Blog @ Work

The Hague, The Netherlands, city of Peace and Justice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z373W-fShi8

The Hague, the city of 1 million inhabitants, including the suburbs, and the city where I was born in the past century and where I chose to live again for more than 10 years now. I love this city that’s the fourth in seize of the nation, because it’s friendly, not that big and has a lot to offer.

Museums are plenty here.

1. Mauritshuis: The 17th century Mauritshuis, which originally served as a residence and hotel for high-placed guests, is located in the city center of The Hague. Today the building houses the top museum for 17th and 18th century art. Its collection includes some 800 works by a variety of artists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llqnDU6lp8M

2. ‘Gemeentemuseum Den Haag’ (Municipal Museum The Hague) is an authority in the field of art and fashion. The museum has the world’s biggest Mondrian collection, which includes the famous work Victory Boogie Woogie. Just as spectacular as the collection of Gemeentemuseum Den Haag is Berlage’s dazzling Art Deco building which has been home to the museum since it was completed in 1935.

3. Maurits Cornelis Escher was a graphic artist, who lived between 1898 and 1972. He was an absolute master in drawing impossible situations and optical illusions. ‘Escher in the Palace’ (Escher in het Paleis) is a permanent exhibition in a former palace of the Royal Family in the historical heart of The Hague.

4. Every year, GEM organizes around seven shows that concentrate on Dutch and international contemporary art. All kinds of media are represented in the exhibitions, such as video, painting, sculpture, drawing, film and photography.

5. Museum Meermanno opens up a world of books that you have never seen
before. The history of written and printed books is explained in detail in Museum Meermanno. You are taken by the hand along century-old prints, writings, bindings and bibles. In addition to a medieval collection, Meermanno features an extensive collection of books from 1850 to the present.

6. Museon is a popular science museum in The Hague. The museum is founded on the idea that you learn faster if you can test the theory that you’ve learned in practice. Museon’s permanent exhibition is Your World, My World, where you can discover how life on Earth came into being.

Madurodam: The Netherlands in miniature world. Discover Holland's Highlight's and Heritage. There is so much to see, discover and do at Madurodam. You become acquainted with the stories of the Netherlands in a surprising way. The models are exact replicas of special buildings and objects, on a scale of 1:25.
There are many interactive activities where, for example, you can step into the role of a lock keeper, dike guard, pilot or machinist. The Madurodammers, the little inhabitants of Madurodam, come to life using video screens and you discover the fascinating stories of the Netherlands.

The city center has lots of places to eat, drink and watch people passing by at terraces. The Square (Het Plein) is a place where I go often when it’s beautiful weather, you can have a drink, something to eat and enjoy yourself.

Inner Court - Hall of Knights. Step through the famous entry gate into the historical Binnenhof (Inner Court) in the heart of our democracy. This is the place where the most important events in the nation's history took place. It is also where the future is created. The Inner Court in The Hague is studded with monumental old buildings testifying of eight centuries of governing in the Low Countries, but it also has several ample open spaces, all freely open to the public. The Binnenhof is a must-see if you're in The Hague. Take a stroll through the courtyard and admire the fairytale-like splendor or take the time to take a tour through the various halls. You won’t be disappointed!

During a tour by ProDemos, take a look inside the House of Representatives. Climb the stairs to the Hall of the Knights with its many historical details and view the throne on which King Willem Alexander delivers his royal speech on Prince's Day.

The Hague is the city of peace and justice because the international Peace Palace is located here. The Peace Palace is an international law administrative building in The Hague, the Netherlands. It houses the International Court of Justice (which is the principal judicial body of the United Nations), the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law and the Peace Palace Library. The Palace officially opened on 28 August 1913, and was originally built to provide a home for the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a court created to end war by the Hague Convention of 1899. Andrew Dickson White, whose efforts were instrumental in creating the court, secured from his friend American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie US$1.5 million ($40,000,000, adjusted for inflation) to build the Peace Palace.

Last but not least, The Hague has a coastal line Scheveningen, where you can stroll at the beach near the sea. My earliest memory of it was when we were taken to Scheveningen by my dad’s co-worker. He gave us apples to eat and afterwards I wanted to bury the apple core into the sand. But the co-worker of my dad made us eat the whole apple, core included. I was seven or eight at the time. Suffice to say I didn’t like that.

Day SIXTY EIGHT "Give It 100!"