Hague, << hayg, >> The (pop. 508,940), is the seat of the government of the Netherlands and the official residence of the country’s monarch. However, Amsterdam is the country’s capital. Many important European treaties have been signed at The Hague. The city is officially called ‘s Gravenhage << `skrah` vun HAH kuh >> , which means the count’s hedge.
In the early 1900’s, the world’s eyes hopefully turned toward The Hague. Peace-loving peoples dreamed that it might become the neutral capital of the world, where representatives of all nations could meet to settle quarrels and prevent war. A magnificent Peace Palace was built as a monument to that dream. The American industrialist Andrew Carnegie furnished funds for the building. The Peace Palace serves as headquarters for the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Court of Justice.
The city.
The Hague lies on the southwest coast of the Netherlands, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) inland from the North Sea. Unlike most other Dutch cities, The Hague lies mostly above sea level. Adjacent to The Hague on the north is Scheveningen, a fishing town and the largest seaside resort in the Netherlands.
The Hague is a handsome city with many large parks and quiet, treelined streets. Its stately old buildings and elegant residences are reminders that the city was inhabited by aristocrats and government officials rather than by the merchants who dominated other Dutch cities. The Hague has three royal palaces, including Huis ten Bosch (House in the Woods), the residence of the country’s monarch. At the heart of the old part of the city stand the parliament buildings, called the Binnenhof. The Mauritshuis, a famous art museum, is next to the Binnenhof. The Hague has several churches that date from the 1400’s.
The economy of The Hague depends mainly on the government, the city’s chief employer. The growth of government has required the construction of many new office buildings. The city has little industry, but several large firms have offices or headquarters there.
History.
The Hague was originally a hunting lodge belonging to the count of Holland. In 1250, it became the count’s residence. When the Netherlands became independent in the 1500’s, The Hague became the seat of the States-General, the parliament that governed all the provinces that were united in the new Dutch republic. The Triple Alliance of England, Sweden, and Holland was signed in The Hague in 1668, and the Triple Alliance of England, France, and Holland was signed there in 1717. At the suggestion of the Russian czar, a peace conference took place in the city in 1899. By then The Hague had become a permanent site for international conferences. In 1907, representatives of European nations met there in an unsuccessful effort to solve the problems which later led to World War I (1914-1918).
The city was occupied by German forces in 1940, during World War II. War damage was extensive. The Germans set up a defense system at Scheveningen and launched V-2 rockets from The Hague. The Allies bombed The Hague 50 times before freeing it from the Germans in 1945.
See also International Criminal Court .
