Westerkerk

The Westerkerk (; ) is a Reformed church within Dutch Protestant Calvinism in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the most western part of the Grachtengordel neighborhood (Centrum borough), next to the Jordaan, between the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht.
History.
The Westerkerk was built between 1620 and 1631 in Renaissance style according to designs by architect Hendrick de Keyser. He is buried in the church he designed earlier: the 'Zuiderkerk'. The building of the Westerkerk was finished and completed by his son Pieter de Keyser and inaugurated on June 8, 1631. The church has a length of and a width of . The high nave is flanked by the two lower aisles. The three-aisled basilica has a rectangular plan with two transepts of equal dimensions. As a result, the plan for this church was given the form of two Greek crosses connected with each other. (a patriarchal cross).
Several older churches in Amsterdam, such as Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk, were originally built before the Reformation and were converted to Protestantism during the Reformation in 1578. The Westerkerk was one of the first purposely built Protestant churches. The Noorderkerk and Zuiderkerk preceded the Westerkerk. Today the Westerkerk remains the largest church in the Netherlands that was built for Protestants, and is still in use by the PKN (Protestantse Kerk in Nederland)
Main Duyschot organ.
There was no organ when the Westerkerk was consecrated on Whit Sunday, 8 June, in 1631. According to Calvinist tenets, instrumental music in church was still considered 'profane' in those days. It took many years of consultation until an organ was finally allowed. At first there was still talk of moving the small organ (koororgel) used in the Nieuwe- or the 'Oudekerk' but the pipes of this 'Oudekerk' choir organ were finally moved to the 'Zuiderkerk'. In 1681 the Westerkerk decided on commissioning organ builder Roelof Barentszn Duyschot for the construction of a new organ. Before it was finished he died and in 1686 the new organ was finished by his son Johannes Duyschot. Later, in 1727, it was enlarged with an extra third keyboard by Christiaan Vater who learned his profession at Arp Schnitger.
Many alterations were done on the organ in the course of time. In the 19th century in 1895 even a rebuild of the inside of the organ took place by Daniel Gerard Steenkuyl. Lucky enough many of the old pipes and the wind chests were re-used. In 1939, the keyboard was equipped with electric tracker action and even a swell work was added. It was not what this organ was intended to be in sound and action. The organ was almost doubled in size, but was also too big for its case.
So between 1989 and 1992 the organ was reconstructed by Flentrop organ builders in Zaandam to its former mechanical action again more or less like Christiaan Vater made it in 1727. Today the 'bovenwerk' (Oberwerk, located in the top of the organ case) is still almost complete with stops by Vater. An exception is the 'baarpyp', which is made by Steenkuyl in 1896 and the 'Dulciaan' which is made by Flentrop in 1992. The front pipes were made in 1842 by Hermanus Knipscheer. In the situation after 1992, less than half of the pipes are historic and re-used in the 'hoofdwerk' (Great organ) and the 'Rugwerk' (Chaire organ). The keyboards and stop triggers beside it of this just mechanical baroque organ are located in the main case behind this 'rugwerk'. For this kind of baroque organs, it is characteristic that many of the stops, mainly the principals, are doubled in the trebles. This was set up to create more power in leading the congregation in their psalm singing. For complex organ works one or even two stop assistants are necessary for triggering the stops. During the restoration of the inside of the church in 2018/19/20, the inside of the organ was taken to Zaandam at Flentrop Orgelbouw for cleaning and partly revoicing the sound. In the spring of 2020 it was returned to the church and on 18 April the new organist Evan Bogerd performed the commissioning concert on internet because the church was closed (because of the corona virus pandemic). See the Youtube site Westerkerk Amsterdam for the links of the concerts and other events in the past (the latest)
At the time of writing (October 2020) the church was still closed because of Covid19. Concerts can be seen online only. Normally, in the summer season from April till the end of October, there is a free weekly lunchtime concert on Fridays at 1pm. In August there is a free concert almost every day for a week 'Geen dag zonder Bach' ('Not a day without Bach') and the 'Grachten' (Canal) festival. A voluntary leaving collection of money is held after the concert. The money is used for the costs of the maintenance of the concerts and the organs. Music by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is performed almost weekly at the services of divine worship on Sundays. Bach was born in 1685, that is a year before the organ was finished but, as far as we know, he never visited Amsterdam. His music sounds like it was made for this baroque instrument. See the site of Westerkerk for the Lunchtime concert schedule
Organist titulaire in the Westerkerk is Evan Bogerd.
Stoplist of the Duyschot Organ.
Couplers and shutters:
The paintings of the organ.
The inside of the organ shutters of the 'hoofdwerk' was painted by Gerard de Lairesse. On the left panel we see the dancing and playing King David in front of the Ark of the Covenant. On the right panel we see the Queen of Sheba presenting gifts to King Solomon. Both stories in the book of Kings in the old testament of the Bible. Gerard de Lairesse was born in Liège in French Belgium in 1640 and he moved to Amsterdam in 1664. In the second half of the 17th Century, he was one of the most popular painters in the Netherlands. At this moment, the shutters of the Duyschot organ can be seen on a retrospective of the work of Gerard de Lairesse at the National Museum Twente in Enschede. The outside paintings of these panels or shutters were lost in the 19th century when the church wanted to sell them. The grisailles on the 'rugwerk' panels were also painted by Gerard de Lairesse; The four evangelists with their items are shown. The inside of the 'rugwerk' shutters have paintings of old musical instruments. The complete organ was cleaned and re-painted in 1992 in its original state of colour in 1686; most of it in marble imitation.
Ds. A.H. Visser organ.
The small organ on the east side of the church was built in 1963 by D.A. Flentrop from Zaandam. It was tuned and slightly altered in 2001. In that year it was named after the minister Ds. H.A Visser who was the man begging for money to buy the organ in 1963. He succeeded. The organ has 12 stops over 2 manuals and pedal. Since 1963 the organ case was in not painted but plain oak wood. After the renovation it was painted in a light green color. In 2017 the organ was cleaned by Flentrop Zaandam. During the church interior restoration it was packed against the dust.
Stoplist
The tower with the spire.
The tower, called the Westertoren ("Western tower"), is the highest church tower in Amsterdam, at 87 meters (±286 feet). It is not known who the designer of the spire was. Hendrick de Keyser designed an octagonal spire for the tower which was never built. It is suggested Jacob van Campen was the designer. The crown topping the spire is the Imperial Crown of Austria of Maximilian I.
Bells in the 'Westertoren'.
Just above the clock-faces is the carillon. The largest 14 of the 51 bells in this carillon were cast by François Hemony in 1658. The modern bells were cast in 1959 by Eijsbouts replacing bells which had been damaged by atmospheric pollution. In 1991 three bells more were added by the same foundery. The smaller Hemony bells, which are not currently In use, can be seen in the tower together with the original baton keyboard from the 17th century. The carillon was enlarged to 4 octaves and is tuned in Meantone temperament. It is the only carillon in the city chiming the entire twenty-four hours. (At the request of the residents of the 'Jordaan' District.) The drum to do this, was made by Jurriaen Spraeckel from Zutphen in 1659 and it still chimes every quarter of the hour to announce the hour and half hour strike. On the quarter of the hour a short tune is performed. The two strike bells were made by Assuerus (Ahasverus) Koster in 1636. The hour strike bell (F0) is the largest in Amsterdam (7509 kg) and is hung in the room for the carillon. The text on this Bourdon bell is: 'VERBUM DOMINI MANET IN ETERNUM - ASSUERUS KOSTER ME FECIT AMSTELDAMI 1636' The smaller bell (A1) for half hour is hung in top of the spire just under the crown. Weekly on Tuesday at noon the city carilloneur gives his recital on the carillon for an hour. He is also responsible for the tunes on the drum and changes these twice a year. At this moment (2015) Boudewijn Zwart is the City Carilloneur.
In a lower chamber behind the sounding boards in the tower wall there are three swinging bells also made by François Hemony in 1658. The largest swinging bell was replaced after 27 years by Claude Fremy (his pupil, nephew and successor), because it was cracked. The bells (a major triad) are rung to announce the divine service on Sunday and also when the service is on, during praying the 'Our Father'. This bell by Fremy is also connected with the pedals in the baton keyboard of the carillon. The latest renovation works on the carillon were in 2006 when the tower was also renovated. In that year the crown on top was also painted in its original blue color.
Rembrandt.
Rembrandt van Rijn was buried somewhere under a tombstone in the Westerkerk on October 8, 1669. The exact location of the grave is unknown; the number of his grave was lost. It was in a numbered 'kerkgraf' (grave owned by the church). There is a memorial marker on the north wall, made in 1909 after a model on the 'Nachtwacht'. After twenty years, his remains were taken away and destroyed. That was customary with the remains of poor people at that time. Rembrandt was buried as a poor man. Every year on his birthday anniversary, the 15th of July, he is remembered in the Westerkerk with a lunchtime concert with music from the time of Rembrandt's life, and flowers are hung on his memorial marker.
Rembrandt's lover Hendrickje Stoffels was also buried here, as was Rembrandt's son Titus van Rijn. Other painters buried in the Westerkerk are Nicolaes Berchem, Gillis d'Hondecoeter, Melchior d'Hondecoeter and Govert Flinck.
Dutch Royal Family.
On March 10, 1966, Princess Beatrix married Prince Claus von Amsberg in the Westerkerk. The 'Nieuwe Kerk' on Dam Square where royal weddings are usually held was being renovated at the time.
Anne Frank.
The Westerkerk is located close to the Anne Frank House where diarist Anne Frank, her family and others were hid in the 'Achterhuis' from Nazi persecution for two years during World War II. The Westertoren is mentioned frequently in her diary – its clock-face on the tower could be seen from the attic of the Achterhuis, and Anne Frank described the chiming of the carillon as a source of comfort. A memorial statue of Anne Frank is located outside the church at Westermarkt.


