canals and be-suited businessmen whizzing by on their bicycles—is largely off the radar for many tourists meaning you're likely to get the place all to yourself Its small size and easy walkability also make it a great option if you have a layover at Schiphol Airport and you can cover much of the 12 square miles' worth of ground in just a few hours' time but with more solitude and space to reflect up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world Swerve the hubbub while soaking up a slice of Dutch cool in this flower-filled Netherlands city, says Polly Allen I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice but this couldn’t be more different from the pace of the Big Apple; it’s also less tourist-saturated than neighbouring Amsterdam with intricately decorated floats passing through the streets groaning with huge displays – this is miles away from your basic flower arrangement which will draw record lovers from across the globe Read more on Netherlands travel: giving a double art fix (tickets €8-16; some concessions free) Paintings by Frans Hals are shown alongside modern art by the likes of Lubaina Himid and Kerry James Marshall Peel back layers of history as you browse the wooden specimen cabinets the beautiful Oval Room and the art galleries of the Netherlands’ oldest museum A new part of the site opened in 2021: the lovingly restored Pieter Teyler House but donations encouraged; guided tours only) where one Haarlem family hid Jewish people during the Nazi occupation of Holland in the Second World War Haarlem has some beautiful hidden courtyards with well-kept gardens surrounded by former almshouses The oldest hofje dates from 1395 but the newest was founded in 2007 Though not all hofjes are open to the public where you can see wisents (European bison) or swim in a dune lake – swimming season is May to October The National Park stretches from Zandvoort to Ijmuiden; there’s a direct bus from Haarlem to the visitor centre This hotel is also close to the railway station and the main sights and it plays into this heritage with some cow-themed decor Find Niu Dairy next to the Patronaat Music Hall Limited wifi and no TVs – guests are encouraged to play board games or chat City Attic Haarlem puts you right by the Grote Markt Read our best Netherlands hotel reviews Hofje Zonder Zorgen translates as “courtyard without worries” and this is a worry-free choice for either a simple lunch (€15 for two fresh seasonal soups salads and desserts) or a four-course high tea (€25pp) While Thrill Grill seems meat-heavy at first glance this upmarket burger joint from Dutch chef and TV star Robert Kranenborg also caters to vegetarians and vegans – you can’t go wrong with the Veggie Korean Thriller Native stands out amongst Haarlem cafes for not just the calming surroundings but also its brunch menu and coffee paying tribute to Haarlem’s brewing culture a tasting menu paired with a beer flight (available Thursday – Saturday Dedakkas is a rooftop bar and restaurant with a varied menu You don’t need a reservation during the day but definitely book for evening drinks in the greenhouse where you’ll be surrounded by local photographers’ work all housed in a former fishmonger’s – look out for the original tiles Puc (leather goods) and Storytiles (whimsical painted tiles) Don’t miss the bargains at the Botermarkt: second-hand clothing on Mondays Fridays and Saturdays are reserved for farmers’ markets and general produce away from the city centre – dedicated to the same saint but the church is Protestant and medieval Gothic whereas the Catholic cathedral was completed in 1930 The vast basilica mixes several design styles Pay a visit to the Hannie Schaft statue, commemorating the Dutch resistance fighter who was executed by the Nazis in April 1945, when she was just 24 years old. Find her monument at the Kenaupark. You can catch a direct Eurostar from London to Amsterdam and a 15-minute onward train to Haarlem. 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Contact us for full details Most Netherlands itineraries begin and end in Amsterdam and diversity to explore outside of the capital Much of this is found in the country’s lesser-known cities which rival Amsterdam as worthwhile destinations Of the Dutch cities I’ve visited so far here are a few that have stood out as my favorites I’ve often said if I had to live anywhere in the Netherlands besides Amsterdam In the middle of the country and only a 30-minute train ride from Amsterdam Utrecht has many charmingly Dutch characteristics – canals I especially like the laidback vibe and slower pace in Utrecht It’s what I imagine Amsterdam was like before it was overrun by tourists it’s a university town and is growing in popularity so it’s not always going to be immune to crowds – especially in summer it’s significantly less crowded than Amsterdam I love the wharf cellars – a unique feature of the city’s canals. During the warmer months (April- September) these cellars are transformed into canal-side bars and restaurants. It’s also a great place to explore from the water, and kayaking is very popular in Utrecht Similar to Utrecht in that it gives off Amsterdam vibes with fewer crowds Haarlem is geared towards locals as opposed to tourists despite being a short 15-minute train ride west of Amsterdam It’s an easy city to explore on foot and I enjoyed