In 1659, the famous mapmaker Joan Blaeu published his world atlas Tooneel des Aardrycks [Display of the Realm of Earth]. The archives in Leiden have made their atlas available online. This week we are looking at his map of the county of Holland. The map shows several lakes have already been turned into polders, such as the Beemster, Purmer, Schermer, and Wormer. The Haarlemmermeer was still a lake. The largest city on the map if Amsterdam, connected to the Zuyder Zee [South Sea, a bay of the … [Read more...]
Map of the week – Waterland, circa 1573
23 September 2024 by Leave a Comment
Around 1573, cartographer Christiaan sGroten created an atlas of the Netherlands and Germany for the King of Spain. At this time, the Netherlands were part of the Habsburg empire, headed by King Philip II of Spain. The Dutch Revolt had started several years earlier and the Spanish king needed maps for strategic purposes and commissioned the atlas. The atlas has been digitized and is available at the Royal Library of Belgium. The map we are looking at this week shows a part of the province of … [Read more...]
Quick tip – the meaning of Holland
29 July 2015 by Leave a Comment
If you see "Holland" in a published source, like a book or an online tree, chances are that the person means the country of the Netherlands. If you see "Holland" in a Dutch record prior to 1840, Holland refers to the province by that name, in the west of the Netherlands. In 1840, the province was split into Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. As the most prosperous province and the center of international trade, the province overshadowed the other provinces; so much so that its name became … [Read more...]
Quick tip: Holland vs. Netherlands
17 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
The country of the Netherlands is often called "Holland." Did you know that Holland is actually just a part of the country and a former province? Calling the Netherlands "Holland" is like calling the United Kingdom "England" (or the United States "New York"). To make it even more confusing, the Kingdom of the Netherlands includes more than just the country of the Netherlands. Watch the video below to find out the specifics. … [Read more...]
