Danzig -- History -- Relations to Holland

Relations between Holland and Danzig were especially close. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Holland was a major trading partner. In the 16th century many Dutch craftsmen, drawn no doubt by the prospects of work, settled in Danzig. Mennonites from Holland also settled in the area, mainly outside the city walls in the village of Schottland and in the swamp lands belonging to the Danziger Werder. These they soon drained, using Dutch procedures, and rendered arable. In addition degrees from universities in Holland, especially Leiden, became an educational goal of many of the sons of wealthy Danzig merchants. These sons returned with knowledge, views and tastes developed in that Republic. In the late 16th and 17th centuries the architecture of the city, the clothing of the inhabitants, the art displayed in the homes of wealthy merchants all reflected close cultural ties to Holland.