For our last day in the Netherlands, we visited the Hague, the political capital of the Netherlands and home to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. After the end of the second world war, these courts were created and housed in the Peace Palace located in the Hague to try those accused of genocide, war crimes, or to manage disputes between countries in the future after the Nuremberg trials in Germany took place. This entire court system is comprised of representatives from countries around the world and is a physical representation of the 16th sustainable development goal that aims to protect peace and justice across the planet. Sustainability in the Hague does not only come in the form of their own rain water collection system but also in the ability to manage relations between countries and keep the peace so lives are spared.
While visiting the Peace Palace, I purchased a book containing an essay calling for an end to all wars and the end of aerial warfare written in 1912 by an Austrian peace activist. When this book was written, she had not yet seen the planes and bombings that would come from advancements in technology during the first and second world wars. At the end of the book, there was a picture showing the true destruction of Rotterdam after the bombings of the second world war which was fascinating the see. The entire city was destroyed which can be seen in the photo below.
The Hague itself features many statues and monuments dedicated to Dutch history and elements of their culture. For example, Johan de Witt, the prime minister of the Netherlands during the Protestant Reformation, is pictured below in a statue and monument dedicated to remembering the impact he had on Dutch society. The Hague also features many orange flowers, decorations, and incorporation of the color as it is the color of their royal family who lives there and their national color because of this. The Hague is not only a representation of the peace the UN strives for or international relations but also of Dutch culture and history. What was also interesting to see was the incorporation of architecture from Amsterdam in the Hague as hooks on top of homes were included despite them being larger and having larger staircases to move furniture through than Amsterdam did.
