Expatriate Exhibition: Share Your Story

Many expats have come through The Hague, calling this place home for 1 year or 10. A new exhibition featuring stories from all sorts of expats (and all sorts of eras), from diplomats and international employees to students and adventurers, will be on display in The Hague City Hall from 26 October to 14 November. Though October seems like a long way off, the Expatriate Archive Centre (EAC) along with ACCESS and the Municipal Archives of The Hague are collecting materials now.

Expats are a unique but diverse community filled with crazy stories of getting adjusted to a new culture and country. There is no doubt that The Hague is truly an international city, and this upcoming exhibition, provisionally titled “Expat History of The Hague,” seeks to showcase that. No matter if you arrived in the 1950’s or the 2010’s, being an expat can be tough, funny, rewarding, and exhausting—sometimes all in the same day. Through your letters, photos, blog entries, and emails, we hope to show how varied The Hague’s expat community is, that expat stories matter, and just how much expats have contributed to the city.

How can you help?

Do you have photographs, letters, or diary entries from your time in The Hague? We would love to see them! Do you know someone who lived in The Hague back in the’ 50s, ’60s, or ’70s? We especially need materials from decades past, so please get in contact. In English, Dutch, or any other language, we want to hear about your experiences in this wonderful city. Maybe you aren’t an expat yourself, but have worked for an expat organization or have strong connections with the expat community. Let us know about it! And of course, even if you don’t have anything to donate, please mark your calendar for this exciting exhibit.

“I like to live in Freiburg. But still after 16 years: each time I get out of the train at ‘Den Haag Centraal’ I am coming home.”

Do you know of an organisation that we should talk to?

In our search for stories and contributions, we’re talking to several of the international schools, churches with expatriate congregations, and other expat-related organisations, but we may have missed yours. If you think we should talk to an organisation that you’re involved with, maybe one that has old photos or interesting material from past events in the city, please contact us!

Who to contact?

If you think you have material that would be good for this amazing exhibition, or have any questions, please email events@xpatarchive.com. Submissions must be in by April 5.

Want to learn more?

To find out more about the organisers of the exhibition, please visit the following websites:
ACCESS: www.access-nl.org
Expatriate Archive Centre: www.xpatarchive.com
The Municipal Archives of The Hague: https://haagsgemeentearchief.nl/