Netherlands Cultural Groups

Many minorities, including Germans, Huguenots, Jews, Mennonites, Scots, Moroccans, Turks, and Surinamese have settled in the Netherlands. It is important to learn the history of the ethnic, racial, and religious groups your ancestor belonged to. For example, you might study a history of the Jews in the Netherlands, Germans in the Netherlands, or Mennonites in Noord–Holland. This historical background can help you identify where your ancestors lived and when they lived there, where they migrated, the types of records they might be listed in, and other information that will help you understand your family’s history.

Current minority ethnic groups include Moroccans, Turks, Spanish, Surinamese and Indonesians.

There are some unique records and resources available for most minorities in the Netherlands. These include histories, gazetteers, biographical sources, records of settlement patterns, and handbooks.

The Family History Library collects records of these groups, especially published histories. These are listed in the Place search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

NETHERLANDS – MINORITIES

NETHERLANDS, [PROVINCE] – MINORITIES

NETHERLANDS, [PROVINCE], [TOWN] – MINORITIES

Other sources are also in the Subject search of the FamilySearch Catalog under the name of the minority such as Jews or Mennonites. These are listed under:

NETHERLANDS - MINORITIES

Examples of these books are:


 * Blaupot ten Cate, S. Geschiedenis der Doopsgezinden in Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht en Gelderland: van Dezelver Ontstaan tot op deze Tijd, uit Oorsponkelijke Stukken en Echte Berigten Opgemaakt (History of the Mennonites in Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Gelderland). 2 vols. Amsterdam: P. N. van Kampen, 1948. (FHL film 1181871 items 3–4.)


 * Michman, Jozeph, Hartog Beem and Dan Michman. Pinkas Geschiedenis van de Joodse Gemeenschap in Nederland. (History of the Jewish Community in the Netherlands). Ede: Kluwer Algemene Boeken, 1992. (FHL book 949.2 F2m.)

The Family History Library also has several books about the Dutch in other countries. These are listed in the Subject search of the catalog under:

DUTCH – [COUNTRY or STATE]

For a fuller account of Jews, see the "Jewish Records" section.