Historical changes to the landscape
The prehistory of the area that is now the Netherlands was largely shaped by its constantly shifting, low-lying geography.
Earliest groups of hunter-gatherers (before 5000 BC) See more

Native tribes
During the Gallic Wars, the Belgic area south of the Oude Rijn and west of the Rhine was conquered by Roman forces under See more

Burgundian period
Most of what is now the Netherlands and Belgium was eventually united by the Duke of Burgundy, Phillip the Good. Before the Burgundian union, the Dutch identified themselves by the town they lived in, their local duchy or … See more

Iron Age
The Iron Age brought a measure of prosperity to the people living in the area of the present-day Netherlands. Iron ore was available … See more

Frisians
As climatic conditions improved, there was another mass migration of Germanic peoples into the … See more

Part of the Holy Roman Empire
The German kings and emperors ruled the Netherlands in the 10th and 11th century, with the assistance of the Dukes of Lotharingia, and the bishops of Utrecht and Liège. Germany was called the Holy Roman Empire after … See more

The Dutch War for Independence from Spain is frequently called the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648). The first fifty years (1568 through 1618) were a war uniquely between Spain and the Netherlands. During the last thirty years (1618–1648) the conflict between … See more