Battle of the Siritsa River

The Battle of the Siritsa River (also Seritsa) took place on 27 August 1501 between the forces of the Livonian Order under Grand Master Wolter von Plettenberg on the one side and the forces of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and Pskov Republic on the other. The Russian forces were soundly defeated.
Grand Prince Ivan III of Russia pursued expansionist policies, which strained Moscow's relations with Livonia. In 1492, Moscow built Ivangorod Fortress opposite of Narva and two years later closed down the Hanseatic office in Novgorod. Hanseatic merchants, most of them Livonians, were imprisoned. The trade through Tallinn and Tartu diminished significantly. During the Russo-Swedish War (1495–1497), Sweden captured Ivangorod and offered it to Livonia, an offer which was refused. Moscow perceived that as a Swedish–Livonian alliance. As negotiations failed, Livonia began preparing for war. In May 1500, a war broke out between Moscow and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. On 17 May 1501, Livonia and Lithuania concluded a ten-year alliance in Vilnius. In August 1501, von Plettenberg led a Livonian army, reinforced with 3,000 mercenaries from Lübeck, towards Pskov.
The armies met on 27 August 1501 on the Siritsa River, 10 km south from Izborsk, on the western approaches to Pskov. The Pskovian regiment attacked the Livonians first but was thrown back. The Livonian artillery then destroyed the remainder of the Muscovite army despite a Russian attempt to reply with their own, insufficient, artillery force. In the battle, the smaller Livonian army defeated the Muscovite army (drawn from the cities of Moscow, Novgorod, and Tver, as well as from Pskov – which was not formally part of Muscovy until 1510) in large part due to the Order's formidable artillery park and the Russians' significant shortage of guns of any kind. The defeat prompted Moscow to modernize its army by creating standing infantry units armed with arquebus.
Livonian troops then captured Ostrov and unsuccessfully besieged Pskov. The Russians retaliated by invading and plundering eastern Livonia and defeating the Order at Helmed near Dorpat. The Order won a victory at the Battle of Smolin in September 1502. The war ended in 1503 when Lithuania sued for peace. Peace between Livonia and Moscow lasted until the Livonian War (1558–1583).


Jan Rijpstra

Johannes (Jan) Rijpstra (born 15 July 1955, Gouda) is a Dutch politician from the VVD party. He is currently the mayor of Smallingerland.
From 2005 till 2008 Rijpstra was mayor of Tynaarlo. He was subsequently the mayor of Noordwijk from 2014 until 1 January 2019, when Noordwijk was merged with Noordwijkerhout. He has also been a member of the Dutch House of Representatives.
Rijpstra has a degree in physical education from the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen.


Heilige Lodewijkkerk

The Heilige Lodewijkkerk, also called the St. Louis Church, is a Roman Catholic church at the Steenschuur in Leiden.
History.
The first church on this place was built in 1477 and was a chapel, the St. James Chapel, belonging to a guesthouse for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. This chapel was therefore dedicated to St. James the Great. The front facade of the church was built in 1538. The tower, which is still called the Saint James Tower, was built in 1594 and its carillon was built in 1598.
The chapel and the guesthouse were sold in 1547 to the parish of the Pieterskerk and in 1567 to the municipality of Leiden. The municipality of Leiden used the chapel first to store cereal and afterwards to test textiles.
The explosion of 1807.
The history of the present Heilige Lodewijkkerk is tightly linked to the nearby explosion of a ship with gun powder in 1807. The explosion destroyed a large part of the city center including a catholic church at the Nieuwe Rijn. The St. James Chapel that was used to test textile was heavily damaged, but the tower was still intact. King Louis Bonaparte, also known as Lodewijk Napoleon ordered that the chapel would be rebuilt into a church for the Catholics who used to go to the church at the Nieuwe Rijn. The church was designed by Jan Giudici. Afterwards the church was dedicated to Saint Louis, known as Heilige Lodewijk in Dutch, who was the patron saint of Louis Bonaparte .
Current use.
Since 1957 the church is used by the Parochie Heilige Lodewijk. Every day Mass is celebrated. The church is known for its traditional liturgy in Dutch, English and Latin.


Matthijs Huizing

Matthijs Huizing (born 10 October 1960 in Leiden) is a Dutch politician and former (sports) manager. As a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie) he was an MP since 26 October 2010 until 6 December 2013. He left after he had been recently arrested for driving under the influence. He focused on matters of supervisors, accountancy, social security, aviation, ship transport, inland navigation and harbors.
From 1980 to 1984 he was a member and also VVD fraction leader of the municipal council of the ward Kralingen-Crooswijk and from 2002 to 2008 and also till 2007 VVD fraction leader of the municipal council of Oegstgeest.
Huizing studied economics (BA) as well as administration of business (MA) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.


John Groenveldt

John Groenveldt or Greenfield, M.D. (1647?-1710?), was a physician.
Education and early career.
Groenveldt, born about 1647, was a native of Deventer in Holland. He was educated partly in Holland and then under Franciscus Zypæus (the younger) at Louvain, and in Paris. On 13 September 1667 he was entered as a medical student at Leyden, but graduated M.D. at Utrecht on 18 March 1670. His thesis, "De Calculo Vesicæ" (Utrecht, 1670), was translated into English and published in London in 1677, and with large additions in 1710. About 1673 he was appointed physician in chief to the garrison at Grave. Ten years afterwards he came to England, settled in Throgmorton Street, London, and was admitted a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians on 2 April 1683.
Charges of malpractice.
Supported by powerful patronage he passed as a specialist on gout and stone, but was regarded by most of his brethren as a quack. In 1693 he was summoned before the college for mala praxis in the internal use of cantharidin, but was not punished. In April 1697 he was again summoned for the same offence, and was fined and committed to Newgate Prison, but was soon released. A female patient, to whom he is said to have administered thirty-six grains of the medicine, brought an action against him on the following 7 December, but though nearly twenty members of the college appeared on her behalf, a verdict was given in his favour. He in turn sued the college for wrongful imprisonment, but the court gave judgment for the defendants on 8 June 1700.
In May 1710 Groenveldt was living opposite the Sun Tavern, Threadneedle Street, but died apparently in the same year.
Writings.
Groenveldt, or Greenfield, as he sometimes styled himself in England, was the author of a small treatise on his favourite medicine, entitled "Tutus Cantharidum in medicina Usus internus", 1698 (2nd edition, 1703), which was translated into English, with additions, by John Marten, surgeon, in 1706. He wrote also:


Zbrojovka Brno

Pre-war Československá zbrojovka, akc.spol. (or a.s.) and post-war Zbrojovka Brno, n.p. was a maker of small arms, light artillery, and motor vehicles in Brno, Czechoslovakia. It also made other products and tools, such as typewriters and early computers.
In 1946, Zbrojovka started making tractors, which it branded "Zetor" ("Z-tractor"). Zetor continues to make tractors in Brno.
History.
The company was founded in 1918 as a state-owned factory known as the State Armament and Engineering Works. The factory assembled German Gewehr 98 and Austrian Mannlicher M1895 rifles, but later began producing their own. In 1924–1925 a new factory was built, where cars, engines and other machines were produced in addition to rifles and machine guns. In the 1930s, the factory also produced Remington licensed typewriters and Skoda tractors.
During the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Zbrojovka Brno produced weapons for the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS. In 1944, the factory was severely damaged in the bombing of Brno. After liberation and rebuilding, it resumed production. In the second half of the 1940s, it produced engines, weapons and tractors. In November 1945, a prototype of the Zetor Z-25 tractor was produced, the name Zetor, which was maintained to this day, comes from the words "Zet" (the proclaimed first letter of the armory) and "or" (the end of the word tractor).
In the 1980s, the company refocused mainly on communication and computing technologies at the expense of weapons production and repair. In the 1990s, the number of employees began to decrease. From 2003, the company continued to decline; in June 2006, arms production was discontinued. On 8 August 2006, the last employees were made redundant. Shortly after, at the beginning of September 2006, Zbrojovka Brno auctioned machine equipment at public auction. The machines were purchased by Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod, another firearms manufacturing company. The 22.5 hectare premises in Brno were auctioned at the end of January 2008 for 707 million CZK (30 million US Dollars, 24 million GBP) by the Slovak holding company J&T. Now the campus is used by several companies; due to the aesthetics of the premises, it is used for photographic work. There are also music rehearsal rooms. The lease agreement between Zbrojvka Brno and the new owner has been extended and is continuing production in rented premises.
Products.
Motor vehicles.
Zbrojovka built cars and light commercial vehicles with two-stroke engines. The first model was the Disk, which was a two-door light car with a four-cylinder, 598cc, engine launched in 1924. This was succeeded in 1926 by the Z 18, which was a two-door sedan powered by a two-cylinder, 1005 cc engine producing . This was succeeded in 1929 by the Z 9, which had a 993cc engine producing . Body options for the Z 9 included a four-door sedan or convertible, two-door, four-seat sedan, two-seat convertible and a commercial light truck.
In 1933, Zbrojovka introduced the Z 4, again with a two-cylinder engine. Early versions displaced and produced . In 1934, Zbrojovka introduced a version that produced in standard tune or in the sports coupé version.
In 1935, Zbrojovka widened its range with two new models, the Z 6 Hurvínek and Z 5 Express. The Z 6 had a two-cylinder engine that displaced and produced . The Z 5 engine was modular with the Z 6: a four-cylinder version that displaced and produced . Zbrojovka designed a rakish new body style for the Z 5 and Z 6 and updated the Z 4 body to a similar style.
Zbrojovka ceased production of the Z4 and Z5 in 1936 and the Z6 in 1937. After the Second World War the company concentrated its vehicle manufacturing on tractors.


