Who wouldn’t love to hop on a night train and wake up in a French holiday spot? Well, soon you’ll be able to because European Sleeper and Sunweb are collaborating to make sustainable travel more accessible! 🚂
Here’s the plan
The night train company European Sleeper and the large travel company Sunweb have come together in an exciting crossover episode to help Dutchies travel to France more easily.
The vision is that the trains will go to French winter sports locations, but they might also go to a French beach or two (whoop whoop!). The mountain trips are intended to start next winter, while the beach vacays are (logically enough) planned for next summer.
Wondering what else you should know about this new nightline? At the moment…not much. In fact, most details are still to be determined. For starters, it’s unclear when the trains will start chooing, but it’ll most likely be sometime next winter.
Secondly, it’s not settled which day of the week the trains might leave. “At least once a week,” says co-founder of European Sleeper Chris Engelsman, but more information is still TBA.
Finally, it’s unclear where exactly the trains will end up. Bourg-Saint-Maurice? Modane? We’ll have to wait and see, but it’ll certainly be somewhere under the French sun.
All these uncertainties mean that some delays in the planning are to be expected, so stay calm and maybe map out a plan-B for your next vacation to the French Alps and/or beaches.
Why should we care?
It might sound a bit meh that some Dutch companies might be setting up a train that might go to France more or less once a week. But more train connections in Europe is actually great news! 🎉
Not only is sleeping on trains super comforting and chill (albeit maaaybe not the most comfortable), but it’s also a very efficient way to travel!
You don’t have to pay for that one night of accommodation, you don’t have to spend a day travelling (since you’ll be travelling at night), and it’s way more inspiring and main-character-y than travelling by plane.
More importantly, though, travelling by train is by far a more sustainable option than most alternatives. Joining the likes of Interrail, GreenCityTrip, and TUI, this new initiative is another sign that European travel habits might be moving in a greener direction — yay! 🌱
Would you be down for a night train to the French Alps/beaches? Tell us in the comments!
According to a survey conducted by the Nationale Vacaturebank (National Vacancy Bank), about one in six Dutch people has been discriminated against at their work.
The survey is based on the answers of 2,500 people in the Netherlands, ranging from employees to employers and job seekers.
The type of discrimination felt by respondents is mainly due to negative remarks they’ve received or unequal treatment they’ve experienced at work.
Underreported discrimination
While these numbers may imply that unfair treatment is only experienced by a minority of workers in the Netherlands, many instances of discrimination often go unnoticed.
The report also shows that 12% of the respondents either know someone who has experienced discrimination or have seen it happen to their colleagues.
Sharita Boon, business director of DPG Recruitment, explains to RTL Nieuws that 40% of discrimination cases in 2021 weren’t reported or no actions were taken against it.
Lacking feelings of safety or optimism
The survey showed that one in five employees also don’t feel safe in the workplace. This mainly includes women and employees with a migrant background.
The survey showed that only 17% of the respondents believe that discrimination at work will decrease in the upcoming years.
This combination of lack of safety and optimism is felt among many workers in the Netherlands, which has negative impacts on their overall well-being and happiness.
That’s right! Joining the likes of Manchester and Porto, The Hague has clinched a spot among the best European street food cities in a recent travelmag.com ranking. Who would’ve thought?!
The Hague is beautiful, it’s interesting, and it’s famous for a lot of things. That’s why heaps of tourists crowd its streets and beaches every summer.
But home to delectable, mouthwatering treats on the street? Ummm, not really.
Into the (kinda) unknown
To really explore Europe’s undiscovered, underground, hipster-heaven-like food corners, the ranking only considered cities with under one million inhabitants, so you won’t find any Paris- or Amsterdam-like cities on the list.
The ranking particularly values street food that’s typical for each place, whether it’s “centuries-old local sandwich recipes or ethnically-diverse dishes from multicultural communities”.
