Dutch-language newspaper for North America shuts down after 58 years

Posted Tue, 05/08/2012 - 8:14am

Dutch-language newspaper The Windmill Herald will cease operations next month, according to publisher Albert van der Heide. The newspaper, which under various names has been in operation since 1954, has seen its readers number dwindle due to demographic developments and has not been self-supporting for several years.

In an interview with the Dutch International Society yesterday:

“We were able to slow the effects of a nearly inevitable greying readership with an English-language section in The Windmill Herald,” said Albert van der Heide who purchased the paper in 1969, five years after coming to Canada as a teenager. “We keep hearing from grandchildren of 1950s Dutch immigrants interested in their heritage and roots, but not enough to sustain the paper in its current format,” he said.”

The paper, which is published twice-a-month, dipped increasingly into red ink as the Canadian dollar moved to parity with its U.S. counterpart and as postal rates and technology costs going up.

The only remaining Dutch-language newspaper for North America is now De Krant, whose publisher we interviewed in August 2011.

Open letter

The publisher made the announcement with an open letter in this week’s edition:

“Over the past four years, there have been numerous reports of newspapers and magazines ceasing to publish, citing various reason, including declining subscriber numbers, shrinking advertising income and rising costs. The Windmill Herald has not been immune from these either. The hard truth of the matter is that the Windmill Herald has not been self-supporting for a number of years. We have come to the conclusion that a turn-around is not likely any time soon. Hence the decision to cease publication.

We are very grateful for the significant support The Windmill Herald received over the years. Collectively, subscribers took care of over half our annual budget. That was the case in 1970 and that remains the case today, no doubt the envy of most specialty newspaper publishers. Similarly, the (Dutch immigrant) business community has been very supportive throughout the years. The readership and the advertisers were huge positive factors in our ability to publish without any interruptions. Also the Windmill Herald’s suppliers, employees and contributors played their roles very well. They all deserve a round of applause.

Publisher Albert van der Heide announced the news in an open letter in this week's edition of The Windmill Herald.Founded in 1954 in Ontario as Hollandia News and in 1958 in British Columbia as Goed Nieuws with regional readerships, the Windmill Herald gained, thanks to reader involvement in the 1970’s and forward, a significant continent-wide readership, served by three editions, Western Canada, Central and Atlantic Canada, and the USA. Without this help from the subscribers, the Windmill Herald would definitely not have survived this long.

The Windmill Herald (Western Canada edition) was first published as Goed Nieuws in 1958. The Windmill Herald (Central and Atlantic Canada edition) as Hollandia News in 1954. Windmill Herald (USA edition) was launched in 1990 and the English section, later supplement the Windmill Post, in April 1980.

[..]

In closing, it has been a privilege to serve the community in this capacity for exactly 43 years. As publisher of The Windmill Herald, I thank my family for their unwavering support of the decades. We acknowledge the Giver of all Life as the One who gave us the ability, strength and courage, this in spite of a serious health challenge in 1980. Please join me in giving Him all the Glory, and attribute any and all of the many shortcomings to me.

A. A.(Albert) van der Heide
Publisher and Editor”

Government collapses -- dual citizenship law shelved

Posted Wed, 04/25/2012 - 7:07am

Prime Minister Rutte has offered the resignation of his cabinet to the Queen, preparing the country for new elections in September. The proposed restrictions on dual citizenship for Dutch citizens are now on hold. This is great news for Dutch citizens abroad who were at risk of being unable to keep their Dutch citizenship when applying for that of their new home countries.

Dual citizenship law considered “controversial issue”

The 18-month old coalition between the conservative-liberal VVD and the Christian democratic CDA was supported by the far-right PVV. The Netherlands is in danger of breaking the 3% rule imposed by the European Union and the three parties were negotiating new budget cuts. Those talks broke down unexpectedly on Saturday and the PVV revoked its support for the coalition.

New elections will most likely be held on September 12. Until that time, the VVD and CDA will formally remain in power but will no longer take on “controversial issues”. It is now clear that both VVD and CDA, as well as most opposition parties, consider the proposed law “controversial” which means it will no longer progress. A May 15 meeting to discuss the proposal has been canceled.

CDA: “A PVV thing”

The main opposition parties have always opposed the restrictive law and in recent days the governing parties seem to have come around as well. CDA spokesperson Mirjam Sterk said in an interview with Dutch newspaperDe Telegraaf about the proposal: “That is a kind of PVV-thing that we’ve always found difficult”.