Tjibbe Veldkamp

Tjibbe Veldkamp (born 19 October 1962) is a Dutch author of children's books.
Veldkamp was born in Groningen and studied psychology at the University of Groningen. He became a scientist In 1988 someone suggested him to write children's books. In 1990 he turned to writing children's books; his first book, "Een ober van niks", was published in 1992. He made this in collaboration with illustrator Philip Hopman. He also works with illustrator Kees De Boer.
Since then, he combines writing books with writing for the Dutch "Donald Duck" magazine. Since 2001 he has been a full-time writer and translator.
In 2009 he was awarded a Silver Griffel for "Tiffany Dop", and in 2010 he was asked to produce the 2011 Kinderboekenweekgeschenk.
In 2012, he translated Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series into Dutch.
Currently Tjibbe Veldkamp lives in Groningen.


Zomerdijkstraat

The Zomerdijkstraat is a small street in the Amsterdam neighborhood Rivierenbuurt, consisting of apartment buildings and a hallmark building, the studio complex at the Zomerdijkstraat. A classified monument, the building was designed by the functionalist architects Piet Zanstra, J.H.L. Giesen en K.L. Sijmons.
The building is a pivotal work in Dutch architecture of the early thirties. The architects were members of "Groep 32", strongly inspired by the work of Le Corbusier. They combined a functional architecture with artistic elements, of which the studio apartment block is a prime example.
Artists living and working in the studios included Gerrit van der Veen, Paul Grégoire, Jan Wolkers, Cees Kortlang, Jaap Wagemaker, John Grosman, Jet Schepp, Piet Esser, Fred Carasso en Bernard de Wolff.


Jan Ariens Duif

Jan Ariens Duif (about 1617 in Gouda – 1649 in Gouda) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
Biography.
He was taken to the Gouda orphanage at age nine, where his drawing talent was discovered and ten years later he painted the regents with himself next to the resident "father". He was a student of his uncle, Wouter Crabeth II. He married in 1647 but died only two years later. His religious paintings hang in the Gouda Lutheran church and in the Catherina Gasthuis, a museum in Gouda.
According to Houbraken, he died of a sudden illness, along with two colleagues; Jan Govertsz Verbyl and Aert van Waes (who had just returned from Italy). The RKD disagrees, and estimates the death of Van Waes between the years 1664–1684.


Arnold van Mill

Arnold van Mill (March 26, 1921 in Schiedam – October 5, 1996 in Hamburg) was a Dutch opera singer who specialised in bass.
Debut.
He made his debut in 1941 at the 'Circustheater' in The Hague as Wagner in the opera "Faust" of Charles Gounod. After the Second World War ended, he started to sing at the Flemish Opera. There, he already sang the great bass roles of the repertoire like Boris Godunov, King Marke, Hagen and Gurnemanz. Minor detail worth mentioning: he sang these roles in Dutch.
Bayreuther Festspiele.
His career got a real boost when he was invited, after an audition, to sing at the first Post-War Bayreuth Festival in 1951. Wieland and Wolfgang Wagner thought Arnold van Mill was suited well for the roles of Titurel, Hunding and Hans Sachs. It was the beginning of a long period at the Grüne Hügel, although it was not as long as it could have been. Van Mill sang all important bass roles in Bayreuth, until a misunderstanding ended the cooperation between Wieland Wagner and Van Mill.
Other roles.
Between 1950 and 1980 he was famous not only for his interpretations of roles in operas of Richard Wagner, but also of roles in the operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Giuseppe Verdi. He also performed with success in comic operas like Zar und Zimmermann of Albert Lortzing. He worked with the great stars of the fifties and sixties like Kirsten Flagstad, Birgit Nilsson, Christa Ludwig, Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Windgassen, Hans Knappertsbusch and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
He was a member of the Hamburger Staatsoper from 1953-1971. He received the German/Austrian honorary title of Kammersänger from this theatre for his duties.
His legacy on record consists of, among others, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Osmin), Tristan und Isolde (König Marke), Die Walküre (Hunding) and Aïda (Ramfis). He also sang in the famous 1959 recording of the 8th Symphony of Mahler under Horenstein.


Agatha Welhouk

Agatha Welhouk (1637–1715) was the central figure of a court case in the Netherlands, where she and her father sued each other regarding whether a marriage should be considered legal if it had taken place without the consent of the parent.
Welhouk was the daughter of Mayor Geraldo Cornelisz Welhouck of Delft and Petronella Adriaansdr.
She married a vicar, Arnold Bornius, without the consent of her father in 1655, for which she was sued by her father in 1657. They were forced to separate in 1658, and Welhouk was sentenced to house arrest after having seen her spouse in 1661. Her marriage was declared illegal in 1665, and then declared legal in 1670. The Welhouk case attracted a lot of attention, and became a reference case which affected the law regarding the guardianship of parents over children until the 19th century.


SS Hestmanden

SS "Hestmanden" is a Norwegian steamer which sailed in foreign trade during both World War I and World War II, and the only preserved and remaining cargo ship that has sailed in convoys during both world wars. As the only remaining in the Nortraship's fleet, it represents a central part of Norway's war history and maritime history and is a very important protection object. "Hestmanden" is considered perhaps the most valuable veteran vessel of Norway.
"Hestmanden" was built in Laksevåg for the Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab in 1911. During the interwar period and after World War II until the 1970s, "Hestmanden" sailed as usual in this shipping company's domestic coastal freight route.
In a fairly dilapidated condition, "Hestmanden" was taken care of by the Norsk Veteranskipsklubb ( a Norwegian club for veteran vessels) in 1979. In 1995 the restoration work started at the Bredalsholmen Veteranship Shipyard in Kristiansand.
Floating museum.
The idea was to enable the ship to be a sailing museum along the coast of Norway as a memorial of the Norwegian wartime sailors.
In September 2011, the steamer was "re-launched" from the yard. It will now be anchored as a museum ship, home ported in Kristiansand. During the baptism ceremony, King Harald was present, together with 240 war time sailors, among others.
After 2011, further restoration and upgrading has been an ongoing process.


Catharina Hooft

Catharina Pietersdr. Hooft (28 December 1618 – 30 September 1691) was a woman of the Dutch Golden Age. She became famous at a very early age, when she was painted by Frans Hals. At the age of sixteen she married Cornelis de Graeff, nineteen years her senior and the most powerful regent and mayor of Amsterdam. Thus she became "first lady of Soestdijk", one of the family's country houses. Catharina Hooft was also a Lady of the "High and free Fief of Purmerland and Ilpendam".
Life.
Catharina Hooft was born in Amsterdam. Her father, Pieter Jansz Hooft, was a nephew of the Amsterdam mayor Cornelis Pietersz. Hooft and related to the renowned P. C. Hooft of the Muiderslot – a wealthy citizen. Her mother, Geertruid Overlander (sister of Volkert Overlander), was forty-one and she and her husband had given up hope of having children when Catharina was born. On 14 August 1635 Catharina married Cornelis de Graeff, an older widower, whose first wife had been Catharina's cousin (her father's sister's child). The couple had themselves painted in princely fashion, in black with golden chains. Catharina bore two sons: Pieter and Jacob. When stadholder William II died in 1650, ten years later followed by his wife, Cornelis de Graeff was made one of the guardians of the ten-year-old William, the "Child of the State", who played with Catharina's sons. By the Act of Seclusion William was not allowed to accede and power remained in the regent's hands.
Opposite the De Graeffs' house lived the powerful anti-Orangist Bicker family, consisting of Catharina’s brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their four daughters, one of whom married Catharina’s nephew, raadspensionaris Jan de Witt.
Catharina was widowed in 1664 and when, in 1672, William stepped out of the shadows to become general and stadholder, she changed political tack and – with her sons – became a supporter of the House of Orange. William bought the de Graeff hunting lodge and its surrounding fields, now the Soestdijk Palace, for only 18,755 guilder. Catharina outlived her husband for thirty years. She died in Ilpendam and was buried in Amsterdam on October 6, 1691.


Marlies Somers

Marlies Somers (born 16 January 1973 in Gouda) is a Dutch voice actress who has been voice-dubbing roles in the Dutch language for many foreign media. In some series she is the title character.
Dubbing roles.
Television animation
Anime
Live-action


Strange Hotel


Stefan van der Lei

Stefan van der Lei (born 5 March 1993 in Groningen) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for FC Emmen.
Career.
In 2018, Van der Lei played for Dalkurd FF in Sweden.