That might be why The Hague has made it onto the ranking — there’s certainly no lack of herring opportunities in this city! 🐟
Travelmag also says they considered food festivals when conducting the ranking, although no Dutch food festivals were mentioned in the final judgement.
The description of The Hague as a culinary destination mentions the city’s many food courts — trendy places like Foodhallen Centrum with its local touch, and Foodhallen Scheveningen with its multi-national specialities, are two examples. Even a local The Hague-based brewery gets a mention in the short summary!
The popular, and very traditional, dishes kibbeling and haring are featured, showing off ✨ real Dutch food culture ✨ to the rest of Europe once again.
Although the list praises The Hague for re-establishing itself as a culinary destination, the description shows no sign of what many people think of when they think of Dutch street food — kapsalon, frikandel, and bitterballen!
Despite this surprising omission, any Hagenaar or Hagenez can proudly claim (one-twentieth of) the throne of European street food. The crown is even shared with cities like Manchester, Porto, and Krakow — an impressive group for sure.
Full list of cities featured
Antwerp, Belgium
Bari, Italy
Basel, Switzerland
Bodrum, Turkey
Bristol, UK
Dublin, Ireland
Dusseldorf, Germany
Gothenburg, Sweden
The Hague, Netherlands
Helsinki, Finland
Heraklion, Greece
Krakow, Poland
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Lyon, France
Manchester, UK
Palermo, Italy
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Porto, Portugal
Reykjavik, Iceland
Valletta, Malta
Were you surprised by The Hague’s recognition as a street food destination, or is it an obvious win? Tell us in the comments below!
Even if you don’t want to admit it, a survey by NordVPN has revealed that 64%of Dutch people use their smartphones while nature calls.
Yep, forget memorising the toilet birthday calendar. The Dutch would much rather make use of their hands and stay up to date on what’s happening (and hopefully not keep everyone else updated on their current activities.) 👀
Bathroom statistics
Social media and reading news seem to be the most popular smartphone activities in the WC (water closet). According to the survey, 55% of bathroom smartphone users check social media accounts, while a little over a third of users read or listen to the news (38%).
A further 26% of Dutchies apparently check emails and messages from Microsoft Teams or Slack — the grind never stops, does it. 🤷🏻
Of course, when the Dutch work hard, they play hard. Of those surveyed 26% said they also play games whilst on the toilet. 🕹
On the rarer side, some surveyed users make calls or texts (wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of those calls).
Some Dutchies even watch videos, movies and TV, shop online, and plan their day out — all whilst on the loo.
Drop in the toilet
The habit is not without its risks. The Netherlands are the second clumsiest with their phone (after the USA), with 17% of users saying they’ve dropped their phones in the toilet water.
Let’s just hope it was before anyone relieved themselves. 😬
A slightly darker hazard: Daniel Markuson, a privacy expert at NordVPN, says Dutch people spend on average 21 years of their life on social media, almost one-third of their lives.
The Dutch are average??
It seems like a hefty number of Dutchies are using their phones while doing their business.
And it’s fair to be disgusted. However, this proportion of people is apparently fairly average when comparing phone use among 11 countries, says RTL Nieuws.
Does this study surprise you? Why or why not? Tell us what you think in the comments!
On June 13, millions of residents of the Netherlands will receive a warning test message on their phones at noon — including the country’s Ukrainian refugees.
The NL-Alert message is part of a national test by the Netherlands, which they can use to warn people about incoming dangers, such as unexpected storms and major fires.
Test or no test, it’s always a bit daunting at first to receive a very loud and disruptive DM from the Dutch government.
Ukrainian refugees warned
That’s why the Dutch government took a moment to consider the recent influx of Ukrainian refugees.
This national test message (accompanied by a very loud alarm) will potentially reach tens of thousands of Ukrainians in the Netherlands who were forced to flee the war in their country — and the last thing they need is another fright.
In order to ensure this doesn’t happen, last week, the Ministry of Justice and Security sent out a message in Ukrainian and Russian.
