{"id":15396,"date":"2025-02-21T10:51:58","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T09:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=15396"},"modified":"2025-06-04T12:51:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T10:51:37","slug":"niets-te-verbergen-dutch-window-culture-revisited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/15396\/niets-te-verbergen-dutch-window-culture-revisited\/","title":{"rendered":"“Niets te verbergen” \u2013 Dutch window culture, revisited"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A room with a view: In the Netherlands, many homes feature large, street-facing windows. Some residents embrace openness, while others prefer privacy. But what defines being truly Dutch?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severin Weh<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, the Dutch approach to windows reflected Calvinist values\u2014openness signaled honesty. \u201cNiets te verbergen\u201d (\u201cNothing to hide\u201d) wasn\u2019t just a saying but a cultural mantra. American sociologist Hernan Vera noted the reciprocity in Dutch window culture: \u201cYou can\u2019t look inside without being seen.\u201d Ground-level windows once encouraged spontaneous chats between housewives and passersby. Maike Sluis, a lifelong Utrecht resident, recalls an old neighbor who embodied this spirit: \u201c<\/em>She\u2019d sit by her window all day, keeping an eye on the street. If someone rang my doorbell while I was out, she\u2019d shout from her window, \u2018She\u2019s not home, she works till five!\u2019\u201d<\/em> Yet, not everyone approved, as the chattering was seen as a low-class thing to do. The Dutch architect Beurs van Berlage sought to curb street gossip by designing elevated, narrower windows. Even then, the vitrage<\/em>, a lace curtain offered a way to control visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Living room of a woman who wants to stay private, one of her windows is with window film, the other isn’t – it was like this when she moved in. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, privacy tools like frosted films and adjustable blinds make windows more complex \u2013 thresholds between public and private life. \u201cPeople are conscious of what their windows say,\u201d explains Dutch culture expert Irene Stengs from the Meertens Institute. Symmetrically placed plants or decorative items aren\u2019t random; they reflect pride and status, even when the windows remain uncovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be seen or not seen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication can have many forms, one of them are radio waves. Maike Sluis has just passed her exam for telecommunications on boats. Her large ground-floor window once hid behind frosted film for 28 years, limiting sunlight but providing privacy. Recently, she removed the film, embracing natural light and reconnecting with street life. Now, kids stop to admire her model sailboat, and passersby often swap books at the little blue box by her door. \u201cI love seeing these small moments of connection,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Maike Sluis at her dining table with a view on the street<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not everyone shares this openness. Olivier and Anna, who live near the Stadsbuitengracht, opted for frosted film covering the lower half of their window. \u201cWe enjoy the sunlight but prefer to eat in peace,\u201d says Olivier. Though typically Dutch in many ways, they value privacy over full transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Iris, living in Utrecht\u2019s city center, embraces the open-window tradition. She plays with her baby in plain view, unfazed by passing tourists. \u201cI don\u2019t mind people looking in,\u201d she shrugs. Though she sometimes closes the curtains when things get rowdy outside, she avoids permanent coverings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a day of wandering Utrecht and chatting with residents, the sun sets and it\u2019s clear there\u2019s no single Dutch window culture. While some celebrate openness, others favor privacy or a hybrid of both. As Stengs points out, culture is fluid\u2014shaped by personal taste, technology, and shifting social norms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A room with a view: In the Netherlands, many homes feature large, street-facing windows. Some residents embrace openness, while others prefer privacy. But what defines being truly Dutch? Severin Weh Historically, the Dutch approach to windows reflected Calvinist values\u2014openness signaled honesty. \u201cNiets te verbergen\u201d (\u201cNothing to hide\u201d) wasn\u2019t just a saying but a cultural mantra. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3744,"featured_media":15516,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[260,148,293],"class_list":["post-15396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acls","tag-architecture","tag-netherlands","tag-utrecht","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n"Niets te verbergen" \u2013 Dutch window culture, revisited - International Journalism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""Niets te verbergen" \u2013 Dutch window culture, revisited - International Journalism\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A room with a view: In the Netherlands, many homes feature large, street-facing windows. 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