Welcome to The Hague - The Netherlands and to the 181st edition of the Forum Song Contest (FSC).
Theme: ‘The Netherlands: A Time for Peace’
Winner FSC February 2024
Congratulations! ^^
The Host city for this FSC #181-edition is The Hague - The Netherlands , Den Haag, is a city and
municipality situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the capital of the pro
vince of South Holland , and, also the country's administrative centre and its seat of government.
The Hague has thus been called the country’s 'de facto' capital though Amsterdam is the official.
With a population of over half a million , it's the third-largest city in The Netherlands , after Amster
dam and Rotterdam. The region is the third-largest urban area in the country. The Hague is the se
at of the Cabinet , the States General, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State of the Netherla
nds . Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands are in the city because of its factual importance
The Hague is also home to the headquarters of many Dutch companies, with Shell plc having ma
jor offices in the city as well . The " Royal Library of the Netherlands " is located there as well. The
Hague is known as the home of international law and arbitration. The International Court of Justi
ce, which is the main judicial arm of the United Nations, is in the city, as are other criminal courts
The Hague was first mentioned as Die Haghe in 1242 . In the 15th century , the name des Graven
hage came into use , literally "The Count's Wood", with connotations such as "The Count's Hedge,
Private Enclosure or Hunting Grounds" . The spelling "'s-Gravenhage" was officially used for the ci
ty from the 17th century onward. Today the city uses "Den Haag" in all its many communications.
Historically , the area was part of the Roman province of Germania Inferior & was close to the bor
der of the empire, the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes . In 1997, four Roman milestones were dis
covered at Wateringse Veld . The milestones indicate distance from a nearest Roman city, Forum
Hadriani, & the first can be dated to the reign of the emperor named Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD)
Little is known about the origin of The Hague. There are no contemporary documents describing
it, and later sources are unreliable. What is known is that the The Hague was founded by the last
Counts of the House of Holland . The family bought a site (current lake-area in The Hague) and a
court (a residence) was built and later turned into a ‘royal palace’ [the Binnenhof ( "Inner Court" )]
From the 13th century onward, the counts of Holland used The Hague as their administrative cen
ter and residence when in Holland . The village that originated around the Binnenhof was first me
ntioned as Die Haghe in a charter dating from 1242. At the beginning of the Eighty Years' War (ca
1566-1648), the absence of city walls proved disastrous, as it easily allowed Spanish occupation.
In 1588, The Hague became the permanent seat of the States of Holland as well as the States Ge
neral of the Dutch Republic . In 1806 , when the Kingdom of Holland was a puppet state of the 1st
French Empire, the settlement was granted city rights by Louis Bonaparte . When the government
started to play a more prominent role in Dutch society after ca 1850 The Hague quickly expanded
‘The Netherlands: A Time for Peace’
‘Dutch Culture: Tolerance, Freedom and Peace’
From a young age , many Dutch are taught to value and ex'hibit verdraagzaamheid ( tolerance ).
This involves respecting people's freedom of choice in their attitudes , beliefs , and individuality.
Tolerance continues to be most pronounced in the prosperous commercial/industrial centres in
the Randstad, which have attracted many people of persecuted religious, or political minorities.
The Dutch tradition of tolerance is readily encountered in Amsterdam perhaps more than anywh
ere else in the country . This attitude of tolerance has led to social policy that some may consid
er quite permissive. Indeed many Dutch are proud of the country’s progressive stance on social
-and ethical issues such as LGBTQI+ rights, euthanasia , soft drugs , and the freedom of speech.
A common Dutch motto is “doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg" , which means that it is
enough for one to act practically and modestly. This reflects the Dutch cultural tendency for prag
matism . People tend to be moderate and pragmatic in their reasoning and actions , rationalising
everything before proceeding with decisions. They try to avoid limiting themselves by always sea
rching for the ‘right way’ of doing something. Thus, they often seek out new approaches in a neut
ral manner and are willing to consider innovative ideas to find the best most pragmatic solutions.