The text warns the refugees that today’s message is a test and they have nothing to worry about.
What will the message look like?
The NL-Alert test will appear as a pop-up notification on your phone, along with a loud alarm noise.
It reads as follows:
NL-Alert 13-06-2022 12:00: TEST MESSAGE. The government warns you during emergencies via NL-Alert. You can then read what to do and where you can find more information. Visit www.nl-alert.nl
*** TEST MESSAGE Netherlands Government Public Warning System. No action required. More information: www.nl-alert.nl/english “
The message will not only appear on your mobile screens but also on digital advertising billboards and public transport travel information screens.
June’s full moon is swiftly approaching, and it’s 2022’s first Strawberry supermoon! This funky phenomenon will pink up the Netherlands’ night skies this Tuesday.
The only bad news? You have to get up at the crack of dawn to see it. 😬
The moon sets at exactly 4:46 AM on Tuesday morning. About thirty minutes before this, it will appear extra-large on the southwestern horizon turning a stunning orangey-pink colour. Zo mooi!
Where can it be seen?
Ok so, this all depends on the cloud cover. In the middle and northern parts of the Netherlands, there is a chance of clouds forming that might get in the way of actually seeing the supermoon.
But there’s good news! The moon will come into view again on Tuesday evening — if the Dutch weather allows for it of course. 😒
However, no need to cry if you miss this one. The next supermoon will take place on the 13th of July — and it’s expected to be the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year! Geweldig!
What is a supermoon, exactly?
For those unfamiliar with the astrological phenomenon, a supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth at the same time it is full.
This means that it appears slightly more dramatic than the usual run-of-the-mill full moon you see on a monthly basis.
The size of tomorrow’s supermoon will be about 6 to 7% larger and 13% brighter than a regular full moon. When you’re lucky, these differences may be visible to the naked eye, says NU.
Supermoons are a pretty rare occurrence (especially this year as we’ll only be getting two of them).
If you’re willing to sacrifice some shut-eye, an early wake-up call might just be worth it to get a teensy glimpse and capture it on camera. 📸
Will you be waking up early for this year’s strawberry supermoon? Let us know in the comments! 👇
Figuring out international schools in the Netherlands can be quite the task, but we’re here to help.
Here’s all you need to know in 2022 when it comes to picking out an international education in the Netherlands.
First of all, what are international schools?
International schools in the Netherlands are schools where children who aren’t native to the Netherlands (usually) study. The schools, therefore, have students from a range of different cultures and nationalities. As suggested in the name, these schools provide an international education.
Dutch International Schools (DIS)
The first type you may come across is Dutch International Schools (DIS). These receive financial support from the Dutch government (meaning lower tuition fees) and are affiliated with regular Dutch schools as extra departments. DISs offer the British curriculum, IPC (International Primary Curriculum), IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary School), and International Baccalaureate programmes.
National curricula schools
Another type is schools that follow national curricula. The two main ones are British international schools and American international schools but there are also a number of international schools in the Netherlands that cater to other nationalities — like French, Japanese, Indonesian, or German. 🌍
What’s the big difference? DISs mainly cater to families who are temporarily staying in the Netherlands, while schools that follow national curricula are best suited for people from those countries — or who’ll benefit from that specific curriculum later (for example by attending university in the States).
International Baccalaureate World Schools
Finally, there are International Baccalaureate World Schools, public or private, which offer at least one of the four IB programs for primary, middle, or high school ages.
Again, the difference, please? IB schools and Nord Anglia Education schools which offer the IB, however, cater to families of all backgrounds and are of great value no matter where your children are headed in the future.
How do you qualify for a Dutch International School (DIS)?
