The lead up The 16th century was a time of upheaval in the Netherlands. The population detached themselves from the church and the king and they were now on the

When the VOC sailors came home, people were very attentive. Nowadays, everybody has an idea about what the world is like due to the television, Internet and images in books

The Dutch East India Company didn’t only earn in terms of what they brought home, but also with the trade with Asian cities. Throughout Asia the Dutch acted as freighters

After the first VOC ships came back with their freight, inhabitants living close to the warehouses could smell the unknown exotic fragrances. People passing by thought they had landed in

The people in the Middle Ages imagined the earth as flat as a pancake and surrounded by water. Above were the heavens and below water was hell. This is the

On board the crew of the VOC was very diverse. The seamen came from all across Europe. There were poor farmers’ sons from Germany, discharged soldiers from all over Europe,

When the route to the Indies was established companies began to crop up quickly. Many entrepreneurs favoured the idea of investing in the trade with Asia to make it rich.

During the set-up of the Dutch East India Company it looked like it was ahead of its time with shares being bought by all the social classes. Patrons, teachers, servants,

With different eyes ‘’They’ve got red hair, blue eyes. They’re tall, have long faces and long noses with a white complexion.’’ That’s how the Japanese described the Dutch, who lived