Eelco Keij, the main organizer of the protests against the law: “Recently, the VVD made clear they were struggling with the proposal, and it was a courageous thing to air those disagreements.”

New elections

The elections in September will determine the shape of the new coalition. It seems unlikely that the PVV will be part of a coalition again, which bodes well for those who are in favor of dual citizenship. For more information on how to cast your vote while abroad, contact your local Consulate or Embassy or read more information in Dutch at Kiesraad.nl.

Controversial dual citizenship law before Dutch parliament

Posted Mon, 03/05/2012 - 8:07pm

Last Friday the Dutch government sent the contested bill regarding dual nationality to parliament for a vote -– despite concerns expressed by thousands of Dutch people worldwide.

The controversial law would severely restrict the ability for Dutch citizens to hold another citizenship, and would impact many thousands of Dutch-Americans and Dutch nationals worldwide. Earlier reports that the new minister does not consider this bill to be a priority turned out to be incorrect.

Call for action

The action group Nederlander Blijven is calling on all Dutch citizens to contact their representatives in Dutch parliament:

“There are still several phases in parliament that need to be dealt with before the bill can be put up to a vote. During these phases it is of utmost important that each spokesperson of each political party is well informed about the various downsides of this piece of legislation. With enough valid arguments, a majority within parliament may agree to amend the bill and to reverse its strongest restrictions. The actual vote may be up as soon as this June – after which the second branch of parliament will also need to vote on it (probably somewhere later in 2012).”

Eelco Keij, the main organizer against the proposed law, has more information on his website and a list with contact information of Dutch politicians.

http://eelcokeij.com/2012/03/05/urgent-update-no-vi-your-support-needed/
http://www.nederlanderblijven.com

"Girl With a Pearl Earring" to visit the USA

Posted Sat, 01/28/2012 - 11:15am

Vermeer’s masterpiece “Girl With a Pearl Earring” will be on display in three museums in the United States in 2013, along with 34 other masterpieces from the Dutch Royal Picture Gallery, the Mauritshuis.

The traveling exhibition “Girl With a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings From the Mauritshuis,” will start in January 2013 at the De Young museum in San Francisco and then move to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. In October the show will be scaled down to 10 works and presented as “Vermeer, Rembrandt and Hals: Masterpieces of Dutch Painting from the Mauritshuis” at the Frick Collection in New York City.

The Dutch Maurits House museum will undergo a renovation starting April 2013 and is sending 35 paintings on a two-year tour to the United States and Japan. The tour, a $28 million fundraiser for the renovation of the museum, will include paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Jan Steen and Jacob van Ruisdael.

A repeat visitor to the United States

The highlight of the exhibition is the world-famous “Girl With a Pearl Earring”, painted around 1665. The painting became the subject of a best-selling novel in 1999 and in 2003 of a movie starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.

The painting appeared at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1984 as part of a five-year traveling show during the Mauritshuis’s previous restoration. It was last seen in the United States in 1995 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in a 21-picture exhibition focused solely on Vermeer.

Girl With a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings From the Mauritshuis:

- De Young Museum in San Francisco, January 26 to June 2, 2013
- High Museum of Art in Atlanta, June 22 to September 29, 2013
- the Frick Collection in New York City (10 paintings), October 22, 2013 to January 12, 2014.

New minister: "Proposal doesn't have priority"

Posted Wed, 01/18/2012 - 10:45pm

Minister Liesbeth Spies was named Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations in December 2011.In what seems to be good news for Dutch citizens abroad a spokesperson for minister Spies said that sending the controversial dual-nationality law to the Dutch Parliament “currently does not have priority”. Radio Netherlands Worldwide reports that minister Spies did not mention when she will submit the proposal for review to the Tweede Kamer, and said that she will determine the time-frame of this “herself” — apparently distancing herself from her predecessor Minister Donner who had earlier said that he would send the proposal before Christmas.

“A U-turn compared to last year”

Eelco Keij, spokesman and initiator of the protests again the proposal: “This means a U-turn compared to last year, and it seems that because of the public pressure the government is (temporarily) backing off. Needless to say, we remain alert, but for now it comes down to a ‘standstill victory’. The exceptions for dual nationality for Dutch people abroad remain unharmed, at least for now.”

The minister’s remarks come after significant publicity around the effects of the proposed laws on Dutch citizens abroad, including in The Economist and the Huffington Post. The Economist wrote: “By seeking to toughen its nationality laws, the Netherlands is bucking a global trend”. The online petition against the proposal currently has more than 20,000 signatures.