While the admission criteria for national curricula and IB schools are relatively straightforward, the DIS system requires a bit more explanation. So here goes. 👇
Not everyone qualifies to go to a Dutch International School as the admission criteria are set by the Dutch Ministry of Education. So, be sure to check that you qualify (well, that your little one does) before you make this kind of decision. They must be either:
A child who was not born into a Dutch family and is planning on staying in the Netherlands for a limited amount of time;
or
A child with Dutch nationality whose parents are about to be temporarily stationed abroad for at least two years and will leave within two years.
Good to know: If you want to find out the main differences between state schools and international schools, check out our guide with handy tips from experts at Rotterdam International Secondary School.
International schools often have smaller class sizes than national ones. Image: Depositphotos
How much does it cost to go to an international school in the Netherlands?
What are the costs of international schools in the Netherlands? That’s the big scary question that many people would rather avoid.
Well, international schools in the Netherlands certainly aren’t cheap. You have a choice of public international schools and private international schools. A public primary school charges between €3,600 to €6,600 per year and a secondary school can cost you between €5,500 to €8,500 per year.
Private international schools are much, much more expensive. You could be looking to pay between €17,000 and €23,000 per year! These are all mandatory fees and don’t include extracurricular activities and other school trips. 🎒
What is the curriculum in international schools?
This varies between each school, so it’s worth looking up individual schools to see which curriculum they follow. However, we’ll give you a quick low-down on the main curriculums and languages international schools in the Netherlands teach.
If you are looking for a school that teaches the curriculum in your native language, try a foreign national school. For example, a British international school will teach in English, a French international school in French, and so on. The latter two teach English as a second language, so these (or similar) would be the best option for your child if they have not yet learned it.
However, plenty of non-national curricula schools also teach in English, so if your child already has some proficiency then you can confidently send them there for an immersive experience!
In terms of national diplomas, both British and American schools always teach based on their own curriculum along with offering additional diplomas.
What about bilingual education in the Netherlands?
Since the Dutch speak English well and learn it to an advanced level in many schools, there are only a few official bilingual secondary schools. These are called “Tweetalig Onderwijs”or TTO.
Here, your child will get awarded proficiency certificates such as the CPE diploma, CAE, and English A2. Children are taught in English around half of the time and the rest is in Dutch. Your child needs to be proficient in both languages for them to be able to cope with this teaching method.
Becoming bilingual is easier from a young age. Image: Pexels
Pros of international schools in the Netherlands
Your child will be taught in an international learning environment. This is always good as we’re living in an increasingly globalised world.
Lots of international teachers teach at international schools. This also enhances their international learning environment and means that the teachers will understand any of your child’s concerns and even yours.
Your child gets taught an international curriculum that suits their circumstances. It will enhance their employment, especially when they are working abroad.
They have the opportunity for multilingual education and it’s the perfect opportunity to learn not only the English language well, but the Dutch language and other languages at the same time.
Your child will be exposed to people from all different backgrounds, cultures, and religions. They will make friends with a variety of different people — which is very valuable in this day and age.
They offer their students opportunities to network on a global level. In other words, readying them for life beyond the classroom!
Cons of international schools in the Netherlands
They can be very expensive and so you need to ensure that you have the finances to meet that. However, sometimes companies will pay this for you if you’re working somewhere great.
They may not get to grips with the Dutch language as quickly as opposed to if they were to go to a Dutch school.
You may have to travel further to go to an international school.
There are fewer international schools to choose from than regular Dutch schools.
Where are the international schools in the Netherlands?
Brace yourselves, there is a long list here, so you’ve got A LOT of research to do.
