own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment University of Oxford provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK View all partners A response to the legacy of the imperialist and mining magnate Cecil John Rhodes is being written into the fabric of the refurbished Rhodes House at the University of Oxford in the UK A statement “remembering and honouring the labour and suffering of those who worked to create this wealth” has been translated into the southern African language ǀxam and carved into the stone parapet of a new convention centre within the building At the same time, his diamond mining enterprise rested on black land expropriation, which is why his legacy has been contested in recent years ǀxam is now a sleeping language, meaning that it is no longer used by any group as a mother tongue. It was spoken until the early 1900s by descendants of the Khoesan peoples and Afrikaners of the Northern Cape. It was famously recorded by the linguists Wilhelm Bleek and Lucy Lloyd at the end of the 1800s in Cape Town where a number of ǀxam men were incarcerated at the Breakwater prison We are scholars of literary and storytelling histories including those of Afrikaans and ǀxam Rhodes House tasked us to find ways of translating the inscription into ǀxam in consultation with speakers and teachers of related languages that are still used With its marked click consonants like the ǀxam inscription brings an unmistakable African presence to the heart of Oxford The carving signifies resistance to the takeover control and possession of other lands and people that underpinned the colonial project Built in a monumental style by British architect Herbert Baker, Rhodes House is the home of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarships and stands as a memorial to Rhodes’ memory. Baker worked extensively in South Africa, where he designed the Union Buildings A line in Latin honouring Rhodes and acknowledging his love for Oxford runs along the top parapet of the building The new inscription appears in parallel lower down but also closer to the viewer on the ground It can be seen as being in dialogue with the Latin writing The decision to sculpt words honouring those who worked to generate Rhodes’ wealth emerges from five years of legacy and inclusion conversations held across the worldwide Rhodes Scholar community These rewarding but often tough exchanges were conducted in the awareness of important initiatives exploring histories of empire, like the #RhodesMustFall and #BlackLivesMatter movements Representatives from all generations emphasised the importance of recognising that the Rhodes legacy was built on southern African people’s suffering and labour The idea arose at an early stage to use a southern African indigenous language that could not be immediately translated or decoded. As one of us, Boehmer, explains in her research it is important that the experiences of people marginalised by history are voiced if at all possible in their own languages we question and resist ideas of frictionless cultural exchange around the world – exchange that is always dominated by the global north through the medium of English Translating the text that emerged out of the conversations we had was an exercise in balancing languages Although ǀxam was recorded in the late 1800s After Staphorst’s preliminary translation, South African linguist Menán du Plessis provided a retranslation based on her extensive work on compiling ǀxam’s first reference grammar Staphorst revised and edited further in line with reflections on the links between ǀxam and other southern African languages (Nǀuu The new inscription moves beyond the fixation on the so-called “extinct” nature of the language and rather embodies a point where the various histories cultures and languages of the Cape meet each other We then worked together from October 2024 to develop and test the translation. This crucially included a visit to the Kalahari, a formative landscape of the Bushman peoples, and a consultation with Ouma Katrina Esau and her granddaughter It’s significant that the language is tied to the South African region whose history Rhodes profoundly shaped Two stones bearing translations into English of both the Latin and the ǀxam messages will appear near to the inscriptions so that viewers will be able to engage with the meaning and the symbolism of both The ǀxam inscription was carved by UK stone mason Fergus Wessel, who works in response to a longstanding English Arts and Crafts tradition The inscription’s handcrafted aspect responds to the saying’s reference to the difficult labour of southern African peoples that produced the Rhodes wealth At a time when educators and activists have grappled with the legacy of imperial figures like Rhodes the new inscription is an effort to deal in the present with the colonial past and its legacies Several people have reported that they are being hit by young people on fat bikes in Meppel Police in Zuidwest-Drenthe received several reports about this over the last few days The incidents occurred between Meppel