wandering along the small streets near the Grote Markt (the main square) head to the Spaarne – the partially canalized river – to catch a glimpse of the iconic Adriaan Windmill or visit the Frans Hals Museum which honors the work of the Golden Age painter and Haarlem resident My favorite way to experience Haarlem is by boat (weather permitting) head to Molenplas (my summer swimming spot) for a dip there are plenty of places in the center where you can moor your boat and order food I think ‘s-Hertogenbosch (aka Den Bosch) is the most underrated Den Bosch is the capital of North Brabant province and one of the Netherland’s oldest cities I was surprised by just how well it’s retained its medieval character and remnants of the past are everywhere in historic buildings it’s easy to navigate on foot; however unique canal tunnels that run underneath the city The weather wasn’t great the day I visited (welcome to the Netherlands) but I was still able to get a glimpse of these hidden canals while strolling along Uilenburg and Molenstraat – streets close to the city center My best memories of Den Bosch are from Carnival when the city completely transforms into a giant street party Held before the start of Lent (usually Febuary) and celebrated mostly in the southern part of the Netherlands this is a week-long celebration where all ages dress up and join the festivities Bar patrons spill out onto the streets while DJs spin beats in the main squares The event is absolute madness – and my favorite Dutch celebration (sorry the only thing that attracted me to Eindhoven was its airport – a hotspot for budget flights I grew to love its innovative and creative personality In the south of the country (80 minutes from Amsterdam by train) it’s known as the design capital of the Netherlands but Eindhoven isn’t your typical Dutch city Eindhoven’s unique architecture and graffiti culture makes a refreshing change a light art festival that illuminates the city each year an open-air museum and the largest legal graffiti spot in the country There’s always a new and impressive mural being added to the collection Located in South Holland and a 35-minute train trip from Amsterdam Having done limited research before my visit I was expecting to see traits of Amsterdam but Rotterdam is so unique, with modernist buildings and skyscrapers that it almost doesn’t feel like the Netherlands at all I later learned this was because the city was completely destroyed in WWII – after which it was rebuilt from scratch A perfect example of Rotterdam pushing design limits is the Cube Houses tilted boxes that sit atop hexagonal columns I was surprised to learn most are residential buildings While all my trips to Rotterdam have been day trips a horseshoe-shaped building with an impressive food hall Make sure to look up – the decorated ceiling is stunning Even Rotterdam’s central station is dramatic I’ll admit I was one of those tourists taking pics of the sculpture in the foyer of the station I can’t not mention Erasmus bridge – the backdrop of many iconic Rotterdam snaps The most southern city in The Netherlands, Maastricht is nestled between the Belgian and German borders it’s great way to enjoy views of the Dutch countryside which is littered with windmills and farm animals the biggest draw of Maastricht is simply strolling its historic streets My aim was to hit as many of the “must-see” attractions as I could Servatius; Sint-Janskerk; and The Dominicanen I got chatting with a friendly local who suggested I should cross the St Servatius Bridge (Sint Servaasbrug) and head over to Wyck Wyck gives off a trendy neighborhood vibe and is filled with lively boutiques While it’s absolutely stunning year-round I preferred Maastricht during winter with a glühwein in my hand The city is home to the largest – and in my opinion best – Christmas market in the Netherlands which starts in late November and runs until New Year’s Eve The atmosphere – think festive decorations and Christmas cheer – makes braving the chilly temperatures worth it Bikes are a great way to get around the country Find out how to be a safe pedestrian and dodge cyclists in The Netherlands We can help with flexible coverage plans that have optional extras Belgium is a country full of cultural delights and claim online from anywhere in the world With 150+ adventure activities covered and 24/7 emergency assistance As "the Flying Dutchman" now based on "the Island of the Gods," I quite frequently do miss "geef mij maar Amsterdam!" Thank God for Lufthansa Amsterdam is worth at least a one-week visit which is next to Haarlem and has some nice parks like Elswout Amazon Web Services debuted a new office space in Haarlem, the Netherlands, in 2022 but there's one unusual thing about it that's gained traction on social media this week: it's inside a former prison The video shows a few former prison cells with the AWS logo plastered just above the cell numbers "Talk about vendor lock-in…" she writes in the text overlay told Insider via email that there is a lot happening at the former prison "We are building a tech campus with entrepreneurs and students but also you can find cultural activities like going to the móvies in the basement or seeing an orchestra on Sunday," she said Representatives for Amazon and de Koepel did not immediately return requests for comment Got a tip? Contact this reporter