Marly van der Velden

Marly van der Velden (born 6 January 1988 in Delft) is a Dutch actress and fashion designer.
Biography.
van der Velden enjoyed dancing from a young age; at the age of 15 in 2003 she took part as a Latin dancer in the Dutch championships for debutants. In 2006 she was nominated for 'sexiest woman' by FHM magazine. She was also nominated for 'sexiest vegetarian' by the Wakker Dier foundation. van der Velden was diagnosed with anorexia, but went through successful treatment for it and now has become an ambassador for Human Concern, is a foundation which helps people with eating disorders.
van der Velden is best known from 'Goede Tijden, Slechte tijden' also known as GTST (literally translated: Good Times, Bad Times). She plays the role of Nina Mauricius–Sanders, a rich girl who is interested in fashion, like van der Velden herself.
Fashion.
van der Velden has with her friend and colleague Gigi Ravelli a successful jewelry line called 'Kuise Meisjes' (literally translated: maidens). It has become popular both in the Netherlands and across Europe. van der Velden and Ravelli also started a clothing line, Label 13 by Gigi and Marly. They also sell bags made by impoverished mothers in India. Profits from those bags go to the Tiny Miracle Foundation for support.
Writing and voice over work.
For four months, van der Velden wrote a weekly column with an ex-colleague, Liza Sips, in one of the most popular teen magazines in the Netherlands, . They wrote about personal happenings in their week. In 2012 van der Velden provided the voice of Audrey in the Dutch version of the movie The Lorax.


Duitse Huis

The Duitse Huis () is a complex of buildings in the city of Utrecht, Netherlands, protected as a national monument.
The older parts date to a monastery of the Bailiwick of Utrecht of the Teutonic Knights founded in 1348.
Originally Catholic, the order became Protestant during the Reformation.
A military hospital was added in 1823 after the knights had sold the property.
The property was sold back to the Bailiwick of Utrecht and a major renovation started in 1992.
Some of the older buildings are again the headquarters of the Bailiwick of Utrecht, now a charity, and hold an important collection of medieval manuscripts, coins and pictures.
Other buildings, including the former hospital, have been converted into a five-star hotel, the Grand Hotel Karel V.
Teutonic Order.
The Teutonic Order was one of the great Christian military orders, along with the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller. It was mainly active in the Holy Land and the Baltic region, but had many branches in the west to provide sources of funds and of recruits.
The Bailiwick of Utrecht of the Teutonic Order ("Ridderlijke Duitse Orde Balije van Utrecht") was founded in 1231, initially focused mainly on the spiritual development of its own members. The order held agricultural lands, called commanderies, in different areas of the Netherlands,
The knights and priests had taken the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
In 1348 the order built the "Duitse Huis" as a monastery and headquarters between the city wall and Springweg in Utrecht.
The Emperor Charles V (1500-1558) visited Utrecht between 30 December 1545 and 3 February 1546.
A meeting of the chapter of the order of the Golden Fleece began on 2 January 1546, attended by Charles V and his sister Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands).
Kings Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France, both knights of the order, were present at this important event.
The meetings of the chapter and the feasts took place in the "Duitse Huis".
By 1580 the States of Utrecht were demanding that Catholic institutions such as the Bailiwick be dissolved and their goods used for charity.
The land commander in 1579–1612, Jacob Taets van Amerongen, resisted on the basis that the goods "belonged to our Lord the German Master", and that the Bailiwick was a knightly institution that served "where necessary to fight with weapons for the defence of the Empire against our common arch enemy, the Turk..."
However, in 1637 the knights formally accepted the protection of the United Provinces of the Netherlands.
They remained an order of Teutonic Knights, but were no longer Catholic.
Buildings.
From 17th century drawings it appears that the church was a large building, standing high over its surroundings.
Most of the land commanders of the order were buried there, as were prominent citizens of Utrecht.
One bay has survived, just over wide. There were probably seven or eight such bays, and perhaps a small transept.
The main building contained the chapter room and the refectory, sometimes called the "Queens room", where the knights ate.
Many dignitaries were entertained with elaborate feasts in the refectory.
The commander's house, at right angles to the main building, was closed to the public.
The commander's room was on the west side of the first floor, and there were two smaller reception rooms to the east of this floor.
The chapter room was renovated in the second half of the 16th century.
The work was probably done between 1550 and 1580 to accommodate growing numbers of visiting dignitaries, but may have been undertaken after 1580 due to the ban on public Catholic worship, or in preparation for the 1586 visit by the Calvinist governor-general of the United Provinces, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester.
The joists above the hall were raised and new corbels were put in. The former Gothic windows were raised and converted to bay windows. The wall posts were moved to give a symmetrical layout with a stone mantelpiece in the center of the north wall. From that date the walls may have been hung with tapestries.
In 1674 the monastery was badly damaged by a windstorm. The church was ruined, and it was demolished.
The sacristy, main building, kitchen with outbuildings and Commander's house remained standing.
The "knights room" in the commander's house was used as a replacement church.
In 1700 the 14th-century facade was truncated.
Hospital.
Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte bought the property in 1807.
The French government planned to convert the complex into a military hospital, and the Teutonic Order had to move to a new building on the canal.
On 27 February 1811 the Teutonic Order was abolished in the Kingdom of Holland and its estates were confiscated.
After the fall of Napoleon and the restoration of the House of Orange, on 8 August 1815 the Bailiwick was revived by royal decree of William I of the Netherlands.
During the reign of King William I a very modern hospital building (for the time) was built on the property along the Geertebolwerk.
The hospital was completed in 1823, and remained military property until 1990.
The "Duitse Huis" was registered as a national monument on 20 June 1967.
The complex was poorly maintained, and for a few years was occupied by squatters.
In 1990 the Military Hospital moved to the Uithof.
Recent years.
Bailiwick of Utrecht.
When the military hospital became vacant in the late 1980s the Bailiwick of Utrecht was able to repurchase the property due to an agreement dating back to 1808.
A major renovation was started in 1992.
The 14th century facade was restored during the renovation.
In 1995 the Bailiwick of Utrecht moved back into the 15th century Commander's house on the corner of Springweg and Walsteeg.
The order has become a charity that assists people with disabilities, the homeless and drug addicts.
The Teutonic Order in the Netherlands converted to Calvinism in time, so they were able to preserve their property, including archival records dating back to the start of the 13th century.
The Bailiwick of Utrecht has a collection of historical items in the "Duitse Huis" including many old charters with seals and a collection of medieval coins.
The well-preserved archive is open to researchers.
The "Duitse Huis" has several impressive rooms, including the meeting room for the officers of the Bailiwick.
The walls have portraits of every "Landcommandeur" from the order's foundation.
All but the most recent are depicted in armor with a mantle over their shoulders.
The old buildings, surrounded by tall trees in a fenced area, are an oasis of tranquility in the center of modern Utrecht.
Hotel.
Further renovations converted much of the complex into a hotel.
The hospital's wards were converted into hotel rooms and suites.
The Grand Hotel Karel V, a five-star hotel, opened in part of the building complex in 1999.
The hotel has 121 rooms, conference rooms, a health center, bar, brasserie and restaurant.
The former chapter room and former refectory are now dining areas.
The remains of a fireplace were found during the renovation on which the double-headed eagle, the emblem of Charles V, was engraved in sandstone.
A new fireplace has been built in the same place in the former refectory as the old fireplace with the coat of arms and motto of Charles V.
During the restoration archaeologists discovered the remains of a Roman cemetery dating to between 40 BC and 275 AD.
This may be associated with the Roman fort of Traiectum.
The garden wing was renovated and extended in 2007 and renamed the Roman wing after this discovery.
There are traces of the past history of the complex including objects, photographs and historical drawings displayed in locations throughout the hotel.
References.
Citations
Sources
Further reading


Lloyd Hotel

Lloyd Hotel is a hotel housed in a historic building in the Eastern Docklands of Amsterdam, commissioned by the Royal Holland Lloyd (Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd). Founded as a hotel, it initially housed travelling immigrants. Later, it was used as a detention centre and was also home to artists' studios. It is an official national monument of the Netherlands.
History.
The building was established in 1918 in the eclectic style, designed by architect Evert Breman, commissioned by the Royal Holland Lloyd (KHL). The KHL did use the hotel as advertising, to recruit clients for passengers heading to South America. When it was completed on June 1, 1921, it had cost eight times more than originally estimated, contributing to the subsequent bankruptcy of the KHL.
From 1921 to 1936 the building was used as temporary accommodation for immigrants, mostly poor Eastern European Jews. In 1936, the KHL went bankrupt and the building was purchased by the City of Amsterdam. Subsequently, from 1938 it was used as a shelter for Jewish refugees from Germany and during World War II, the building was used as detention centre. After the war it continued to function as an adult prison, and later became a juvenile detention centre in 1963.
By 1989 the detention center building had fallen into neglect. It was then served as studio space for artists from the former Yugoslavia. In 1996, a competition was held to decide what the building would best be used for. The curator Suzanne Oxenaar and art historian Otto Nan presented a design for a hotel and "cultural embassy" of culture in Amsterdam. Their plan was developed in sketches by the architect firm MVRDV and after an extensive restoration, the building has served as a hotel since 2004, placed on the monument list in 2001. The hotel has 117 rooms.
Design.
Over 40 Dutch and international designers worked on the interior of Lloyd Hotel.


Arie van Deursen

Arie Theodorus van Deursen (23 June 1931 – 21 November 2011) was a Dutch historian whose focus was the early modern period. He was Professor Emeritus of History at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He was a specialist in Dutch history of the 16th and 17th century.
Career.
Arie van Deursen was born at Groningen. He was a prolific author with a refined style. He has written several books about daily life in the Dutch Golden Age, religious controversies in the 16th and 17th century (Jacobus Arminius versus Franciscus Gomarus) and the political situation of that period; he wrote biographies of William the Silent and Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, a history of the Vrije Universiteit, a history of the Netherlands (1555–1702), a biography of Michiel de Ruyter and several volumes of collected essays.
As an orthodox Protestant Christian, Van Deursen was heavily involved in polemics about the history of secularization and its consequences. In his Huizinga Lecture, "Huizinga en de geest der eeuw" (Huizinga and the spirit of the age) Van Deursen compared the critical evaluation of the secularization by Isaäc da Costa and Johan Huizinga. Van Deursen died in Oegstgeest on 21 November 2011, aged 80.
He was member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.