in Drenthe Police have said that five people are involved in the assaults They catch up to people from behind and then hit the person in the lower body while passing them It is believed by police that there are more incidents than the ones they have already received a report on They are calling on all witnesses of these incidents to come forward with any information they may have Fat bikes have long been a topic of discussion in the Netherlands. New laws were implemented a year ago. A 14-year-old age limit and an obligation to wear a helmet became a legal necessity for people using fat bikes, however, authorities have struggled to enforce the laws thus far This came after there was a significant increase in accidents with fat bikes that resulted in serious injuries. A total of 96 people were taken to hospital in a single week at the end of September and the beginning of October of last year as a result of accidents involving fat bikes. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. HomeDestinationsInterestsTop Places to Travel by MonthSearchMenuBest time to go to The Netherlands A relaxed balloon party in East Netherlands the most charming balloon festival in the Netherlands promises excitement and spectacle for attendees of all ages whether watching from the ground or soaring above in one of the baskets The two-day event features up to 35 hot air balloons taking flight each evening Visitors will be amazed by various unique shapes Balloon Fair Staphorst offers the opportunity to see the region from a bird's-eye view balloons light up the night sky in a dazzling display of colors and music guests are invited to unwind at the Beer Meadow where one can enjoy an array of snacks and beverages The gates swing open as the clock strikes 6 pm welcoming attendees to the Balloon Fair Staphorst Passengers begin to trickle into the check-in tent at 6:45 pm the air is filled with excitement as balloon teams and crew members take center stage introducing themselves and setting the stage for the evening's spectacle the moment arrives—the first hot air balloons gracefully ascend guests are treated to an array of delights from an intermediate program at 9:15 pm to the preparations for the Night Glow casting a magical glow over the event site before bidding farewell with promises of next year's adventures at midnight While the schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions the organizers promise to keep attendees informed via social media Tickets for balloon rides are available for Thursday starting at €199 for individuals and groups of up to nine persons Discounts are available for groups of ten or more For those seeking an exceptional experience This enclosed terrace promises unparalleled views of the balloon take-off area creating a setting for relaxation and networking amidst the excitement of the Balloon Fair Tickets are accessible for both Thursday and Friday evenings at a rate of €50 per person The organizers suggest inputting the address provided into your navigation system and you'll be on your way to joining the festivities parking signs and directions from traffic controllers will be available Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here | Copyright 2025 FIM Europe | Terms of use - Privacy statement | In 2020, British photographer Jimmy Nelson, best known for travelling to far-flung destinations from Mongolia to Vanuatu to photograph indigenous people he was forced to look closer to home for inspiration to the closed religious community of Staphorst in the east where traditional clothing is still worn today Nelson's work has provoked controversy in the past for its idealised depiction of indigenous communities and for presenting them as vanishing victims rather than the authors of thriving traditions Yet the collaborative nature of this latest project disrupts "Those images took weeks to organise," Nelson said "Not necessarily in finding the right light and the location [with] people wanting to be seen and represented in a very specific way." Celebrating this diversity is Nelson's new book, Between the Sea and the Sky traditional costume and landscapes of 20 regions of the Netherlands through storytelling hand-drawn maps and more than 300 photographs The pages take readers past the Netherlands' vivid green polders with their fertile peat soil; onto the arid desert dunes hidden in the heart of the country; and into the salty harbours on its fringes that feed the nation with fish and established lucrative trading routes where a fifth of the country was wrung from the sea is as shaped by its waters as by the land itself The book's title pays tribute to the generations of Dutch people living a precarious life at the mercy of water and weather in a dazzling but difficult landscape a former island just 20km north-east of Amsterdam that's been connected to the mainland since 1957 by a wisp of causeway was the first place to open its doors to Nelson He had already photographed this picturesque settlement of half-timbered houses and white lift bridges back in 2014 and after a series of visits to re-establish