Villa Malepartus is an English style house from 1929, designed by M.J. Klijnstra. Located in Bilthoven, Netherlands.

The Dutch invented the fire hose in the 1670s Amsterdam's Jan van der Heyden created leather hoses that revolutionised firefighting across Europe His system saved countless buildings and lives

Venetian glassmakers on Murano weren't allowed to leave the island The techniques were so valuable that revealing them was punishable by death Some recipes died with their masters because nothing was written down

The Netherlands needs a reindustrialisation: Munition factories Airplane builders Car factories And if it was up to me: rebuild our silver industry

Amsterdam canal houses were taxed by facade width in the 17th century So merchants built them 25 feet wide, 6 storeys tall, with pulley systems in the roof to hoist cargo directly from canal boats Properties were homes, warehouses, and offices combined

The Archbishop of Monaco wears polyester garbage vestments from Poland... In one the highest GDP per capita countries in the world... This is not acceptable... The Grimaldi's should donate some decent vestments...

The VOC's first stock offering in 1602 raised 6.5 million guilders Ordinary citizens could buy shares for any amount they wanted No minimum investment, and no maximum cap The world's first truly public company was more accessible than today's 'democratised' markets

Traditional gin (jenever) required copper pot stills and took weeks per batch Every Dutch distillery guarded their botanical recipes like state secrets Families passed down distilling methods for generations Modern industrial gin uses column stills and tastes identical from Bangkok to Birmingham

Dutch shipyards built the fluyt in 1595 Required half the crew of competing ships whilst carrying twice the cargo One innovation that gave the Dutch 200 years of maritime supremacy Modern architects can't even design a building that doesn't leak after 3 years

Coster Diamonds in Amsterdam re-cut the Koh-i-Noor for Queen Victoria in 1852 Two Dutch master polishers went to London because England had no one skilled enough The British Empire needed Dutch craftsmen to fix their most famous jewel Now they create 'diamonds' in labs

Gouda acquired exclusive cheese trading rights in 1395 For more than 400 years, all cheese in Holland had to pass through Gouda's merchant guilds That's why I don't understand why the Netherlands cares the least about the EU's origin labels (I'm a food quality fascist)

The Romans built roads that are still useable thousands of years later Nowadays large parts of Europe have terrible infrastructure. Especially Belgium, France and Italy Best roads in Europe: 1. Netherlands 2. Denmark 3. Switzerland/Austria

Cast iron pans can be passed to your grand children While teflon pans last max. 3 years, and poison you while cooking One of the few quality products of the Americas are Lodge cast iron pans. Founded in 1896, and still made in Tennessee

HAUSER and Ludovico Einaudi are both kitsch music No one with good taste listens to them

The Bank of Amsterdam (1609) was the 1st central bank to offer accounts backed by stored bullion The foundation for modern banking Reduced the risk and complexity of large transactions, which boosted trade Nowadays Dutch banks micromanage every transaction, hurting businesses

Dutch pottery bakers had to apprentice for 7 years Third worlders get no schooling and mass produce its replacement When margin becomes the only consideration, we always end up with garbage

Rome in the 1960s...

Frituur Antwerpen Hand-cut fries in beef tallow A dying phenomenon

Generation Alpha will read about pre-2010s Netherlands and think it's fiction

Sunday evening is for sharpening your tools, planning your week Rest is purposeful, not escapist

Sinterklaas arrives by steamboat from Spain, rides a white horse over rooftops, and has had the same helpers for 400 years. Then, in 1931, Americans invented the Coca-Cola Man/Santa. They can't comprehend traditions that predate their country. And cry about our 'blackface.'

Dutch Royal Family on ski holidays in Lech, Austria 🧵

Tradition is transmitted through repetition

It's Sunday... Go to Holy Mass today... (📸 Mgr. Felici at Queen Juliana's New Year's reception, Amsterdam, Jan 3, 1968)

Van Arcken & Co. (1861–1958) was Dutch jeweler and watchmaker in Batavia (Jakarta). They supplied gold, silver, and timepieces to the courts of Djokja, Solo, and Siam. Named royal supplier by Willem III, Emma, and Wilhelmina. Known for work with Zenith and custom ceremonial pieces.