Lords and margraves of Bergen op Zoom

The following is a list of lords and later on margraves of Bergen op Zoom. Bergen op Zoom became separated from the lordship of Breda in 1287 under the nominal overlordship of the duchy of Brabant. In 1559 the lordship was elevated to the rank of margraviate. The title was only a nominal one until 1795 when it was abolished.


Linda Wagenmakers

Linda Wagenmakers (born 30 November 1975, Arnhem) is a Dutch singer and voice actress. She started her career at 21 playing Kim in the Dutch version of the musical "Miss Saigon". She played in the RTL 4 drama series "Westenwind", for which she also recorded the song "Laat me vrij om te gaan". Wagenmakers voiced the Dutch version of Mulan in the Disney animation movie. And was part of many television shows and events. She was part of the original cast of "Rocky over the rainbow" playing Maggs and in later versions Dorothy. She was part of "Musicals in Ahoy" in 2001 singing the role of Kim from "Miss Saigon" as well as Eponine from "Les Miserables".
She also represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 in Stockholm, with the song "No Goodbyes" involving a huge black and white dress designed by Jan Aarntzen She featured in a gospel national theater tour in "The Spirit of Joy!"
She also played the lead role in the Dolly Dots musical "Love me just a little bit more" as Lisa, an awkward high school girl with a great voice caught in teenage drama. She released a Gospel Album called "Full Circle" played Sis in the musical "Shhh...it happens" She played Alex in "The Witches of Eastwick" working alongside of April Darby [The Bodyguard][and Joke de Kruijf "The Phantom of the Opera". She played the witch Caramella at the national tour of "Hansel and Gretl" for Van Hoorne productions.
And as the Lady of the Lake in the Monty Python musical "Spamalot". She returned to the stage as Anastasia in the comedy "Fifty shades, the parody" for Senf productions. She also was the voice of Tiana, the first African-American Disney Princess for the animated movie "Princess and the Frog" Alongside her work on stage she started to devote time on coaching other artists vocally and mentally for Vocal Center, and finished the competition in 13th place after the voting. Wagenmakers played the role of Kim in the Dutch version of the musical "Miss Saigon". She also sang in the show "Musicals in Ahoy".


Nordlandsbanken

Nordlandsbanken was a Norwegian bank serving the County of Nordland. Nordlandsbanken was at the end a wholly owned subsidiary of DnB NOR who bought the bank in 2003. It had total assets of NOK 22 billion and headquarters in Bodø. The bank had 17 branches.
History.
Nordlands Privatbank was established on 1 July 1893, as the first commercial bank in Northern Norway. The bank expanded with a cooperations with other banks established Ofotens Bank in Narvik in 1899. Later branches were established in Svolvær (1910) and Sortland (1918). The boom and bust during World War I and the following economic crisis struck the bank hard, and in 1923 the bank was put under public administration, and reemerged as a new bank in 1928. After 1945, the Government lay pressure on small banks to merge.
Nordlandsbanken was created as a merger between Fauske Bank, Søndre Helgelands Kreditbank, Helgelands Fiskeri- og Handelsbank and Nordlands Privatbank. Until DnB NOR bought the bank in 2003, it was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. After the takeover all of Nordlandsbanken's operations outside Nordland, in Oslo and Tromsø, were taken over by DnB NOR, though DnB NOR retained its branch in Bodø. Part of the reason DnB NOR bought Nordlandsbanken was the economic crisis Nordlandsbanken found itself in, having lost NOK 450 million to Finance Credit-system.


Manja Smits

Manja Smits (born 27 May 1985 in De Bilt) is a Dutch politician. She was an MP for the Socialist Party (Socialistische Partij) from 22 April 2008 until 15 April 2014, specializing in matters of primary and secondary education. From May 2013 onward, she was replaced by Eric Smaling. Since 2007 she has also been an SP's party executive.
Smits stayed for a half a year in Bolivia, where she worked in an orphanage. Afterwards she studied history at the University of Groningen. During her study she presided both the Groningen section of SP's youth organization ROOD and thereafter the SP Groningen section.


Doorwerth Castle

Doorwerth Castle () is a medieval castle situated on the river Rhine near the city of Arnhem, Netherlands.
History.
The original castle, probably wooden, is first mentioned in 1260 when it was besieged and burned to the ground, after which it was rebuilt in stone. In 1280 this second castle was again besieged and this time the bailey was burned down. This castle probably consisted of a simple hall-keep, two stories high with 1.20 meter thick walls, and featured a surrounding moat which was fed by the nearby river Rhine.
During the 14th century the castle was continually enlarged. Doorwerth Castle was originally the property of the Van Dorenweerd family. In 1402 Robert van Dorenweerd dedicated the castle to the Count of Gelre, Reinald IV. In return Robert was granted the castle and its land in fief. Around the middle of the 15th century the castle was enlarged again, this time by knight Reinald van Homoet, the 10th Lord of Dorenweerd, who was also the owner of Doornenburg Castle.
Doorwerth Castle reached its largest form just after the middle of the 16th century under Daem Schellart van Obbendorf, the 15th Lord of Dorenweerd. He made the castle and the group of buildings on the bailey into a unity and adjusted them for more space and comfort. By 1560 Doorwerth Castle had almost reached its present appearance. Around 1637 the bailey was rebuilt to its present appearance and a dike was built around the castle to protect it from flooding of the river Rhine.
Shortly after, the castle changed ownership due to financial problems and was granted in fief to a German Count, Anton I van Aldenburg. His successors did not alter the castle or bailey but did acquire more land. At the end of the 18th century the castle was no longer inhabited, but was looked after by a steward for its owners who now lived in England.
Modern times.
As a result, the castle was in a neglected state when it was bought, in 1837, by the baron JAP. van Brakell. He carried out a thorough restoration and a complete modernization of the castle. This revival of the castle only lasted for a short time; after the baron's death in 1844 the castle again fell into neglect. It remained neglected until 1910, when it was bought by retired artillery officer Frederic Adolph Hoefer. Again the castle was thoroughly restored, undoing some of the 19th century alterations and additions. After 1913 it was used as a Dutch Artillery Museum.
The castle suffered heavily in 1944 as a result of German destructiveness and Allied shelling during World War II. Directly after WW II a lengthy restoration began that lasted until 1983. By then the castle was back into its 18th-century state and was owned by the "Friends of the Castles of Gelderland" foundation who now maintain the castle as a museum.
In 1969-1970, Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema wrote his book "Soldaat van Oranje" (Soldier of Orange) in the restaurant Beaulieu.
Dutch film director Stephan Brenninkmeijer was born at Doorwerth castle in 1964 and lived there until 1970.
In 2004, the Castle was investigated for the ghosts allegedly haunting it by the British paranormal television show Most Haunted.


Adrien Ulacq

Adrien Ulacq was a Flemish mathematician, best known for his logarithmic tables.
Life.
He was originally of Flemish ethnicity from Gouda, Holland.
Career.
In 1628, he modified the logarithmic tables of Briggs and added more details to them.
He filled up the gap in the numbers between 20,000 and 90,000 in the logarithmic tables.
The logarithmic tables produced by Ulacq proved to be extremely useful for land surveyors.
Honours.
His achievements in logarithms and mathematics have been noted by several authors and sources.
These include the "Lexicon Technicum".
It also includes Diderot's "Encyclopédie".


MS Henrik Ibsen

MS "Henrik Ibsen" is a historic Norwegian diesel-powered ship built in 1907. Together with MS "Victoria", it sails on the Telemark Canal in Norway between Skien and Dalen in the summer. The ship was built by Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstad in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1907 and named SS "Styrsö". The ship was operated in the Gothenburg archipelago until 1970, and after that she was used as charter ship.
After being adapted to canal traffic, the ship arrived at Telemark Canal in 1992. She was renamed MS "Henrik Ibsen" after the former steamship SS "Henrik Ibsen", which also operated on the Telemark Canal from 1907 to 1919. From 1999 until 2010 the ship was owned and operated by Skien Dalen Skipsselskap AS.
The ship was thereafter sold to the Telemarkskanalen Skipsselskap AS, owned by Thor Morten Halvorsen, who also owns Dalen Hotel. Upgrading of the ship was carried out at the Hansen & Arntzen shipyard in Stathelle and by boatbuilder Geir Røvik in Tønsberg. After a complete restoration new operations on the Telemark Canal began in mid-2010.