relations The book's cover image (pictured at the top of the article) where villagers dressed as wedding guests and a bride loom over the land and sea "I'm often kneeling in front of people," Nelson said "I make myself very small and give the subject the authority… They are the one dictating It's up to them whether or not I see them whether or not I take the camera out." The photo shoot created a buzz and a sense of unity in the villageFor participant Marieke Zeeman (pictured third from left above) Nelson's project coincided with a family tragedy The klederdracht (traditional clothing) she owned Since klederdrachthas not been daily wear on Marken for almost a century friends and neighbours came together to assemble a mourning outfit for her for the shoot The photo shoot created a buzz and a sense of unity in the village," she said The peninsula has more than 30 different traditional costumes – all handmade – including five stages of mourning dress "The clothing of Marken is very nuanced," Zeeman said "For every festival and important life moment is a microcosm of the Netherlands' relationship with water "The sea is Marken's friend and enemy A lot of people made their money as fishermen and mariners.. it's all you live for because it's your bread When the Afsluitdijk dam was completed in 1937 the floods finally abated but the fishing industry collapsed turning to farming or finding jobs on the mainland the houses built on poles to prevent flooding are still visible today "I think the Marken people over the ages showed resilience in finding a way to live with the water," Zeeman continued "Every family has past memories of what the water took; even our names [Zeeman means sailor] are connected to water." Two hundred kilometres south-west of Marken a lighthouse built into a 15th-Century church tower  keeps watch over the small city of Westkapelle on the former island of Walcheren a cluster of former islands each with its own dialect this important trading post has fought off Viking raiders and Spanish reformers and withstood the floods of 1953 that claimed almost 2,000 lives and are known here simply as De Ramp (The Disaster) a fourth-generation goldsmith and a collector of traditional clothing and jewellery is the only remaining Zeelander still making gold oorijzers (ear irons) that keep in place the starched white bonnets seen throughout Between the Sea and the Sky Nowhere are the irons and bonnets larger and showier than in Zuid-Beveland where Asta Shouwenaar (pictured above) was photographed isolated from the mainland until the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s brought dams and railways was kept in check by the region's rough weather it is very windy and it's very difficult to wear such a muts (bonnet)," Minderhoud said "There's a lot of starch in it and when it becomes wet it collapses." Everything which makes the province what it is today The sea is part of our life and every day it is different"Zeeland has barely changed in the last 100 years," he added "Everything which makes the province what it is today The sea is part of our life and every day it is different the dunes cast dust over the village and the sand lies in the streets and in our gardens – a bit like snow it's on our windows and we can't see outside because there's a thick layer of salt on the glass." several of Nelson's Zeeland photographs place knollen centre stage These giant farm horses were central to the livelihood of a province where today three-quarters of the land is still devoted to food production Achieving these dramatic beach scenes required patience "We spent an enormous amount of time sitting waiting… and split seconds where we would run outside when the sun would peek through the storm clouds," recalled Nelson "Because the majority of the Netherlands is coastal the light is continually changing and is volatile in its unpredictability "If you use analogue cameras and ambient light you make a much more intimate meeting," he said Nelson took inspiration from the Dutch Masters using window light reflectors to produce what he calls "this very soft the hallmark of painters such as Vermeer and De Hooch Friesland That famous Dutch light was also at play during Nelson's winter trip to chilly Friesland in the north, casting a golden hue over its vast flatlands and frozen lakes. For this province of ice-skating fanatics, the colder the better. As the ice thickens, excitement mounts at the prospect of the legendary Elfstedentocht a 200km ice skating race through 11 Frisian towns whose northeast Friesland farm was photographed by Nelson (pictured above) dark ice – that's the most beautiful one – snow ice Bijlsma organised a big meal in a church that houses the theatre company she runs "We had so much fun," she remembered The north is more than just a place to set up wind farms or extract gas you can hike over the mudflats all the way to Engelsmanplaat an uninhabited island populated by seals and birdlife It's really beautiful," she said The region's extraordinary star-filled skies make it equally impressive at night "There's not a