International School Hilversum Secondary Department: Alberdingk Thijm Emmastraat 56 1213 AL Hilversum +313567 29931
International Primary School Hilversum Site for ages 4-8: Frans Halslaan 57A 1213 BK Hilversum
Site for ages 8-12: Rembrandtlaan 30 1213 BH Hilversum
Site for ages 4-12: Minckelersstraat 36 1221 KH Hilversum +313562 16053
International schools in Hoofddorp
Optimist International School Waddenweg 87 2134 XL Hoofddorp +31 3303 5924
International schools in Leiden
Elckerlyc International School Klimopzoom 41 2353 RE Leiderdorp +31715896861
International Secondary Dept. at Het Rijnlands Lyceum Apollolaan 1 2341 BA Oegstgeest +31715193555
International schools in Maastricht
United World College Maastricht Discusworp 65 6225 XP Maastricht NL +31432 41041
International schools Twente
IST Primary Dept. at Prinseschool Daalweg 32 7541 AN Enschede +316505 20750
IST Secondary Dept. at the Stedelijk Tiemeister 20 7541 WG Enschede +315348 21100
Overall, sending your child to any school, whether that be a Dutch state school, an international school, or a private school, is not a quick decision.
Make sure you research extensively, go and see the schools for yourself and try to work out what will be best suited not only for your child but for your family. Good luck with your search.🙏 (urgh, adulting).
What do you think about international schools in the Netherlands? Have you sent your child to one? Tell us in the comments!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 2021, and was fully updated in June 2022 for your reading pleasure.
A car that runs on solar power?! It almost sounds too good to be true, but Dutch startup, Lightyear, has made the impossible possible with their first model, Lightyear 0.
Dutchies (and Brabandters in particular) can be extra proud this week, as they lead the way in the direction of sustainable car transport.
With its five square meters of solar panels, “Lightyear 0” marks an important benchmark in the car industry.
A price to match
Having cars that run on solar power has for long seemed like a far-away dream for us sustainability enthusiasts, and of course, it’s great news that the market is catching up with consumer demands.
However, it might still take a liiiittle while until us regular folks get to buy our very own Lightyear — the price is still at a baffling €250,000! 💸
With a little patience though, the startup claims that the price will soon(ish) be at the much more affordable €30,000 mark.
Unfortunately, this will only happen in about 2.5 years when the next model in the series, “Lightyear 1” is planned to launch.
How cool would it be to cruise around in one of these? Image: Lightyear
How does it work?
According to the company, the current model can run up to 11,000 kilometres a year on solar power alone, which translates to several months of daily use in the summer.
In the rainy Dutch climate, however, this means only two months a year, so you’ll have to supplement it with a few charge-ups along the way. 🔌
Still, Lightyear claims that the car’s super-duper aerodynamic design makes it one of the most efficient cars on the market — wow!
Just leave your car out in the sun for a bit, and you’re good to go — greener and more efficiently than ever (in a car).
Living up to the sustainability-geeks’ requirements
Not only is the engine (partially) run on renewable energy, the interior consists of vegan and natural materials — happy news for those with attention to detail.
Also, gone are the days when driving a sustainable car meant being cramped inside a 1×1 meter box for the (very short) duration of your trip. Lightyear 0 has a spacious trunk, and looks and feels — well, just like a regular car! 🚗
Needless to say, people are very hyped about this new stage of car transportation, and of 946 cars, 150 have already been reserved. So, if you’ve got an extra €250,000 to blow on a car this fall, you’ll need to be quick.
For the rest of us, 2024 or 2025 might be a better time to invest in a solar car — just for the sake of our wallets.
What do you think — is €250,000 a price worth paying for the next step in the direction of renewable energy transportation? Let us know in the comments below!
Cancelled flights, long lines, and heavy crowds. Sound familiar? Well, Schiphol isn’t the only airport suffering after Eindhoven airport closed its terminal yesterday after the discovery of a possible firearm. 😬
The mysterious “firearm-like object” was found in someone’s hand luggage and left a sea of passengers waiting in and outside of Eindhoven airport for hours yesterday afternoon, reports NOS.
About RARE EVENTS. Eindhoven airport right now. First Ryanair system failed. All passengers, even the ones online checked-in (me) had to re-check (1h in line) then security system failed. Next, flights will be delayed and so all connections in arriving countries lost!😱#Ryanairpic.twitter.com/SsOsAXPXGd
With return flights being cancelled left, right, and centre because of the threat, travellers returning to the Netherlands were also stranded abroad — and might not even be able to return to the lowlands for several days.