SM U-22 (Austria-Hungary)

SM "U-22 or U-XXII" was a or U-boat built for and operated by the Austro-Hungarian Navy ( or ) during the First World War. The design for "U-22" was based on submarines of the Royal Danish Navy's "Havmanden" class (three of which had been built in Austria-Hungary), and was largely obsolete by the beginning of the war.
"U-22" was just over long and was armed with two bow torpedo tubes, a deck gun, and a machine gun. The submarine was laid down in mid 1915 and launched in January 1917. The still unfinished U-boat sank in the harbor at Fiume in June but was raised, repaired, and relaunched in October. After her commissioning in November, "U-22" patrolled off the Po River estuary and, later, in the northern Adriatic out of Trieste.
After undergoing months of repairs for her failed electric motor in mid 1918, "U-22" returned to duty and patrolled off the Montenegrin coast out of Cattaro in August. At Cattaro at the end of World War I, "U-22" was ceded to France as a war reparation and scrapped in 1920. "U-22" had no wartime successes.
Design and construction.
When it became apparent to the Austro-Hungarian Navy that the First World War would not be a short one, they moved to bolster their U-boat fleet by seizing the plans for the Danish "Havmanden" class submarines, three of which had been built at Whitehead & Co. in Fiume. Although the Austro-Hungarian Navy was not happy with the design, which was largely obsolete, it was the only design for which plans were available and which could be begun immediately in domestic shipyards. The Austro-Hungarian Navy unenthusiastically placed orders for "U-22" and her three sister boats on 27 March 1915.
"U-22" was one of two boats of the class to be built at the Hungarian yard in Fiume. Due to demands by the Hungarian government, subcontracts for the class were divided between Hungarian and Austrian firms, and this politically expedient solution worsened technical problems with the design, resulting in numerous modifications and delays for the class in general.
"U-22" was an ocean-going submarine that displaced surfaced and submerged and was designed for a complement of 18. She was long with a beam of and a draft of . For propulsion, she featured a single shaft, a single diesel engine for surface running, and a single electric motor for submerged travel. She was capable of while surfaced and while submerged. Although there is no specific notation of a range for "U-22", the "Havmanden" class, upon which the "U-20" class was based, had a range of at , surfaced, and at submerged.
"U-22" was armed with two torpedo tubes located in the front and carried a complement of two torpedoes. She was also equipped with a deck gun and an machine gun.
"U-22" was laid down at Fiume in mid 1915 and launched on 27 January 1917, the last of the four "U-20"-class boats to be launched. On 10 June, while not yet complete, the U-boat sank in the harbor at Fiume. Raised from her resting point at a depth of the following day, "U-22" underwent four months of repairs. She was launched again on 6 October.
Service career.
On 18 November 1917 the U-boat sailed for Pola, where she was commissioned as SM "U-22" on 23 November under the command of "Linienschiffsleutnant" Josef Holub. The 31-year-old Galician had been assigned to "U-22" in February and had been in charge of sister boat from June 1916 until his assignment to "U-22".
Holub led "U-22" out on her first patrol when they departed Pola on 5 December for duty off the Po estuary. After returning to Pola on 10 December, Holub led "U-22" on another Po estuary tour from 15 to 17 December. On 29 December, Holub was transferred to . His replacement was "Linienschiffsleutnant" Friedrich Sterz. It was the first U-boat command of the 25-year-old native of Pergine, Tyrolia (in present-day Italy).
On 3 January 1918, Sterz returned "U-22" to the Po estuary for a third patrol there. While in the area, an enemy submarine was spotted but no attack could be made because of bad weather; the same bad weather forced "U-22" to put in at Rovigno the following day. Setting out from Rovigno on 5 January, "U-22" unsuccessfully attacked an Italian torpedo boat and two steamships. After a return to Rovigno on 6 January, Sterz steered his boat to the submarine base at Brioni. Ten days later, "U-22" headed to Trieste, where she conducted patrols in the northern Adriatic. On 5 February, "U-22" avoided being hit by seven bombs dropped by an enemy airplane. Departing the northern Adriatic in late April, "U-22" was headed for Cattaro when her electric motor failed. After a quick stop at Cattaro, "U-22" returned to Pola for three months of repairs.
After returning to service in August, "U-22" operated out of Catttaro, patrolling off the Montenegrin coast over the next two months. On 17 October, the boat returned to Cattaro, where she remained until the war's end. She was ceded to France as a war reparation and scrapped in 1920. Like all of her sister boats, "U-22" had no wartime successes.


Rose Van Thyn

Rozette Lopes-Dias Van Thyn (September 19, 1921 – June 27, 2010), known as Rose Van Thyn, was a Holocaust survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II in Poland. She became a naturalized United States citizen residing in Shreveport, Louisiana. In addition to raising a family and working as a professional seamstress, she was active for forty years as a Holocaust educator. She spoke to thousands of children in Shreveport and as an academic fellow to college students about her experiences during the Holocaust.
Biography.
Van Thyn was born in Amsterdam in 1921. She originally attended Free University of Amsterdam, until she had to quit and start working in a factory. She and her family were Jewish. In 1942, when the Nazis occupied Amsterdam, her sister and brother-in-law were taken by German soldiers and then her father and first husband. Finally, Van Thyn and her mother were taken to Auschwitz, where Van Thyn was assigned inmate number 62511. They were placed on railroad cattle cars with nearly one hundred other people for three days with the men separated from the women. At Auschwitz, she underwent medical experiments, all performed without sedatives. She was one of two medical-experiment victims of Carl Clauberg's sterilization experiment who was interviewed in 2005 about the program. She lived in Block 10 of Auschwitz for two years. Later she was dispatched to Ravensbrueck and survived a "death march" at the end of the war. She was liberated by American soldiers on April 26, 1945.
Van Thyn discovered that both parents, a sister, and her first husband, Mozes Lezer, were killed in the death camps. After she returned to the Netherlands, she met fellow Holocaust survivor Louis Van Thyn, whose first wife died in the Holocaust. Rose and Louis married in Amsterdam in 1946. The Van Thyns had a son and a daughter. The Van Thyns' 1956 immigration to the United States was sponsored by the Shreveport Jewish Federation and the family of Abe Gilbert. Van Thyn became a United States citizen in 1961.
A home maker and professional seamstress, she was also active as a Holocaust educator for over three decades, wanting to tell her story to the world. She related her life story before civic groups, churches, and schools throughout northern Louisiana. She also spoke as an Attaway Fellow in Civic Culture to Centenary College students. During the 1990 election for a United States Senator from Louisiana she criticized Republican candidate David Duke who was then a State Representative and also a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
In 2002, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Centenary's 2002 commencement exercises. In 2003, Louis and Rose Van Thyn were recognized for their civic support by the National Conference for Community and Justice, formerly known as the National Conference of Christians and Jews. She also received the Liberty Bell Award from the Shreveport Bar Association.
In 2008, her husband, Louis, died. Van Thyn died on June 27, 2010 at age 88. Shreveport mayor Cedric Glover expressed sorrow on Van Thyn's death: "It is a tremendous loss not just to Shreveport but to the entire world to know that someone who possessed the knowledge and experience and the history that she lived has now passed on."
In 2016, her son, Nico Van Thyn, released an independently published book about his parents' experience, titled "Survivors: 62511, 70726: Two Holocaust stories, from Amsterdam to Auschwitz to America".
Death and legacy.
Centenary College has a Van Thyn Endowed Professorship Chair. Centenary College holds an Annual Rose and Louis Van Thyn Holocaust Lecture Series. An oral history interview with Van Thyn is on file at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Other recordings of some of her speeches are archived by Louisiana State University Shreveport.


Rijkswerf (Amsterdam)

The Rijkswerf (Dutch: "State shipyard") in Amsterdam was a Dutch shipyard that build a significant amount of warships for the Royal Netherlands Navy.
Predecessors of the Rijkswerf.
Shipyard of the Amsterdam Admiralty.
In the time of the Dutch republic naval affairs were handled by 5 local admiralties. The Admiralty of Amsterdam was the most important of these. The First Anglo-Dutch War proved the need for a professional navy. On 12 August 1655, the admiralty therefore got the entire western strip of Kattenburg island for the construction of an arsenal and ship yard. The arsenal was quickly constructed on the southern extremity of Kattenburg island in 1656. It was called 's Lands Zeemagazijn and now houses the National Maritime Museum.
The rest of Kattenburg island stretches north along the Kattenburgerstraat. On the west side of this street the former yard is still enclosed by a very long seventeenth century building and a long old wall that reaches almost to the north end of Kattenburg Island. The slipways of the yard were immediately on the other (west) side of this enclosure.
From the arsenal and the north end of Kattenburg, dams reached to the west, and enclosed an almost square stretch of water called 's lands Dok. In this dock the ships of the admiralty could lay In ordinary. This was the usual condition for warships in the time of the Dutch republic. Upper parts of the mast, most of the rigging, sails, guns etc. were removed, and stored in the adjacent arsenal. Almost the whole the dock has now been filled up, and is occupied by modern buildings.
State ship yard in the French period.
The events of 1795 created the Batavian Republic, the start of the French period in the Netherlands. The admiralties were replaced by a national committee for naval affairs. It meant that all assets of the admiralties were nationalized, leading to 5 state ship yards. In 1806 the Kingdom of Holland became the owner of the shipyard. In 1811 this kingdom was annexed by Napoleon's empire, making the yard an imperial French ship yard. This came to an end in late 1813, when the Netherlands became independent again. The French period was a disaster for Dutch shipping. It could have become a disaster for the yard, because of the construction of Willemsoord, a naval base near Den Helder, and a possible competitor.
The Rijkswerf.
Ship yard in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The founding of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 meant a new start for 's Rijks Werf (national yard) Amsterdam. However, the context of 1815 was very different from that of 1795. The French time had been utterly ruinous for the Dutch economy. It caused that the nation could no longer afford a naval budget comparable to that of major European powers. Apart from that, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was a state focusing on its place in a coalition that should keep France in check, and was therefore focused on its army.
General circumstances were not conducive for much activity on the yard, but on a national scale the Rijkswerf Amsterdam was lucky. While Willemsoord remained as a naval base and was greatly expanded, the proponents of moving shipbuilding over there did not get their way. Most of the few new ships of the line and frigates that were built, were laid down in Amsterdam again, with Vlissingen and Rotterdam also having a share. In 1816 the remnants of the 'competing' navy yard in Harlingen were sold. In 1828 the Rijkswerf Medemblik was shut down.
A difficult start (1830-1850).
The united kingdom broke up in 1830. The final acts were the Ten Days' Campaign, the Siege of Antwerp (1832) and an English fleet blockading the Dutch coast, all ruinous for the state's finances. The secession of Belgium also stripped the coal and iron deposits from the Dutch state, a further disaster during the Industrial Revolution revolution. It all led to rigorous economizing on the navy. The Rijkswerf Rotterdam would close in 1850. Meanwhile the Rijkswerf Amsterdam built a lot of small paddle steamers.
Screw Propulsion (1850-1860).
By the early 1850s the only Dutch state yards left were those in Vlissingen and Amsterdam. Meanwhile the Dutch state had found a new source of wealth in the Cultivation System implemented in the East Indies. It meant that more money became available for the navy, and investments went to these two establishments. This was just as well, because the invention of screw propulsion had just obsoleted the entire fleet of sail and paddle-steam ships that the Dutch had. The biggest screw ships that the Dutch needed, the steam frigates, were built in Vlissingen because of their draught. The Rijkswerf would built a large number of steam corvettes.
Facilities for armoring ships.
When foreign powers started to armor their ships, the Dutch authorities decided to create facilities for armoring in Vlissingen, not in Amsterdam. This was a sound decision, because Vlissingen was the only Dutch harbor that had access to water deep enough to launch ships that could stand up to the biggest ships that foreign powers brought to bear.
In 1867 the Dutch government decided to move the armoring facilities to the Rijkswerf Amsterdam. This decision had to do with the overall defensive strategy that centered on only defending the places behind the Dutch Water Line.
Building armored ships.
The first armored ships that the Rijkswerf Amsterdam constructed were copies of foreign ships that the Dutch navy had purchased. The Cerberus is a prime example.
Later ships were built to Dutch designs. The yard built among others ironclads, protected cruisers, coastal defense ships, gunboats, monitors and unprotected cruisers.
The end of the Rijkswerf Amsterdam.
In 1915 the Rijkswerf Amsterdam ceased to exist.