lot of light pollution and it's amazingly dark," said Bijlsma who regularly takes a moment to absorb the incredible views "When you see the horizon on the sea dyke every little or big problem in your head blows away You can stare into nothing: only sea and sky." Our Unique World is a BBC Travel series that celebrates what makes us different and distinctive by exploring offbeat subcultures and obscure communities around the globe 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". A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. How the first 'sensational' picture of Lady Diana came aboutIt starts nearly 40 years ago, when a teenage girl is pulled out of obscurity and thrust into the spotlight. How the surreal 'Dali Atomicus' was capturedIn 1948 a famous artist and an innovative portrait photographer attempted to create something unbelievable. 'Weed nuns' v narcos: Meet Mexico's Sisters of the ValleyThe Sisters of the Valley are a group of women defying narco traffickers and tradition at the same time. 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Veijer became Dutch champion in the Minibike Junior A class Veijer is the nephew of Dutch Moto2 rider Collin Veijer You fought as hard as you could with everything that had happened but this hard and difficult fight you couldn't beat," the statement read "Im very proud to be your cousin and will never forget the fun times we had together even though I wasn't at home much I will never forget the memories and never forget you as a person You make me more motivated to fight as hard as you did RacingNews365 wishes the whole family our condolences and strength with their loss Sign up for the daily digest and/or weekly newsletter and we'll make sure that you are fully up to date with the latest news from the Formula 1 world Find the latest F1 news and news from other motorsport series at RacingNews365.com the world's leading independent F1 website providing daily F1 coverage Check out the 2025 F1 calendar for an overview of all the races with extensive background and real-time information.  Follow RacingNews365 on your favorite social media channels Motorists don’t like getting caught speeding but this may be a rather extreme way of getting off the charge We wouldn’t suggest that you try the same thing to get off speeding charges Just two months ago he became national minibike junior champion His father wrote that last Monday his son’s condition seemed to be improving “But at the end of the week all hope had gone and Sid lost the fight,” he said Police are investigating the circumstances at the Swalmen track where the accident happened 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 Police have arrested five minors who are suspected of hitting or pinching several people in Meppel, Drenthe. These are young people who have been targeting walkers, runners, and a cyclist while going past on fatbikes The victims reported that the group passed them by on fatbikes before hitting them or squeezing their buttocks The incidents happened on the south side of Meppel Camera footage has been viewed by police as a result of the incidents and conversations were had with the victims and witnesses They were arrested and questioned on Monday and Tuesday They were then released but are still suspects in the case Police published a report about the squeezing incidents last week in which they called on any witnesses to come forward with any information they may have Police refused the share the ages of the suspects due to privacy laws Separately, police in Dordrecht have been busy trying to track down two young people who shot at a cyclist with a gel blaster The man was taken to hospital due to injuries sustained as a result A 7-year-old boy who was seriously injured two weeks ago in a go-karting accident at an indoor track in Swalmen, Limburg, has died from his injuries, his family confirmed on Veijer Racing's Facebook page was an active motorsport enthusiast and was riding a minibike at the time of the accident he was transported by ambulance and flown by trauma helicopter to the hospital in Maastricht where he fought for his life for the past two weeks noting that there had been a small glimmer of hope earlier in the week that hope faded as Sid's condition worsened an unfair fight that Sid could not win," his father wrote Sid was recognized as a promising talent in the world of motorsports he was crowned Dutch junior champion in the minibike class secured third place in the Moto3 world championship this season The Dutch Labor Inspectorate has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident Forty-two percent of Dutch supermarkets will be open on Christmas Day, according to data from Openingstijden.nl. The availability increases significantly on the second day of Christmas, with 89 percent of supermarkets open nationwide, consistent with trends in recent years. Openingstijden.nl analyzed the holiday hours of 3,902 supermarket locations from all major grocery chains in the Netherlands. This year's data covers supermarket chains such as Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl, Aldi, Plus, and