No formal decision to delay or postpone the proposal has been made, so it remains to be seen how things will ultimately play out. Says Keij: “we’ll keep monitoring”.

Minister Spies was named Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations after Mr. Donner was appointed to be the new Vice President of the Council of State in December 2011. The proposed law has as goal to limit dual citizenship for new Dutch citizens and would impact Dutch citizens abroad as well.

Nationality law proposal to Dutch parliament before Christmas

Posted Thu, 12/08/2011 - 8:55am

Minister Donner expects to present his proposal for modifying the Dutch nationality law to parliament before Christmas.

In October we wrote about Minister Donner’s plan to eliminate dual nationality for Dutch citizen. The proposal, which has not yet been officially presented to the Tweede Kamer (the Dutch House of Representatives), will be sent to parliament before the Christmas break. Minister Donner answered this in response to questions by House member Gerard Schouw of the D66 party.

Importance of Dutch expats

The minister estimates that there are about 850,000 Dutch passport holders living abroad, but it is not known how many of them hold dual nationality. The minister “acknowledges the importance of Dutch expats for the Dutch economy and Dutch diplomatic relations”.

Position of the Tweede Kamer

The new law, which if it was accepted would have a significant negative effect on Dutch citizens living abroad, is controversial. A majority of parties in the Tweede Kamer has spoken in support of Dutch citizens abroad who could no longer maintain their Dutch nationality when applying for foreign citizenship.

On November 22nd a motion was brought forward to ask the minister to reconsider the aspects of the proposal that would impact Dutch citizens abroad. The motion did not get a majority in the Tweede Kamer though since the VVD did not support it, on technical grounds. Eelco Keij, who initiated the online petition against the proposal, remains optimistic: “This was just a procedural move by the VVD. When it comes to the content, they already publicly stated they are on our side.”

The petition by Dutch citizens abroad has received almost 19,000 signatures and significant coverage in the Dutch media. More information in Dutch about the petition can be found on NederlanderBlijven.com.

Rembrandt in America exhibition on tour

Posted Sat, 11/12/2011 - 2:39pm

A new exhibition about Rembrandt in America is attracting thousands of visitors at the North Carolina Museum of Art, and will travel to Cleveland, OH and Minneapolis, MN next year. It is the largest collection of Rembrandt paintings ever presented in an American exhibition and the first major exhibition to explore in depth the collecting history of Rembrandt paintings in America.

The almost 30 Rembrandts on display are from private collections and more than two dozen American art museums, and one of the works was transported from the Netherlands for this exhibition. In total, nearly 50 works are shown, including some that were originally attributed to Rembrandt van Rijn but are now thought to be by other masters such as Jan Lieven or Govert Flinck.

While the primary focus of the exhibition is on the history of Rembrandt collecting in America, the show also explores his work across various genres, his artistic evolution, and his influence on other artists of the day. Included in this exhibition are a number of significant portraits from Rembrandt’s prosperous early career in Amsterdam as the city’s most sought-after portrait painter, as well as character studies, historical and biblical scenes, and three of his celebrated self-portraits. In addition, the exhibition features a gallery with Rembrandt catalogues since the mid-19th century.

Identifying Rembrandt paintings

The exhibit is as much about art collecting and mistaken identity as it is about the art on display. It includes works no longer attributed to Rembrandt, including two in the North Carolina museum’s own collection. The NCMA is a fitting venue for that, given its history. Back in the 1950s, the museum’s first director, William Valentiner, was a major Rembrandt scholar who identified many works by the Old Master.

Many exhibitions devoted to Rembrandt’s paintings were held in 2006, during the 400-year anniversary of the artist’s birth; however, Rembrandt in America is unique in offering visitors a rare opportunity to envision the evolving opinions of scholars and collectors regarding what constituted an autograph Rembrandt painting over a period of more than a century.

Rembrandt in America

North Carolina Museum of Art: through January 22, 2012
Cleveland Museum of Art: February 19, May 28, 2012,
Minneapolis Institute of Arts: June 24, 2012 through September 16, 2012

http://www.ncartmuseum.org/exhibitions/rembrandt

Dutch Social Security for U.S. residents: new procedures

Posted Mon, 10/31/2011 - 10:54pm

From Brooklyn, New York, correspondent Benno Groeneveld describes a new procedure to apply for Dutch social security benefits from the U.S.