Mart Smeets

Jan Marten “Mart” Smeets (born 11 January 1947 in Arnhem) is a Dutch radio and television personality, writer, and columnist.
Television.
Mart Smeets is a long-time sports presenter and commentator with the Dutch public broadcaster NOS. He is most famous for his reporting of the Tour de France, but also comments on speedskating, basketball (Smeets played at national level himself), and most other sports, apart from football (although he did present a news program around the 2006 FIFA World Cup). The 2012 Tour de France was his last assignment during his NOS tenure; he announced he'd continue to work for them as a freelancer.
Radio.
Smeets also has a weekly radio show, "For the Record", on Radio 2, two hours of rarely played music.
Writing.
Mart Smeets writes columns for several newspapers and magazines, including "Trouw". He is also the author of more than 25 books.
Praise and criticism.
Smeets has received a fair amount of criticism from viewers, especially through social media. People watching the 2012 Tour de France shows, for instance, marked off Smeets-cliches on a Smeets Bingo card, and an anti-Smeets Facebook page ("Mart Auf Wiedersehen Smeets") was joined by 40,000 people. Also popular was an online Smeets cliche generator.


Ad van Tiggelen

Ad van Tiggelen (Maastricht, 7 June 1958) is an author of fantasy novels using the pen name Adrian Stone.
Career.
Van Tiggelen studied business economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and in 1981 started his career at Nationale-Nederlanden, where he became investment manager in 1988.
Since then he moved through a series of investment jobs at ING Groep, including a long period as head of European equities. In the end, he worked as investment strategist, in which function he regularly appeared in national and international media to comment on developments in the financial markets and to express and explain the vision of ING Investment Management. He ended his career with ING on 30 June 2014.
Columns.
Van Tiggelen wrote columns every month about a series of investment topics. These columns appeared in the Netherlands in FD.nl and in various financial media in other countries: Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece and Poland.
Author.
Since his youth Van Tiggelen had a passion for fantasy literature, which led him to write fantasy novels himself.
In 2006 his first book "Devil's Prophet" appeared in a limited edition at Gopher publishers. In 2008 he signed a contract with Luitingh-Sijthoff, the Netherlands' largest publisher of speculative fiction and fantasy, on which basis Luitingh-Sijthoff re-published "Devil's Prophet" in April 2009, followed in June 2009 by "Devil's Son".
The third part of the Devil trilogy, "Devil's Soul", appeared in April 2010. All books are published under the pseudonym Adrian Stone.
After the Devil Trilogy Stone wrote the "Rune" Duology. The first part "The Eighth Rune" was published in September 2011, the second part "The First God" in September 2012.
At the moment Stone is writing the second part of a new series (title: "Magycker"), which is situated in a completely new world. The first part "The Claw" was published in 2016.


Mike Starink

Mike Starink (born 18 October 1970 in Arnhem) is a Dutch television presenter and stage actor.
In the early 1990s he worked as a presenter on the children's show 'Disney Club' on the Dutch NCRV network together with Jochem van Gelder. He also co-hosted the associated children's theater productions.
Starink also presented for other Dutch TV shows like The Lounge, Nachtsuite, Liefde op het eerste gezicht, Lijn 4, Dier Enzo and Factor 4. In addition to his work as a presenter, he made many guest appearances in Dutch TV series including Sam Sam, De Garage, Kats & Co and Onderweg naar morgen.
In 2000 Mike participated in the TV show Big Brother VIPS.
In 2006 he worked as a behind-the-scenes editor and reporter for the program Entertainment Live for the Talpa network and in 2007 for Christine Live on the Veronica network. Starting in October 2009 he starred in a play by Paul Haenen titled "In bed is het fijn toeven" which was translated into English and performed in 2010-2011 as "Dwelling in bed ain't bad". As of 2011 Starink is preparing his second play, "Wat een heerlijk hete dag" ("What a wonderfully hot day"), also written by Haenen.