at chaskins@insider.com or via the secure messaging app Signal at +1 (785) 813-1084 Home prices in the Netherlands have been rising significantly again in recent months. All 25 of the largest municipalities saw significant price increases in the third quarter, and most saw existing home prices jump by 10 percent or more, according to figures published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the Land Registry on Monday. Of the non-big four large cities, Haarlem home prices increased the most at 16.4 percent, followed by Eindhoven, Almere (+14.2 percent), and Arnhem (+13.7 percent). Leeuwarden had the smallest home price increase (+6.4 percent), followed by Zwolle (+8.5 percent), Rotterdam, Ede (+9.3 percent), and Zaanstad (+9.4 percent). Home prices in the Netherlands peaked in mid-2022 and then fell for a few quarters as interest rates increased. In the 21 large municipalities excluding the big four, prices of owner-occupied homes have been rising again since the second or third quarter of 2023. Home prices in all 21 municipalities are now again higher than the 2022 peak. In Eindhoven, prices were 14.3 percent higher than the previous peak - the largest difference of the 21 municipalities. Zaanstad had the smallest difference at 4.2 percent higher than the previous peak. Home prices in the Netherlands keep rising mainly because of a major housing shortage in the country. Wages have also increased and interest rates are dropping, giving buyers more room to borrow on their mortgage. These factors combined mean that buyers bid more than the asking price to secure a home, pushing home prices even higher. Overbidding happened in two-thirds of home sales in the third quarter. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. national statistics agency CBS said on Monday where buyers were paying some 15% more for a home than they would have done last year The CBS looked at the situation in the 25 biggest Dutch cities and found the smallest rise – 6.4% – was in Leeuwarden Zwolle at 8.5% and Ede with 9.3% completed the bottom three The CBS said last month that buyers were paying roughly 12% more for a home This is due to continued high demand for properties with wage increases and slightly lower mortgage interest rates boosting borrower capacity Other new CBS figures on Monday show the shortage of homes to buy is likely to worsen in the short term. Just 8,800 new homes were created in converted offices and other buildings last year 3,700 new homes were created in converted buildings Housing minister Mona Keijzer wants to stimulate the number of conversions and is considering relaxing the rules on splitting homes into smaller units Meanwhile, mortgage data processor HDN said on Monday that a record 31,758 requests for a mortgage to buy a home were made last month beating the March 2020 figure and a rise of 45% on the same period last year This pushed the average price of a home over €500,000 First-time buyers were paying an average of just under €408,000 for a home while people who were moving on to their next property paid just under €610,000 2024 shows a view of the De Adriaan windmill during the National Mill Day celebration in Haarlem The National Mill Day is celebrated annually on the second weekend in May People visit the De Adriaan windmill during the National Mill Day celebration in Haarlem 2024 shows an interior view of the De Adriaan windmill during the National Mill Day celebration in Haarlem Charlotte Godart is an investigator and trainer for Bellingcat she was a researcher and team manager at the Investigations Lab within the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley she taught other students how to conduct open source investigations for a number of different clients (humanitarian Chantal was a Fundraising & Training Coordinator at Bellingcat and previously worked for several NGOs and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Panicked responses to COVID-19 have triggered strange yet predictable behavior from people all around the world as they attempt to protect themselves and their families Some of the most common images and videos circulating on the internet show emptied grocery stores and by now the all-too-familiar disappearing toilet paper In an attempt to stock up before quarantining people around the world are flooding their grocery stores and taking whatever it is that they deem necessary for survival this practice is actively being dissuaded by governments whose representatives are repeating that there is and will be enough stock in grocery stores throughout this crisis people are really keeping others from being able to purchase them as needed (those who are actually running low on toilet paper at home might be getting worried right about now!) a Bellingcat staffer working in the Netherlands The friend claimed that the video was taken in Haarlem there was a swarm of people outside an Aldi this video was supposed to show the huge numbers of people rushing to purchase items due to COVID-19 as in so many other videos we have seen in recent days the numbers in this particular video are extreme A video like this could incite mass panic — as people may then think that they need to run to their local store immediately Knowing how relatively calm the situation has been here in the Netherlands (especially in Haarlem we at Bellingcat felt that the