▁( p ain ters ▁such ▁as ▁Rem brand t , ▁Johannes ▁V erme er ▁and ▁many ▁others ) ▁and ▁sciences ▁( including ▁Hugo ▁Gro ti us ▁and ▁Anton ie ▁van ▁Lee uw en ho ek ), ▁and ▁by ▁its ▁relatively ▁toler ant ▁atmosphere ▁towards ▁different ▁relig ions ▁and ▁ideas ▁( fre edom ▁of ▁thought ). ▁Because ▁Dutch ▁trade , ▁science , ▁military , ▁and ▁art ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁acc laimed ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁during ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁this ▁period ▁became ▁known ▁in ▁Dutch ▁history ▁as ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Golden ▁Age . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries — cor respond ing ▁roughly ▁to ▁the ▁present - day ▁Netherlands , ▁Belg ium , ▁and ▁Luxemb ourg — cons isted ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁duch ies , ▁count ies , ▁and ▁prince - bishop rics , ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁under ▁the ▁supre m acy ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁of ▁Fland ers , ▁most ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁France . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries ▁had ▁come ▁under ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Burg und y ▁and ▁subsequently ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁H abs burg . ▁In ▁ 1 5 4 9 ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁Charles ▁V ▁issued ▁the ▁Prag m atic ▁San ction , ▁which ▁further ▁un ified ▁the ▁Seven ▁Provin ces ▁under ▁his ▁rule . ▁Charles ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁his ▁son , ▁King ▁Philip