"Den Haag.. Den Haag.. de weduwe van Indie ben jij..."
a Dutch-Indo song that always played by my grandmother resound in my head whenever I hear the word "Den Haag". Lots of Indonesian-Dutch family felt unaccepted and moved to Netherlands after Indonesia got their independence, and lived in Den Haag (DH). Den Haag is the seat of government in The Netherlands and the capital city of province of south holland. Funny fact about Den Haag is Den Haag has never traditionally had the city right (stadsrecht), so actually Den Haag is not a city, but only a village (dorp). However since the middle-age it has all the administrative institutions that a city have.
A strong bond between Den Haag and Indonesia can be seen at Haags-Historisch Museum (When I went there, they have a special exhibition remembering when the first time Indo-Dutch people set foot in Den Haag). This museum also tells story about the history of den haag, like when and where gebroeders de witt (Johan and Cornelis de Witt) were brutally killed. They both accused of betraying the House of Orange (Because they are republican, and they are against royal family). The brothers were dragged out of the prison and killed next to a nearby scaffold. Immediately after their deaths, the bodies were mutilated and fingers, toes, and other parts of their bodies were cut off. Other parts of their bodies were allegedly eaten by the mob. In the museum you can actually see tongue and a finger of gebroeders de witt.
Not so far from Haags Historisch Museum, there's also another interesting Museum, Prison Museum (Gevangen Poort). This museum tells story about crime and the punishment in Netherlands. It also tell stories about famous prisoners (Such as Johan de Witt), life in the prison, escapes and the history of punishments of the last centuries. This museum can only be visited with guided tours that start every hour (tour last for 45-50minutes, and don't worry they also have one in english), and if you're lucky the guide will also tell you about dark story of the royal family.
Still in the same area, there's also Escher Museum. Named after M.C. Escher, dutch graphic artist, who is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. These feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, architecture, and tessellations. In this museum you can enjoy his works, and see how his works change throughout the years. You can also experience the world of Escher, take optical-illusion-ed picture, and also scavenger hunt for kids.
Still in the same area, there is The Binnenhof, a complex of buildings in The Hague that has been the meeting place of the States-General, the parliament of the Netherlands, since 1446, and has been the center of Dutch politics for many centuries. Built mostly in the 13th century, it used to be residence of the counts of Holland.
Another favorite museum of mine is Gemeente Museum, an art museum in Den Haag. Well known for its huge collection of Mondrian, the largest in the world. This museum has lots of collection, like modern art (Claude Monet, Picasso), Print Room (collection of 19th and 20th century prints, posters and drawings), Fashion (The collection of fashion items, accessories, jewellery, drawings and prints), Music (a large collection of musical instruments and a music library).
Aside from those interesting museum, Den Haag has a lot more to offer, shopping (city) center that open every day, nice food (from course cheap one, like you can get an slice of american style pizza for 1euro, to fancy greek restaurant that cost a fortune), and one of my favorite is the Florencia Ijssalon (ice cream store) at Torenstraat.
a Dutch-Indo song that always played by my grandmother resound in my head whenever I hear the word "Den Haag". Lots of Indonesian-Dutch family felt unaccepted and moved to Netherlands after Indonesia got their independence, and lived in Den Haag (DH). Den Haag is the seat of government in The Netherlands and the capital city of province of south holland. Funny fact about Den Haag is Den Haag has never traditionally had the city right (stadsrecht), so actually Den Haag is not a city, but only a village (dorp). However since the middle-age it has all the administrative institutions that a city have.
A strong bond between Den Haag and Indonesia can be seen at Haags-Historisch Museum (When I went there, they have a special exhibition remembering when the first time Indo-Dutch people set foot in Den Haag). This museum also tells story about the history of den haag, like when and where gebroeders de witt (Johan and Cornelis de Witt) were brutally killed. They both accused of betraying the House of Orange (Because they are republican, and they are against royal family). The brothers were dragged out of the prison and killed next to a nearby scaffold. Immediately after their deaths, the bodies were mutilated and fingers, toes, and other parts of their bodies were cut off. Other parts of their bodies were allegedly eaten by the mob. In the museum you can actually see tongue and a finger of gebroeders de witt.
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| Expedition Map |
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| Indonesian 60's Music |
Not so far from Haags Historisch Museum, there's also another interesting Museum, Prison Museum (Gevangen Poort). This museum tells story about crime and the punishment in Netherlands. It also tell stories about famous prisoners (Such as Johan de Witt), life in the prison, escapes and the history of punishments of the last centuries. This museum can only be visited with guided tours that start every hour (tour last for 45-50minutes, and don't worry they also have one in english), and if you're lucky the guide will also tell you about dark story of the royal family.
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| Prison Cell |
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| Prison Cell for Rich People |
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| Punishment Method |
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| Punishment Method |
Still in the same area, there's also Escher Museum. Named after M.C. Escher, dutch graphic artist, who is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. These feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, architecture, and tessellations. In this museum you can enjoy his works, and see how his works change throughout the years. You can also experience the world of Escher, take optical-illusion-ed picture, and also scavenger hunt for kids.
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| Escher Experience |
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| Escher Painting |
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| Inside Het Binnenhof |
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| Het Binnenhof from outside |
Another favorite museum of mine is Gemeente Museum, an art museum in Den Haag. Well known for its huge collection of Mondrian, the largest in the world. This museum has lots of collection, like modern art (Claude Monet, Picasso), Print Room (collection of 19th and 20th century prints, posters and drawings), Fashion (The collection of fashion items, accessories, jewellery, drawings and prints), Music (a large collection of musical instruments and a music library).
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| One of Mondrian Art |
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| Contemporary Art |
Aside from those interesting museum, Den Haag has a lot more to offer, shopping (city) center that open every day, nice food (from course cheap one, like you can get an slice of american style pizza for 1euro, to fancy greek restaurant that cost a fortune), and one of my favorite is the Florencia Ijssalon (ice cream store) at Torenstraat.
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| Sundae at Florencia |
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| City of Den Haag |
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| Sushi at Shabu-Shabu Restaurant |
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| Greek Food |