video was likely fake — and set out to prove it We began with determining some identifying features in the video that might immediately prove our suspicions we determined that there was German writing on the advertisement in the window and that it was next to another store front The German writing led us to believe that the store was in Germany we started searching for “F.B.I” and the German word for store In what was a much needed humorous turn of events this led us to results about Osama bin Laden and the Federal Bureau of Investigation not anything close to what we had been hoping for we changed laden for another German word for store The results included some inevitable images related to the Federal Bureau of Investigation we recognized the logo from the video and found the website for a store called Friseure Bringen Ideen their website also showed pictures of all of these locations When looking at the six images of the locations three clearly didn’t match the look of the store in the video and were dismissed immediately as well as Aldi stores in the same location We looked at images of the Aldi in Kiel and immediately noticed matching identifying features and the glass doors with the metal around them you can see a comparison of the images from Google Maps and the video suggesting that either the storefront had changed in the last five months or that the video was shot some time earlier Determining this could help us figure out whether any of this is at all related to COVID-19 while in an earlier photo from February 2018 Now we were certain that the video was not taken in Haarlem and we were also pretty convinced that the video was taken at least a year ago definitely before the COVID-19 panic struck Even after debunking the main claims associated with the video we wanted to determine when the event depicted in it actually took place and how many people this viral claim had reached Chantal received this video in an WhatsApp chat but we wanted to know how many other people had been fed the same claim about this event having taken place in Haarlem Had this gone viral before it landed in Chantal’s WhatsApp we started to think like a hoaxer would — how would someone present this video online trying to tell people that it was pandemic panic filtering for tweets that contained videos we came across this tweet that shared the exact same video except for the fact that they had a TikTok logo in the corner and the TikTok username below it We looked for this username on TikTok and found the video The caption claimed that it was taken on that same date in Herthen Germany and that the event depicted in the video was triggered by the coronavirus given how little we were seeing pop up about it elsewhere It seems to have gone viral through TikTok alone speaking to the great power of this social media app Having debunked the video and figured out more about its impact we moved on to our final step — trying to find the original source We reverse image searched a still from the video and quickly found some older videos but wanted to keep looking to see if we could find something before 2016 we realized that others had also noticed that the video was fake The tweet that had reposted the TikTok video above replied to their own tweet Another user also claimed the tweet was fake news and linked the original Youtube video with the correct location that we had determined independently the uploader added that the video has nothing to do with the coronavirus an obvious recent addition to said description This is the earliest version of this video that we found when there was a special sale going on in the store and an overexcited crowd swarmed in Many things about the COVID-19 crisis make us feel helpless Some respond to this by rushing into grocery stores and stocking up and choosing to do what they can to maintain control over their own situation There may be a lot that we still don’t know and it feels that we are relying on every bit of news to inform us about our fates and how our day-to-day lives may further be impacted This fear creates an opportunity for people to capitalize on the desperate feelings of fellow human beings and spread hysteria through disinformation The people TikTok seems to be aware of how their app is being used to spread panic and disinformation around this topic they placed a link entitled “Learn the facts about COVID-19” and on the page for the hashtag they have placed warnings about where to receive trusted information these videos will still spread and will still have an impact This is evidenced by the simple fact that Chantal received the video from a friend this morning The friend had herself received it in her work group chat with claims that the video was from today in The Netherlands we only expect the fake content surrounding this topic to escalate we invite you to join us in fighting the hysteria-causing disinformation and independently verifying the viral videos around you If you come across a viral video that you think is fake and related to COVID-19 panic We will attempt to debunk the big ones as they come and invite you to do the same Stay healthy and safe during these coming weeks stay alert to information from local authorities and maybe also fill your quarantine time by learning some digital investigation skills running from the 27th to the 29th of September 2024 