Airline Transavia shared that just shy of 130 residents of the Netherlands were stuck in Krakow, Poland, and two flights to Ibiza were also cancelled.
(Stranded in Ibiza? That might not be so bad after all. 💃)
The airport requested that travellers who were victims of cancelled flights went home and rebooked online.
Many travellers took to Twitter to complain about the chaotic mess at the Dutch airport. They claimed there was no communication about what was happening.
What's the deal Eindhoven Airport @EINairport ? Seems all computer systems have crashed, security closed, flights grounded, but we're getting no announcements. Please let us know what's going on at least! @hbaskas
Willem Holleeder is a convicted Amsterdam gangster, whose rap sheet runs from a high-profile kidnapping, extortion, and at least 25 murders.
Holleeder, nicknamed De Neus for his gigantic nose, was born in 1958 in the Amsterdam neighbourhood of Jordaan.
Yet from his humble beginnings, he quickly became a crime boss — and ended up with a string of criminal charges that have left him imprisoned for life after being incriminated by his own sisters.
So who was this Al Capone of Dutch crime scene?
BREAKING: On June 24, 2022, Willem Holleeder has been sentenced to life in prison. Holleeder has been found guilty of the murders of five people, the participation in activities related to organised crime, and other charges, reports NU.nl
De blik van die man ook. Brrrrrr. Hoeveel geld en mankracht is justitie nu onderhand al kwijt geweest aan deze man, en hoeveel zijn ze opgeschoten? > Hoger beroep Willem Holleeder in zaak Vandros https://t.co/OWtb4QK4qfpic.twitter.com/unPyvNTaXH
Tweet translation: That man’s look. Brrr. How much money and manpower has the justice system already lost to this man? The appeal case of Willem Holleeder in Vandros.
The gang was part of vigilante groups that attacked squatters on the behalf of homeowners and developers.
Willem’s gang even committed a spectacular speedboat-assisted armed robbery of a money order office in Amsterdam — but were never formally caught and charged.
However, his most notorious crime — and one of the most famous in Dutch history — was the 1983 kidnapping of Freddy Heineken, the CEO of Heineken and one of the richest men in the Netherlands. 🍻
Kidnapping of a beer boss
On November 9, 1983, Heineken was leaving his office in Amsterdam just before 7 PM.
As he met with his driver, Ab Doderer, the two were suddenly ambushed by four armed men: Holleeder, Van Hout, Meijer, and Boellaard.
The kidnappers abducted Heineken and his driver, taking them to a holding location in a business park in the Amsterdam harbour.
Freddy Heineken and his driver, Ab Doderer in 1983. Image: Rob C. Croes/Anefo/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0
The criminals had planned the kidnapping almost two years in advance, building a false wall in a long, galvanised steel working shed to hold their prisoners.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of 35 million Dutch guilders (around €15.8 million today) for the release of the two men.
They contacted police through advertisements in the newspaper, cassette tapes, and even through pseudonyms. Meanwhile, Heineken and Doderer were kept chained to a wall in the shed.
Two weeks after the kidnapping, Heineken’s family met their demands and handed over the ransom, against the advice of the police. It was the highest ransom ever paid for a kidnapping victim at the time. 💰
But guess what? It turns out, you can’t actually trust criminals. 😅 The kidnappers grabbed their ransom and then ran away — without releasing Heineken and his driver from the secret shed.
However, thanks to an anonymous tip, a police agent was able to come and rescue the men on November 30.
On the run
Holleeder and Van Hout hit the road, fleeing to Paris. Just three months later they were arrested by French police. They fought extradition to the Netherlands for almost three years, before being returned in October 1986.