others. The data reveals that nearly 70 percent of municipalities will have at least one supermarket open on Christmas Day. On the second day of Christmas, this figure rises to nearly all municipalities. The percentage of open supermarkets varies significantly across the country. In municipalities such as Enschede, Nijmegen, Amersfoort, and Emmen, only 3 percent of supermarkets will be open on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, in nine municipalities, including Zandvoort and Barendrecht, all supermarkets will be open. On the second day of Christmas, regional disparities are less pronounced, with most municipalities having widespread availability. However, eight municipalities—including Borsele, Staphorst, and Neder-Betuwe—will have no open supermarkets on either day. Openingstijden.nl has tracked holiday hours since 2013, when only 3 percent of supermarkets opened on Christmas Day. Between 2013 and 2021, the number of open supermarkets increased steadily. In recent years, however, the percentage has stabilized. It is the third known incident of a jackal attacking sheep in the Netherlands since 2020 A jackal is known to have attacked a sheep in Nijmegen in 2000 killed three in Friesland in 2022 and attacked two near Lauwersoog on the Groningen coast last year Farmers are compensated for the death of their animals slightly larger than a fox with a pointed nose and short tail is not native to the Netherlands and has moved across the continent from Eastern Europe The mammal was first spotted in 2016 in the Veluwe heathland thousands of miles from its usual haunts in north Africa It was unclear at the time if the animal had crossed the border into the Netherlands or escaped or was released from a private zoo However, reports of sightings of golden jackals in Denmark, Germany and other European countries have been coming in as well and experts think the animals are coming from eastern Europe to make their home in western Europe in increasing numbers The golden jackal is protected in the Netherlands and is currently listed in the EU habitats directive as an Annex V species which means that that member states ‘must ensure that their exploitation and taking in the wild is compatible with maintaining them in a favourable conservation status’. We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, 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. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here. Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey. Photo: ANP/Persbureau MeterThe clean-up operation following Monday night’s farmers’ protests in several parts of the Netherlands continued on Tuesday morning as council officials cleared rubble and other waste from several roads According to the Telegraaf several people were injured in traffic accidents caused by the protests and two were taken to hospital The Oldenzaal slip roads for the A1 remained closed to rush hour traffic in both directions because of the rubbish which had been dumped and set on fire farmers left bales of hay and started fires and on the A50 near Beekbergen in the east of the country farmers set fire to asbestos 25 tractors blocked the motorway and there were also protests on motorways near Breukelen “Dumping and setting fire to rubbish is a danger to health and the environment as well as leading to dangerous situations on the road,” Oost-Nederland police said in a statement Farmers have been protesting throughout Europe about the EU’s Green Deal and other plans and last week the campaign spread to the Netherlands Radical farmers group Farmers Defence Force has pledged a mass protest this week Sign in Join now, it's FREE! A tree will be planted in memory of Janna Frielink in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest. Here are 13 Dutch ‘streken’ June 19 2018 The Netherlands has plenty of well defined provinces But there is also such a thing as a streek an area whose borders are very often much more difficult to pinpoint Achterhoek Many people only have a vague idea about the Achterhoek (literally back corner) except that its main export was a band called Normaal whose performances usually ended in total mayhem It lies at the eastern end of the province of Gelderland but its borders are fluid and local spats are rife So ‘that bit in the corner of Gelderland’ it remains It roughly cuts a swathe across the centre of the Netherlands beginning in Overijssel and ending in Zeeland It is defined by the voters of the fundamentalist Protestant political party SGP the party which believes women should not vote and the Netherlands should be governed by the word of God Randstad The Randstad! At least here we know exactly where we are, don’t we? The Randstad includes the Netherlands’ four biggest cities, Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Rotterdam and all the towns and villages in between. The cities have started promoting themselves abroad as the Holland Metropole Kop van Noord-Holland The Kop van Noord-Holland or simply the Kop (head) is conveniently bordered by water on three sides: