Genootschap Nederland Engeland

GNE offers you a great opportunity to share your interests with others

The Genootschap Nederland-Engeland is a Dutch society which aims at promoting friendly relations between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The British Ambassador is Patron of the Society.

The Genootschap (GNE for short) was founded in 1920. Most of the activities are organized by the nine GNE-branches. Their programmes and further branch details can be accessed by clicking the branch name in the left-hand column of this page.

As the branches enjoy a great deal of independence, their programmes show considerable variety; all of them, however, organize regular talks on cultural, historical and other subjects. The link Lectures above will give you an idea about the topics covered in the current season.
Each branch produces its own English language newsletter, the Bulletin, which comes out five or six times a season and is sent to branch members by ordinary mail.  These Bulletins contain information about the programme throughout the season, details on coming lectures, reports of past activities and other items of interest. Most branches also publish their Bulletins on this website.

Apart from branch activities, national events  are organised, sometimes by branches, at other times by the national committee.
 
Note for British Passport holders: Please look at `News` on this site.

 

 

Lectures

During the GNE lecture season, talks are given about once a month and unless otherwise stated, these are delivered in English. The visiting speakers are all experts in their chosen fields and their lectures are both informative and entertaining. They may feature different aspects of British life, arts and culture, places and people. Occasionally we are also treated to a traveller`s tale. Wherever possible, lectures are illustrated.
An overview of this year`s programme is given below. For more details on the talks please click talks. For the full programme with dates, venues and entry fees per branch, please click branches.
John Pilkington: A Stroll through the Axis of Evil
John`s talk is titled `A Stroll through the Axis of Evil`; Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran are in the news for all the wrong reasons. Starting in Beirut, John will unravel a picture quite different to the news stories as he followed a winding route via the Euphrates, the Caucasus and the Valley of the Assassins to finish on the Persian Gulf. John Pilkington has been called “one of Britain’s greatest tellers of travellers’ tales”. Read more...
John Gilroy: Tyger, Tyger or The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere
John Gilroy retired from his post as Senior Lecturer in English at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge in 2005, but still teaches in its department part-time. He also teaches for the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education on both its residential courses and its international summer schools for which he is a course director.
John has lectured widely in Britain and internationally for organisations such as The English-Speaking Union, ‘Inscape’ Fine Art Tours and for GNE. He specialises in literature of the Romantic period and has published on Wordsworth, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Philip Larkin. His latest book, ‘Romantic Literature’, for the new York Connections series will appear in 2010.
Read more...
Julian Paren: A photographic evening: The Antarctic Experience or The global climate change
Julian has a choice of three talks:
1. A photographic evening:  Going South  - the Antarctic Experience
2. The global climate challenge
3. Exploring the islands and western coast of Scotland
Read more...
Andy Thomas: Exploring Unexplained Mysteries, Global Cover-Ups and 2012 Prophecies
Andy is a leading researcher into unexplained mysteries and is the world’s most prolific writer on crop circles. His many books include Vital Signs, described widely as the definitive guide to the circle phenomenon. His newest and much acclaimed title, The Truth Agenda, explores the link between paranormal mysteries and global cover-ups.
Read more...
Lawrence Goldman: Dutch Connection in British History: Dutch Lives in the Oxford Dictionary of Nat Biography
The illustrated lecture uses the Dictionary as a means of exploring the historic connections between Britain and the Netherlands in both directions, examining the Dutch who came to live and work in Britain from the Reformation onwards, and Britons who visited the Low Countries. Read more...