William the Silent

Dutch statesman and revolt leader (1533-1584)

"Wilhelmus van Nassouwe", known simply as "Wilhelmus", is the national anthem of both the Netherlands and its sovereign state, the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It dates back to at least 1572, making it the oldest national anthem in use today, provided that the latter is defined as consisting of both a melody and lyrics. Although "Wilhelmus" was not recognized as the official national anthem until 1932, it has always been popular with parts of the Dutch population and resurfaced on several occasions in the course of Dutch history before gaining its present status. It was also the anthem of the N

public university in the Netherlands

assassin of William I of Orange

1550s war between France and the Holy Roman Empire

German count (1487-1559)

historical flag of the Netherlands