Freedom and Peace are important for Dutch people as is the fight against injustice. This also me
ans the fairness in sentencing people who commit crimes, also on a national and international le
vel. The International Court of Justice in The Hague is a monument to the ideals of tolerance , fre
edom and peace and to the punishment of those who break these important values and pillars in
society . We live in an unstable world with conflict many places , & the people of The Netherlands
join peace-loving people everywhere in hoping for a better and safer future. It is a Time for Peace
After the 1850s many streets were specifically built in The Hague for the large number of civil ser
vants employed in the country's government (that resided in The Hague , though Amsterdam was
the official capital) and for the Dutchmen who were retiring from the administration of the Nether
lands East Indies . In more modern history , the city sustained heavy damage during World War 2.
After the war, The Hague became at one time the largest building site in Europe . The city expand
ed massively to the southwest , and the destroyed areas were quickly rebuilt . The population pea
ked at 600.000 inhabitants around 1965 . In the 1970s and 1980s, mostly white middle-class fam
ilies moved to neighbouring towns , and in particular to the place called Zoetermeer in the region.
In the 1990s with the consent of the Dutch Parliament, the city annexed quite large areas from ne
ighbouring towns as well as from not even bordering ones on which the complete new residential
areas were built & are still being built. Today The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea
The conurbations around The Hague and Rotterdam are close enough to be seen as a single one.
City life concentrates around the Hofvijver and the Binnenhof, where the States General of the Ne
therlands is located . The inner city has some small streets that might be from ca the late Middle
Ages, and several spacious streets boasting large and luxurious 18th-century residences built for
diplomats & rich Dutch families. The city also has 2 beach resorts, the main one is Scheveningen
The city has a City Hall (built as such), from the 16th century , several large 17th-century palaces,
and many important 18th-century buildings. The city is also becoming more student-friendly with
the introduction of a new campus in 2012 of Leiden University and is quite culturally diverse, with
many foreign pubs, shops and cultural events besides all general modern ameneties a city needs
The Hague has many museums , most notably the Mauritshuis ( which exchibits many paintings
by Dutch masters , such as Rembrandt van Rijn ) , the science museum Museon , the modern art
museum Kunstmuseum and the historic museum Haags Historisch Museum . Churches include
Nieuwe Kerk, the Church of St John and St Philip, Kloosterkerk, and the Heilige Antonius Abtkerk
City sights: Various skyscrapers (Hoftoren, Het Strijkijzer and De Kroon) , aforementioned Binnen
hof and Mauritshuis , Palace Noordeinde , Madurodam (miniature theme park), the Peace Palace
(see more below), Escher in Het Paleis, Panorama Mesdag, Scheveningen Boulevard and the Sky
View Pier, with the popular Ferris Wheel . The Hague has much to offer all its guests and visitors.
The Host venue for FSC #181 March 2024 is : the Peace Palace in The Hague , The Netherlands
It is an international law administrative building , that houses, the "International Court of Justice"
( which is the principal judicial body, of the United Nations ) , the Permanent Court of Arbitration
(PCA) , The Hague Academy of International Law, and the Peace Palace Library. The palace offic
ially opened, on 28th August 1913 . It is not usually used for cultural events , but they have made
an exception tonight , since this contest promotes friendly music competition, between different
nations in a nice peaceful environment . They are proud to host this evening’s edition of the FSC.
Our wonderful Hosts this evening are:
Sifan Hassan and Femke Bol
Sifan Hassan is a famous Ethiopian-born Dutch athlete , middle- and long-distance runner. She co
mpleted an unprecedented triple at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics winning the gold medals in both the
5.000 metres & the 10.000 metres , and a bronze medal for the 1.500 metres . She is only the 2nd
woman to complete an 'Olympic distance double' . She is proud to co-host this edition of the FSC.
Femke Bol is a famous Dutch athlete , track and field runner who competes in hurdling and sprint
ing. She specialises in the 400 metres hurdles, where she is the 2023 World Champion, and in the
400 metres , where she is the short track world record holder . She was European Athletics Rising
Star in 2021 & European Athlete of 2022 and 2023. She is proud to co-host this edition of the FSC
And we are now pleased to announce
The Opening Acts
Exclusive International Guest Appearances
Christin Stark (Germany)
Army of Lovers (Sweden)
-
’Roter Regen’
’Sexodus’
had already taken part here and even remember it doing top 3 or so 