Applying for Dutch social security benefits (“AOW”) while living in the United States used to be quite easy: just call or e-mail the “Sociale Verzekeringsbank” (the Dutch Social Security Administration). The agency would send you a form to complete and return, and payments would start rolling into your bank account starting the month you turned 65.

June 2011: new procedures

But things changed in June 2011. Dutch-born residents of the U.S., whether Dutch citizens or not, must now apply for AOW payments through the U.S. Social Security Administration (S.S.A.). The application requires a special form, of course: SSA-2490-BK. Initially, this form could be found on the website of the Social Security Administration (www.socialsecurity.gov). But when I looked recently, I found only a link to an explanation of a treaty between the U.S. and Poland (yes!), not the necessary form.

My best advice is to call the S.S.A.(1-800-772-1213) to request a copy of SSA-2490-BK. You can also visit your local office. To find the office nearest you, check the S.S.A.’s website.

After completing the form, send it to the S.S.A.’s international office in Baltimore or make an appointment to submit it personally at your local S.S.A. office. Appointments can be made through the general S.S.A. help number and, depending on how busy your local office is, may take some time to schedule. In my case, I waited four weeks.

It is useful to know that there is a special procedure for completing this application process: GN 01725.215C. Officials usually appreciate that kind of help, especially for new or unusual procedures. I met with an official who had never heard of this procedure, but the guidelines made the process smooth.

Form SSA-2490-BK can be used to apply for Dutch Social Security payments only, or you can apply for U.S. Social Security payments at the same time. Dutch Social Security payments automatically start in the month you turn 65. U.S. Social Security payments can start at any time between the ages of 62 and 70.

Preventing abuse

According to the Dutch “Sociale Verzekeringsbank,” this procedural change will prevent abuse of the system. The bureau will be able to verify an individual’s data from afar (address, marital status, etc.) giving the SVB more certainty that all information is correct.

The new procedure does make the “AOW” application a little more cumbersome. So, make sure to start at least six months before your 65th birthday.

How much will you receive?

In the Netherlands, an individual’s AOW “account” builds up between the ages of 15 and 65. For every year you lived and/or worked in the Netherlands, you are entitled to a payment of 2 percent of the current “AOW” amount distributed to residents of the Netherlands. Nationality doesn’t matter. I know people who left the Old Country a few years after they turned 15 and became U.S. citizens. After their 65th birthday they applied for and now receive a payment (in Euros!) every month.

The Dutch AOW can be paid through a bank account in the Netherlands (monthly, independent of the amount) or through a bank in the U.S. In order to keep expenses low for international bank transactions low, “AOW” payments can also be made every three months or even once a year, in December.

If you still have questions: call the S.V.B.’s foreign office in Groningen. When calling from the U.S. the number is 011-31-50-316-9010. Or send an e-mail through the website. In my experience, S.V.B. employees are very helpful and they react quickly to e-mails.

Benno Groeneveld, Brooklyn, NY, October 2011.

This article is based on information from the Sociale Verzekerinsgsbank and my own experience. I am not a lawyer or an official spokesperson and I am not responsible for any mistakes in this article. This is only a guideline. Individual cases may be different. When in doubt, or for answers to specific questions: contact the SVB.

The end of dual citizenship?

Posted Mon, 10/24/2011 - 9:21pm

A new law is currently under consideration by the Dutch government that could spell the end of dual citizenship for Dutch citizens, including Dutch-Americans in the U.S. The law, which is now being reviewed by the Raad van State, will end several widely used exemptions to the general rule that Dutch citizens cannot claim other nationalities without losing their Dutch citizenship.

This will impact thousands of Dutch-Americans and Dutch citizens living in other countries outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands. People who already have dual Dutch citizenship will not be affected, but for people who had hoped to gain both American and Dutch nationality this law is an unwelcome development. With the new proposal, Minister Donner and the Dutch cabinet aim to reduce the number of dual citizens, and to increase the barriers for immigration to the Netherlands.

No more dual citizenship through marriage to a U.S. citizen

The current law on ‘Nederlanderschap’ has as a general rule that dual citizenship is not allowed. However, there is an important exception for people who gain citizenship through marriage. For example, if a Dutch national immigrates to the USA and marries an American partner, the Dutch national is allowed to keep the Dutch nationality while also becoming an American citizen. This exception was created in 2003 after extensive lobbying by Dutch expatriates and immigrants. U.S. law permits American citizens to hold other nationalities.

Dutch nationality for children born in the U.S.