HSwMS Oscar II

HSwMS "Oscar II" was a coastal defence ship or ("armoured ship") of the Swedish Navy. The vessel had a long career lasting over sixty years. A development of the preceding , the ship mounted a powerful armament on a small hull, which necessitated sacrificing speed and endurance. This design decision allowed "Oscar II" to match the firepower of contemporary armoured cruisers while still carrying the armour of a battleship. Protected by an armoured belt that had a maximum thickness of , the ship was armed with a main battery of two Bofors guns mounted separately fore and aft. Maximum speed was .
Commissioned on 3 April 1907, "Oscar II" served as the flagship of the Swedish Navy, with duties including transporting Swedish King Gustav V and his consort Queen Victoria to summits with Emperors Wilhelm II of Germany and Nicholas II of Russia. During the First World War, the ship supported the Swedish invasion of Åland from February to April 1918. At the end of the conflict, the vessel was decommissioned and only returned to service in September 1929. After being modernised and serving neutral Sweden during the Second World War, the vessel was once again called upon to transport royalty, in this case bringing the body of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, home from Denmark after the air crash of 26 January 1947. Decommissioned on 24 February 1950, "Oscar II" served as a training hulk until 11 September 1974, the last of several Swedish coastal defence ships to be scrapped.
Design.
Sweden appointed a commission in 1901 to analyse the state of naval defence and see what future ships were required to meet the country's needs. The commission looked at developments in other countries, particularly the escalating Anglo-German naval arms race, and decided that instead of creating a battleship similar to those being constructed abroad, a smaller vessel that relied on speed and the ability to exploit the tactical advantages of the Swedish archipelago would be more appropriate.
The commission proposed three alternatives:
Despite the commission's preference for the cheapest option, the Swedish Parliament (the Riksdag) voted for the third solution on the recommendation of Louis Palander, the Naval Secretary.
General characteristics and machinery.
The resulting design was a modernised and slightly larger version of the . As built, "Oscar II" had a normal displacement of , displacing at full load. The vessel had a waterline length of , a beam of and draught of . The ship was designed to have a normal complement of 326 officers and ratings. A command staff of nine officers could also be carried.
The ship was powered by a pair of four-cylinder triple expansion steam engines built by Motala Verkstad, each driving a three-bladed screw. The engines were rated at . Steam was provided at by ten Yarrow water-tube marine boilers distributed in three rooms. The vessel was the only three-funnelled coastal defence ship in Swedish service. Coal capacity was , providing a range of at and at . During trials, the ship averaged with coal consumption per horsepower.
Armament and armour.
The main battery consisted of two Bofors K/44 M98 guns mounted in single turrets fore and aft on the centreline. Designed in 1898, they were similar to the guns carried by the earlier "Äran" class. The guns fired shells at a muzzle velocity of and a rate of fire of two shells per minute. For secondary armament, the ship used the K/50 M03 gun also provided by Bofors that had previously been used on the armoured cruiser . These weapons could fire shells at a muzzle velocity of and a rate of fire of 2.7 shells per minute. Eight were mounted in pairs in four turrets amidships, two on either side of the superstructure. These weapons were supplemented by ten M/98B guns manufactured by Finspång, five mounted singly on each side of the bridge. Three Bofors M/98 guns were carried ready to be mounted on the ship's boats for fire support if they were being used to transport landing parties. Two tubes for torpedoes were fitted below the waterline.
The armour for "Oscar II" was an improvement on that of the "Äran" class, particularly expanding the protection to lower decks. The ship was equipped with a -long armoured belt that was provided by Schneider-Creusot. It was thick amidships, diminishing to and finally forward and aft. Above this was a citadel which was long, with armour 100 mm thick and barbettes with thick armoured steel, mounted on a main deck with armoured plate mounted on 22 mm steel plate. The conning towers were also armoured, thick forward and 100 mm aft, while the bridge and upper deck had plating thick. The turrets had Krupp armour which was between thick.
The ship was first modernised in 1910 when a tripod mast was fitted, and other minor upgrades took place over the ship's life, including fitting new high angle mounts for two of the 57 mm guns for anti-aircraft defence in 1916. A more substantial upgrade took place in 1939. The boilers were replaced and the forward two fitted for oil firing. More space was made available for fire control by removing the torpedo tubes, which was used to fit a new fire-control system with a new director and sonar. At the same time, the 57 mm mounts were removed and replaced by an anti-aircraft battery provided by Bofors consisting of four 57 mm M/38 guns, two M/32 guns and four M/36 machine guns. Three searchlights and a paravane were also fitted for defence against mines. Normal displacement increased to , while full displacement was now .
Service.
Design of the new vessel was approved on 22 May 1903 and an order placed at Lindholmens Mekaniska Verkstad in Gothenburg on 23 September at the cost of . Construction work started shortly afterwards. The ship's namesake King Oscar II was to launch the vessel on 6 June 1905. However, a combination of a labour dispute and the escalating dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden led to delays until 10 June, when the ship was launched with a non-traditional send off, as the use of champagne in the ceremony had been prohibited by Queen Sophia. It was the first time that a Swedish warship had been named after a living monarch since 1824.
"Oscar II" entered service as flagship of the Swedish Navy on 3 April 1907. The ship was soon showing the flag, travelling to England in the middle of the year, and then returning in time for the King to sign his name on the aft conning tower shortly before he died. The ship continued to host Swedish royalty, leaving for Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 29 April 1908 to take Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland, to marry Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna and transporting King Gustav V to Sassnitz, Germany, on 6 July 1909 where he met Wilhelm II.
The next three years saw the ship tour the Mediterranean Sea and then subsequently visit ports in many countries including Denmark, England, Germany and the Netherlands. In the middle of 1912, the vessel carried the King and Queen Victoria of Sweden to Finland to visit Nicholas II of Russia. Shortly afterwards, the ship was briefly mobilised as flagship of the Swedish fleet in response to the First Balkan War, but swiftly returned to royal duties, providing transport for the King's visit to Christian X of Denmark in June 1913, welcoming Victor Emmanuel III of Italy in July 1913 and escorting President Raymond Poincaré of France in July 1914.
When the First World War started in that same month, the Swedish fleet was mobilised with "Oscar II" as flagship to protect the nation's trade routes and shipping fleet. Due to the country's neutrality in the war, the vessel spent much of the war practicing firing and damage control. However, the ship participated in the invasion of Åland in 1918, arriving on 19 February along with the newer coastal defence ship and a contingent from the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment. Sweden had an interest in the islands, which heightened following Sweden's recognition of Finnish independence and reports of atrocities committed against the Swedish-speaking inhabitants. With Russian forces in disarray due to Russian Civil War, with both sides claiming the islands, the Swedish government saw an opportunity to occupy them. However, Germany was also interested in gaining the islands as part of a wider strategy to control the Baltic Sea and sent a substantial fleet at the same time. "Oscar II" was on station on 5 March when the German dreadnought battleships and arrived. The ship was a fundamental part of the Swedish display of force that preceded negotiations for a peaceful settlement that resulted in Germany gaining possession. The vessel was one of the last Swedish units to leave the islands, finally departing on 23 April.
Decommissioned in September 1918 in need of a complete overhaul, the ship remained out of service for the next eleven years apart from a brief period in late 1923 and early 1924. "Oscar II" was brought back into service in 1929 and was mainly used for training, attached to the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College. Operations were not confined to Sweden, though, and the ship visited Portsmouth, England, in 1935.
The vessel was given a significant upgrade in the run up to the Second World War, the work being completed in November 1939. The freshly modernised ship then served as part of the Swedish Navy. During the war, the vessel was posted to Karlskrona but saw no action as Sweden once again remained neutral.
After the war, Sweden decided to retire the whole fleet of coastal defence ships. "Oscar II" had one last royal journey, to bring the body of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, home after he died in a KLM Douglas DC-3 air crash at Copenhagen Airport on 26 January 1947, before being decommissioned on 24 February 1950. The hulk was subsequently equipped with learning spaces and used for training managing leaks and radioactive contamination, including decontamination drills. After a further twenty-six years in service, the vessel was sold for on 11 September 1974 to be broken up for scrap. "Oscar II" was the last coastal defence ship in the Swedish Navy, outlasting the more modern by four years.


Alex Van Halen

Alexander Arthur Van Halen (born May 8, 1953) is an American musician, best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Van Halen. The band was formed in 1972 by Alex Van Halen; his younger brother, Eddie Van Halen; David Lee Roth; and Mark Stone under the name Mammoth before adding Michael Anthony in 1974 and changing their name to Van Halen. Warner Bros. signed the band in 1977, and its debut album was released a year later. Prior to their disbandment in 2020, following Eddie's death, Van Halen released eleven more albums, and the brothers were the only two constant members of the band.
Early life.
Van Halen was born in Amsterdam. The family name in Dutch is "van Halen" (with lower-case 'v') and is pronounced in Dutch as . His Dutch father, Jan van Halen (1920–1986), was an accomplished jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. His mother, Eugenia van Beers (1914–2005), was an Indo (Eurasian) from Rangkasbitung, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Alex spent his early years in Nijmegen in the east of the Netherlands. The family moved to Pasadena, California, in 1962. Alex and his brother Eddie became naturalized U.S. citizens.
Both brothers were trained as classical pianists during childhood. Although Alex is known as a professional drummer, he began his musical aspirations as a guitarist, with his brother Eddie taking up drums. While Eddie was delivering newspapers to pay for his drum kit, Alex would practice playing on them. After some time spending time playing Eddie's drum kit, Alex became more skilled than Eddie was as a drummer. After Eddie heard Alex's mastery of The Surfaris drum solo in the song "Wipe Out", he decided to learn to play the electric guitar. Alex was influenced by Budgie drummer Ray Phillips.
Alex, Eddie and three other boys formed their first band when they were in the fourth grade, calling themselves "The Broken Combs"; they performed at lunchtime at Hamilton Elementary School in Pasadena, California.
In 1971, Van Halen graduated from Pasadena High School. He then took classes in music theory, scoring, composition and arranging at Pasadena City College for a short while. While there, Alex met Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth. They formed the band Mammoth, and Alex, along with the others, left Pasadena City College.
Musical career.
Alex and Eddie Van Halen had several early bands before the formation of Van Halen. In addition to The Broken Combs, there were The Space Brothers, The Trojan Rubber Company, and Mammoth.
In 1972, the brothers formed Mammoth with Mark Stone on bass and Eddie on lead vocals. The band rented David Lee Roth's PA system for their shows. Soon after, Eddie became tired of singing lead, and asked Roth to join the band. Later, in 1974, since the name Mammoth was already taken by another band, the name was changed to Van Halen, and Stone was replaced by Michael Anthony. Roth has claimed that it was his idea to rename the band Van Halen, and that he actually named it after Alex. In addition to his musical duties at this time, Alex handled managerial duties, such as booking gigs, and the like for the band. Their 1978 self-titled debut album "Van Halen" was released to much fanfare, influencing many musicians in hard rock. Van Halen had released eleven more studio albums since then, and officially disbanded a month after Eddie's death on October 6, 2020.
Although the term "brown sound" is generally associated with Eddie's guitar, it was actually coined by Alex to refer to the sound of his snare drum.
The only recording Alex has made outside of the band is the instrumental "Respect the Wind" (for which the Van Halen brothers were nominated for a Grammy Award in 1997 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance), featuring Alex on keyboards with Eddie on guitar. The song was written for the 1996 film "Twister" and plays during the end credits of the movie.
Equipment.
Van Halen endorses Ludwig drums, pedals and hardware, Paiste cymbals, Remo drumheads and Regal Tip drumsticks. A Paiste endorser since March 1983, Van Halen, in co-operation with Paiste developed a signature ride cymbal—a 2002 24" Big ride—which Paiste introduced at the 2010 Winter NAMM Show. He also had two Ludwig signature snares. Alex has used Rototoms and octobans in the past as well as electronic drums and is renowned for using extravagantly sized drum kits that feature an on-fire orchestral gong and four bass drums, having originally used only two.
Regal Tip created the Alex Van Halen signature drumsticks when he became an endorser.
Influences.
Van Halen's main influences include Billy Cobham, Ginger Baker, Keith Moon and John Bonham, and he has cited jazz drummer Buddy Rich's work as having an early and lifelong impact.
Personal life.
Van Halen married Valeri Kendall in June 1983, after a two-year engagement. The marriage ended in divorce two months later. Van Halen's first of two sons, Aric Van Halen, was born October 6, 1989; Aric's mother was Van Halen's then-wife, Kelly Carter, whom he divorced in August 1996 after 13 years of marriage. Van Halen married his current wife, Stine Schyberg, in 2000. She is the mother of his son Malcolm Van Halen. Van Halen is the uncle of Wolfgang Van Halen.
After the death of his father Jan in December 1986, Van Halen embraced sobriety in April 1987.
Van Halen is an ordained minister. He presided at the second wedding of his brother Eddie in 2009. His son Aric is a passionate runner and competed in the Olympic trials for the steeplechase in 2016.


Louis Regout

Louis Hubert Willem Regout (27 October 1861, Maastricht – 27 October 1915, Rome) was a Dutch politician.