1811

In 1810, The Netherlands were annexed by the French empire of Napoleon. This did not last long (the French empire collapsed after the failed Russian expedition of 1813), but it did have lasting consequences. French law was introduced in 1810-1811, and generally remained in place after 1813. For genealogists, 1811 is the turning point because of the introduction of the civil register.

Some of the changes relevant for Dutch genealogy research:

• The most important change from a genealogist's point of view is the introduction of the civil register on 1 January 1811. Since that day, all births, deaths and marriages have to be registered by the local government. The civil register is the main source for Dutch genealogy research in the 19th and early 20th century (for privacy reasons, most 20th and 21st century records are not accessible).
• In 1810-1811, church registers were confiscated by the government, to be used in place of the civil register for the years before 1811. These church registers are still government property and readily available in Dutch archives (and on microfilm in many family history centers). They are the main sources for 17th and 18th century research. Post-1811 church registers are usually still church property and often hard to find and access.
• Surnames became required and fixed. Surnames were in use long before 1811, but there was often no fixed spelling, and no requirement to use the father's surname. In the rural areas of the north and east, people often had no fixed surname at all, but used patronyms, nicknames, or the name of the farm they lived and worked on. Since 1811, everyone gets the father's surname (or mother's if she's unmarried), and surnames can only be changed by royal decree or court order.
• Conscription was introduced in 1810 and existed until 1996.

These changes are just the tip of the iceberg. Feel free to discuss these and other 1810/1811 changes in the comments below.

The Dutch roots of New York City

"Wulingren" of The Mandate of Heaven天命 posted an interesting review of Russell Shorto's book The Island at the Center of the World.

Shorto's book tells "the epic story of Dutch Manhattan and the forgotten colony that shaped America", and Wulingren uses the book to compare Manhattan (where he grew up) with Taiwan (where he lives now). The Dutch bought land from indigenous tribes and founded colonies in both places almost at the same time, and Wulingren draws some interesting parallels.

Both Shorto's book and Wulingren's blog post are worth reading if you're interested in 17th century Dutch history and early Dutch settlements, even though there are some factual errors in both - Shorto is more interested in telling a fascinating story than in factual correctness.

A canon of Dutch history

The Dutch government wants to reform the treatment of Dutch history in primary education, and installed a special committee to create a canon of Dutch history. Yesterday the committee presented the finished canon: A list of 50 events and people that represent Dutch history. The list contains all the expected topics, like Erasmus, William of Orange, VOC (Dutch East India Company), and Rembrandt, but also the dark side of Dutch history, like the slave trade or the independence war of the Dutch Indies.

Though the canon is intended mainly for primary (and to a lesser extent secondary) education, it is required reading for anyone interested in his Dutch heritage.

entoen.nu | The Committee: "The report of the Committee can be summarized as follows:
A canon for all Dutch people
as a story of the country we all live in
the Netherlands not as a horizon, but as an observation post
not as a vehicle for national pride, but rather a canon that evokes involvement
not a mausoleum, but a living heritage
a canon that is open rather than closed
no lists, but windows
modern technology not as a threat, but as an ally
familiarisation with the canon as natural baggage
not a final goal, but an inspiring foundation, to be laid in primary education
to be installed first, in order to be able to put into perspective later
not a new school subject, not a complete curriculum, not a new textbook
chart - chest - website
mastery is proven only in limitation
choices, but no straitjacket
with substantial attention for the teachers 'who must bring alive', and how they are trained
give the subject back to the teacher - and give the teacher back to the subject
not static, but dynamic
not a lecture, but a discussion
with invitations to the cultural world, market and society
the canon as a cultural capital with invaluable yields
daring to invest in general education and immaterial infrastructures
a fund for the future
the canon not as a problem, but as an opportunity"

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