Children born to a Dutch parent in the United States can currently maintain their Dutch citizenship when turning 18, due to exception “16-2e”. This automatic exception will disappear as well, but it appears that maintaining Dutch citizenship for minors is possible as long as their passports are renewed on time.

Work in progress

The proposal, the integral text of which can be found here, is currently under consideration. After a well-visited discussion evening in New York City last week, several Dutch expat organizations have organized an on-line petition against the proposal (in Dutch).

More information:

- Proposed new Dutch nationality law (mirror copy)
- On-line petition against the new proposal

This is a proposed law. For the best information on current law on Dutch citizenship we advice you to contact your nearest Dutch consulate, Dutch embassy or a law firm.

New book: Prominent Dutch American Entrepreneurs

Posted Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:45pm

Prominent Dutch American Entrepreneurs tells the stories of successful businesses started by Dutch-Americans in the United States. Its author is Professor Emeritus Carl Pegels of the University at Buffalo who taught Business Management there and has written extensively on that subject throughout his career. We spoke with him about his book.

Born in Rotterdam

Professor Pegels is a Dutch-American himself. He was born in a suburb of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. At age 16 he and his family emigrated to Canada. He studied in the US and in 1966 received a Ph.D. from Purdue University. He had always been interested in history but did not pursue that as a career in academia because he felt there was much more of a future for him, economically, teaching Business Management.

“I started writing about Dutch-American entrepreneurs after my retirement six years ago. Looking into my own family’s history got me interested in genealogy and I was inspired by a survey of German immigrants into the United States. I realized there was no in-depth study on what Dutch-American individuals had achieved. ”

Fascinating history

“When I started writing biographies I expected to maybe write 40 or 50 of them — but there are now more than 300! I think they constitute a fascinating history. These immigrant families have made real contributions. Just think of Thomas Edison, for instance.”

“It wasn’t my original plan to publish a book, so initially I just focused on writing online profiles.” It became clear professor Pegels had enough material for a book, which he began about two years ago. “It was a good fit with my academic background. Moreover, I had a lot of fun with this project, writing about all these amazing stories where people start out with nothing and make it to the top.”

With a wealth of facts, figures, and details Prominent Dutch American Entrepreneurs is a true source book and primer for college courses in Entrepreneurship, American History, Culture, Society and Economy. However, it will appeal to a wider audience, especially to Dutch-Americans.

The book uses a broad definition of “Dutch-Americans”. Professor Pegels: “There was no hard and fast rule in selecting subjects in the book: if they had a reasonable Dutch background and were more famous, I included them”. Among those featured: the Vanderbilts, Thomas Edison, as well as the Koch brothers — whose grandfather came from the Netherlands to the Texas frontier. These and other famous Americans all have a place in the book which mainly focuses on the past 150 years, although some chapters on early immigrants in the 17th and 18th century are also included.

The book is highly structured, with a logical grouping by generation and subject. The grouping by subject makes for interesting comparisons. For example, in that framework, professor Pegels discusses three successful Mid-West companies together: Pella Corporation, with its $1 billion sales, Vermeer Manufacturing, also based in Pella, and Prince Manufacturing. All three companies were founded by Dutch immigrants.

Professor Pegels: “The stories of these entrepreneurs are stories about immigrants who were very ambitious, creative, and entrepreneurial. A good example is Cornelius Vanderbilt, who really started from scratch, was amazingly successful, and became one of the richest men in the United States. Even today Vanderbilt draws the most attention on our website. We track the page views with Google Analytics, and the Vanderbilt page is by far the most popular.”

Dutch coffee culture

The book has many more fascinating stories of successful enterprises. For instance, the Dutch coffee drinking culture made its way to the United States through the Peet family. “Alfred Peet grew up in a family that owned a gourmet coffee and tea distribution company in the Netherlands. After the Second World War he moved to the United States and was appalled that you could not find a gourmet coffee shop anywhere. So he opened his first gourmet coffee bean and coffee shop in Berkeley, California during the 1960s.” It would prove to be the start of an amazing coffee empire: employees of Starbucks were later trained under Peet.

Professor Carl Pegels covers the 17th and 18th centuries, the transportation pioneers, industrial and infrastructure development, merchandising and services, innovation and development and finally the arts, culture and education. He has written a comprehensive study of the lives, histories and business endeavors of Dutch-American entrepreneurs.

Prominent Dutch American Entrepreneurs
C. Carl Pegels, University at Buffalo
199 pages, available as paperback and hardcover
http://www.infoagepub.com/products/Prominent-Dutch-American-Entrepreneurs

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