The Bombproof Fortress in Vlissingen, Johan Conrad Greive, ca. 1860

Jean-Michel Frank, a cousin of Anne Frank's father, Otto, mingled with notable figures like Stravinsky and Diaghilev. In Paris, Eugenia Errázuriz introduced him to 18th-century furniture. He blended innovations, minimalist style and meteoric rise. Hermès still sells his furniture.

Viersprong Estate in Nunspeet...

Dutch painters everyone should know: - Frans Hals (invented modern portraiture) - Jacob van Ruisdael (perfected landscape) - Pieter de Hooch (mastered light) Other countries cannot compare to the Dutch masters

The Iso Rivolta Fidia (1967–1975) was Italy’s answer to the luxury sports sedan. Designed by Giugiaro. V8-powered. It was faster than a Rolls, rarer than a Ferrari. Because only 192 were made. It was marketed as: "The four fastest seats in the world."

The printed newspapers was invented by the Dutch in 1618 Courante uyt Italien, Duytslandt, &c. first appeared in Amsterdam in June 1618 The world's first proper newspaper in typographical format

Forget Cuban cigars... Justus van Maurik founded his cigar company in Amsterdam in 1794 And 231 years later, it's still operating Different owner, but still blending the same Sumatra wrappers with Cuban, Brazilian, and Java tobacco

The Dutch held a monopoly on Japanese trade for 200 years. We were the only Europeans allowed to trade (1641-1854), but were confined to Dejima Island in Nagasaki. Through 'Rangaku' (Dutch learning), we helped modernise Japan. Franz von Siebold taught them medicine.

Nationalism without religion/shared conviction is just a fandom with flags Real patriotism requires: - Sacrifice - Shared sacred order - Transcendent purpose Loving your own kind, or your country without duty to anything higher is just a weird eugenics larp

Amsterdam was the first city in Europe to implement an efficient and systematic public street lighting system. Paris started in 1667, but Amsterdam's was more comprehensive Jan van der Heyden implemented this comprehensive street lighting system in 1669 By 1670, Amsterdam had 1800 street lamps

Mulder Shipyard is a family-owned Dutch shipbuilder since 1938 For 87 years, and through 3 generations, they're continued building on the site of the former Oranjeboom windmill in Voorschoten A 4-time Superyacht Award winner And have 4 specialised facilities across the Netherlands 🧵

I got this Sacred Heart Statue of Beeldenfabriek Sint Joseph Venlo yesterday... They mastered polychrome porcelain craft at industrial scale Statuaries casted, glazed, and hand-painted Craft for the masses...

We need to be more ruthless We're enslaved to keeping it small We used to have global monopoly on nutmeg for 150 years And controlled the Banda Islands One nutmeg kernel was worth more than an ox in Europe We need to be more ruthless again

Purdey shotguns (London, est. 1814) The average model takes 6-18 months to make Their special edition up to 2 years Every component is hand-fitted Rose & scroll engraving is standard It's every hunter's dream

The Protestants didn't free people from superstition They freed superstition from theology So now everyone believes in whatever: manifestation, crystals, and vibes Without dogma, sacraments, or intellectual coherence At least Catholics had Thomas Aquinas You have TikTok spirituality

Michel Holthinrichs Watches from Delft is conquering the watch world with 3D-printed titanium After a long time of almost going bankrupt monthly... He now has worldwide collectors who pay fortunes for his watches Dutch innovative craftsmanship 🧵

The Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons (1551-1798) To become a master you needed: - 7 years apprenticeship - Oral examination in Latin - Public dissection demonstration - Unanimous vote from existing masters Rembrandt painted them in 'The Anatomy Lesson'

Aesthetic divorced from the metaphysics is kitsch. Whether in nationalism, spirituality, or craft... When form is kept but truth is lost, you’re left with: -Symbols no one believes in -Rituals no one understands -And beauty no one suffers for

We built dykes to hold back the sea Now we can't even hold back a single migrant

Wellness is for people that do anything but visit a church.

Tom Ford suits are made by @Zegna but embody British tailoring. Stiff structure, roped shoulders, and straight-leg trousers, the 'Windsor' model is inspired by Tommy Nutter's British style. His tailoring for James Bond is great...

We invented the stock market Now we tax success like a crime And becoming rich is frowned upon culturally... why?

This used to be a proper city