the North Sea to the west the Wadden Sea to the north and the IJsselmeer to the east The local authority boundaries have been redrawn and the area now consists of Texel Schagen and Hollands Kroon or Holland’s Crown (which sounds historical but is actually a newly invented name) as it is home to the Netherlands’ vast array of greenhouses Fly over the Netherlands at night and that orange glow is Westland But it is actually a combination of the municipalities of Westland and Midden-Delfland Westland itself forms part of another streek called Delfland it’s somewhere near The Hague anyway Veenkolonieën The Veenkolonieën or peat colonies refer to the communities that sprung up in the peat cutting areas – the most important of which are in the eastern parts of Groningen and Drenthe and an area called the Peel on the border of Noord-Brabant and Limburg The turf that came out of these areas was instrumental in turning the 17th century into the Golden Age by allowing the Dutch Republic to produce its own energy The Veenkolonieën later became famous for their workhouses where antisocial families were sent to be reformed Duin and Bollenstreek The Duin and Bollenstreek takes in the Zuid-Holland municipalities of Katwijk Lisse rings a bell with most people because it’s the home of the Keukenhof If you come in spring you won’t be able to miss the endless fields of brightly coloured blooms especially if you’re stuck in the traffic jams that build up around Lisse in the flower season Kleistreek De Kleistreek is named after its soil: clay It’s in the province of Friesland and refers to a band of sea clay on the coast to the west and north of Leeuwarden It’s mostly used for agriculture and tourism The expression ‘Uit de klei getrokken’ or ‘formed from clay’ refers to people from rural areas Twente Most people have some idea about where to locate this very picturesque corner of the Netherlands It is the easterly bit of the province of Overijssel that backs onto the border with Germany Groene Hart You’ll have heard of this one: it’s the patches of green in between the cities of the Randstad (see above) that property developers and local councils are always itching to get their hands on The Green Heart is protected against too many encroachments by law but local councils strapped for homes are constantly trying to see how far they can push the boundaries A famous Dutch poet once said that what is left of nature in this country is a strip of woodland the size of a newspaper Heuvelland Meaning ‘hilly land’ you can’t go far wrong with this one: it is in the province of Limburg the only area of the Netherlands with any hills to speak of Heuvelland in Limburg is not to be confused with Heuvelland in Belgium In order not to confuse the two the Dutch version also goes by the name of Limburgs Heuvelland We could also mention the Utrechtse Heuvelrug – the ridge of low sand dunes near Utrecht – to further confuse the issue Streek Last but not least is a streek which is actually called the Streek The Streek is the epitome of a streek because it is the most ill-defined of them all It started out as an area east of Hoorn in the late Middle Ages then took in the area between Hoorn and Enkhuizen and now encompasses the villages of Blokker has become synonymous in colloquial Dutch with ‘any insignificant speck on the map’ A bonus streek: HollandCity HollandCity is really a streek but in the other sense of the word ie a bit of a prank which is being played on unwary tourists a marketing trick to try to lure tourists away from Amsterdam and into other parts of the country The HollandCity strategy basically involves promoting the Netherlands as a single metropolis with lots of districts such as Lake District Friesland and Design District Eindhoven the Groene Hart and the Bollenstreek don’t get a look in Twenty four countries from across the region have confirmed their participation in the Caribbean Festival of Arts and Culture (CARIFESTA) This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Host Country Management Committee (HCMC) Ivan Graanoogst at a recent press conference held at the Headquarters of Carifesta XI in Paramaribo.  He said Carifesta XI will not only take place in the capital but across all  ten districts in the country  “This means that we will have to conduct a massive logistical operation which not only accommodates the Surinamese participants but also ensures that our guests arrive on time and are provided with everything they need to perform at the designated venues” Coordinator of the Surinamese contingent for Carifesta XI Siegmien Staphorst said Suriname will be participating in all aspects of Carifesta XI with special attention to the visual arts starting with the opening ceremony “Welcome to Suriname” She said dance and music from all ethnic groups in the country have been incorporated into the Surinamese productions martial arts and modern experimental dances performances of next generation Surinamese dancers and choreographers will also be included in presentations by the Surinamese contingent Copyright © 2025 Multimedia Jamaica Ltd