Willem Holleeder and Cor van Hout in the Palace of Justice, Amsterdam. Image: Rob Bogaerts/Anefo/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
In 1983, Holleeder was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for the kidnapping. Yet when he emerged, he was far from reformed.
All that money that Holleeder had snagged as part of Heineken’s ransom? Well, several million guilders were never found. It’s believed that Holleeder and Cor van Hout, who was now Holleeder’s brother-in-law, used these funds for their new extortion empire.
He got into business with real estate mogul Willem Endstra, but when Van Hout was killed in 2003 their relationship deteriorated.
This is where it gets cold-blooded. Endstra reportedly secretly testified against Holleeder to the police, linking him with around 25 murders — including Van Hout’s.
But in yet another killing, Endstra was shot dead in broad daylight near his office in 2004. Holleeder and his then partner-in-crime are believed to have ordered the hit. The two were also linked to another deadly shooting, of John Mieremet in Thailand in 2005.
Holleeder ended up back in a courtroom in 2006 linked with the deaths. At the trial, lawyer Bram Zeegers testified that Holleeder had extorted millions of euros from Endstra. However, just one week after the testimony, a drug overdose left Zeegers dead.
During the trial, another body was added to the count: linking Holleeder to the alleged involvement in the murder of a Yugoslavian drug dealer.
After being found guilty of extortion (yep, just extortion), Holleeder was sentenced to nine years in prison, of which he served six.
From criminal to celeb
Despite protests from politicians who didn’t want Holleeder to become glorified, upon his release, Holleeder jumped headfirst into the media.
First, he appeared on College Tour, a TV show that uses an audience of a few hundred people to interview high-profile guests.
Then, Holleeder collaborated with Dutch rapper, Lange Frans, to release a record titled Willem is terug (“Willem is back”).
Finally, Holleeder began to publish a weekly column for the Dutch general interest magazine Nieuwe Revu.
For the princely sum of €2,000 per column, the crime boss wrote about his daily life, experiences, and things he found interesting. Luckily, Holleeder never saw the money — the justice department confiscated it immediately.
Betrayed by his sisters
As Holleeder rose after his stint in prison, police kept a close eye on him — thank goodness. He became suspected of the extortion of Theo Huisman, the ex-president of Hells Angels Holland’s Amsterdam chapter.
In May 2013, a huge police sting with 450 police and army personnel was successful in nabbing Holleeder, but a trial against him was unsuccessful.
Two years later, Holleeder was again sitting in jail. Here, he was visited by his sister, Astrid, who was fearful that Holleeder would have her killed.
To help bring him down, she collaborated with the police by secretly recording his confession on a visit. Holleeder’s other sister, Sonja, who was married to Van Hout, also gave evidence against her brother.
Astrid’s fears were well-founded. Holleeder later had even more charges laid against him for allegedly ordering hits on Astrid, Sonja, and Peter R. de Vries, a well-known crime journalist and a witness against Holleeder in his trial.
Holleeder had allegedly solicited the killings from two members of a Curaçao gang, one of whom informed authorities about the plot. However, the gang member later recanted his confession, potentially under pressure from Holleeder.
Life in prison
At the ripe old age of 61, Willem Holleeder, Amsterdam gangster, was ordered in 2019 to serve life in prison. His official rap sheet included:
The fatal shooting of Sam Klepper in 2000
The murder of Cor van Hout, his friend, brother-in-law, and ex-accomplice in 2003
The death of Willem Endstra in 2004
The shooting and death of Kees Houtman, a drug dealer, in 2004
The death of Thomas van der Bijl, a family friend, in 2006
Tweet translation: “Holleeder behind bars costs society more than 89,000 euros per year”
Holleeder was also found guilty of ordering a 2002 attempted murder, and the manslaughter of Rober ter Haak who died of bullet wounds in the same attack that killed Cor van Hout.
Today, Holleeder remains behind bars.
Got a thought about Willem Holleeder? Leave it in the comments below!