making it the world’s first multi-day vinyl festival The lineup includes artists such as Anastasia Kristensen The event will delve into aspects of vinyl culture tours at Record Industry (Europe’s largest pressing plant) Music personalities such as Urban Dance Squad’s Rudeboy and Cassy will showcase their favorite records at PHIL The festival’s agenda also features academic presentations including a talk by music scholar Karlyn King the Haarlem Vinyl Festival will commemorate recorded music and the love for vinyl set against the historic backdrop of Haarlem city Grab your tickets here. #2 a small plaque for Dick Hoff on the grandstand wall DSS is also the only team in Honkbal Hoofdklasse to offer a free program to visitors As Dutch clubhouse personnel are almost all volunteers they are polite and helpful to a person and are always glad to talk to and assist visitors Pim Mulier Sportpark’s cramped confines are somewhat alleviated with its convenient location with lots of local amenities and it still hits the basics to enjoy a game of baseball Stadiumjourney.com the Nieuw Haarlem foundered in Table Bay’s shallow waters (Credit: David Parker/Alamy)When the Nieuw Haarlem wrecked in 1647 an archaeologist is on the verge of finding this lost ship that forever changed history (This year, we published many inspiring and amazing stories that made us fall in love with the world – and this is one our favourites. Click here for the full list) After meeting up with Dr Bruno Werz in the parking lot of Cape Town’s Dolphin Beach Hotel we picked our way through tussocked dunes down to the Table Bay shoreline As tourists snapped selfies in front of the unmistakable backdrop of Table Mountain and kite surfers whizzed past us in the direction of Blouberg Beach Werz pointed out a choppy spot some 60m from the shore “I’m 95% sure the wreck is just there,” he said “Which means the survivors’ camp is buried somewhere in the dunes behind us.” On 25 March 1647 – five years before the Dutch East India Company Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) in Dutch had established the Cape Town settlement just north of the Cape of Good Hope – the Nieuw Haarlem foundered in Table Bay’s shallow waters and much of the precious cargo the ship was bringing back to the Netherlands (via South Africa) from Asia was salvageable 58 crew members were taken back to the Netherlands by the other ships in the fleet But the remaining 62 men were left behind to look after the valuable spices textiles and porcelain until a larger fleet could give them and their cargo a lift home about a year later said Gerald Groenewald of the University of Johannesburg’s Department of History “the history of colonial South Africa could have turned out very differently.” • Cape Town’s slave ship secret • A shipwreck worth billions • The mystery of Cape Town’s disappearing gun Dutch and other European ships had been stopping at Table Bay and Saldanha Bay (some 130km to the north) since the 1590s to load up on drinking water and barter livestock But the experience of the Nieuw Haarlem survivors was the “catalyst” that determined which of the powers would be the first to settle in the region and where precisely they would settle “the English started to concentrate more on St Helena as a halfway station The French continued to call at Saldanha Bay from time to time but also had their own colony in Reunion.” who started his career as a marine archaeologist in the Netherlands moved to South Africa in 1988 to take up a lecturing position at the University of Cape Town a member of the public phoned to say she thought she’d found the remains of the Nieuw Haarlem Werz had come to South Africa harbouring hopes of discovering the remains of the many VOC ships wrecked at the Cape The Haarlem – the ship that “started it all” – was at the top of his wish list It was a mystery that many serious historians had wanted to solve over the years and previous attempts to find the wreck had all included many incorrect assumptions “She took me to the beach and showed me some timbers,” said Werz, who instantly recognised them as coming from a much more recent 19th-Century wreck. Putting the disappointment behind him, he continued to investigate the Nieuw Haarlem “as a sort of hobby,” by walking on the beach “whenever [he] was bored” and combing the state archives in the Hague and Cape Town for any information including the journal kept the by the ship’s junior merchant who was one of the 62 men who had stayed in Cape Town after the wreck The journal provided Werz with great detail about the year the men spent at the Cape – including a few very useful clues as to the exact location of the wreck where visitors can learn all about the prison and see the resident penguins which are now an endangered species.) This excerpt from Jansz’s journal gives an idea of the kind of challenges and successes the men experienced “the crew shot a rhinoceros (which had been fighting with an elephant) near our fortification The meat is very short-grained and tastes good which serves us very well in this time of shortage.” And a day later “our skiff returned from the Robben Island with 200 birds Jansz was able to recognise the potential of the Cape as a victualling station for Dutch ships – he just had to convince the Lords Seventeen (the VOC’s “board of directors”) Taking on fresh provisions was vital to the wellbeing of crews making the eight-month with scurvy and other diseases claiming many lives VOC ships had a history of calling at various places in the southern hemisphere they were hesitant to establish a presence on the African mainland because of the perceived costs of such an endeavour and because they were wary of the people who already lived there Jansz and another official named Proot (whose identity is in doubt but is most likely Matthijs Proot another junior merchant who was not on the Haarlem) submitted a remonstration to the Lords Seventeen that “succinctly demonstrated and indicated what service advantage and profit will accrue to the VOC by constructing a fort and garden at the Cape of Good Hope.” The document pointed out the Cape’s strategic location (if enemy ships wanted to attack there would be “no better place in the world for them to do so than the Cape”) the remonstration stressed the fact that “the indigenous people came in all friendliness to barter [bringing] cattle and sheep in quantities.” The remonstration went to great pains to convince the directors of how cheaply the settlement could be established It also dismissed the popular conception at the time that indigenous Africans were “man-eating people” as “nonsense” explaining that “the killing of our people is caused more by revenge due to the stealing of their cattle than because they want to eat us.” It also recommended (with remarkable prescience) that the new settlement should have “a good commander who treats the indigenous people politely and who pays for everything that is bartered from them and to treat some of them with a bellyful of food.” Jan van Riebeeck – an ambitious VOC official who was on one of the ships that collected the last of the Nieuw Haarlem survivors in 1648 – successfully petitioned to be the Cape’s first commander and took things in a different but history-defining direction Visitors who want to delve into VOC rule at the Cape can explore the Castle of Good Hope, which was built between 1666 and 1679. The remains of van Riebeeck’s fort are buried beneath the nearby Golden Acre shopping centre although some remnants of the reservoir built by his immediate successor are on display in the ground floor of the mall is located in Central Cape Town on Queen Victoria street the initial vision of a contained outpost at the Cape was obliterated particularly when van Riebeeck made the decision to allow the Dutch to farm in the hinterland While the first Free Burghers (“free citizens” who were released from VOC employment to farm their own land) originally settled near to Cape Town the first slaves were imported by the VOC (initially from West Africa and later from areas around the Indian Ocean) to do hard labour an emeritus professor at the University of South Africa laid the foundation for the “social order and class distinction based on race” finding the Haarlem would “make one of the most important pieces of 17th-Century South African history tangible.” By 2015 the project had become much more than just a hobby and he had gathered folders of information on the wreck Jansz’s journal mentioned that the ship was sunk exactly 1.5 miles from the place where van Riebeeck would eventually establish his fort While those who’d looked for the Nieuw Haarlem before him had assumed the figure to be in English miles Werz knew that a Dutch mile was almost five times longer than an English mile Another clue came from a 1652 volume which stated that a drinking well dug at the survivors’ camp was “60 feet deep sand with water.” Such information (known as a stratigraphic column by geologists) served as a unique “location barcode” that Keletso Mulele compared to a 1970s geological survey to further zero in on the location of the survivor camp and the nearby wreck Werz teamed up with geophysicist Billy Steenkamp to use a magnetometer (a type of metal detector that only picks up iron) to search the area he’d earmarked Excavations on the beach yielded the remains of a 19th-Century shipwreck They were able to dig up a huge semi-circular object that Werz believes was some sort of clamp from a mast or spar and a number of hand-forged nails which could only be very old They even found a necklace made from copper which Werz thinks was crafted by the KhoeKhoe people possibly bartered from the Nieuw Haarlem survivors While it must have been tempting to continue using earth-moving equipment to solve the mystery once and for all Werz called the dig off when a metre-long nail was snapped in half by a digger Unveiling the last of the Nieuw Haarlem’s secrets will require erecting a temporary coffer dam and draining all the water from the area Once he’s secured funding for this final phase of the project “the ultimate proof will be the discovery of the 19 iron cannon and four iron anchors that were left behind in the hold.” if and when the cannon and anchors are found they would certainly warrant the creation of a museum display “I know of no other shipwreck anywhere in the world,” he stressed “that has had such an impact on an entire nation.” Sunken Civilisation is a BBC Travel series that explores mythical underwater worlds that seem too fantastical to exist today but are astonishingly real Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "The Essential List". 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