Immigration 

During the many religious wars in Europe in the previous centuries, large groups of foreigners came to Holland. The principle groups of immigrants were:

• the Huguenots from France (sixteenth century; c. 75.000 persons)
  
  
• military people and their families from the German regiments (sixteenth to mid-nineteenth century; tens of thousands of persons)
  
  
• Flemings and Walloons from what was once called Southern Netherlands and is now Belgium left their country in the last decade of the sixteenth and early seventeenth century because of the worsened economic conditions and later because of religious conflicts (c.35,000 persons).

The country of origin of immigrants is usually stated in the marriage and membership registers of Calvinist churches.

Related Resources:

Immigrants in the Netherlands, 1860-1960
A research project exploring different groups of immigrants to the Netherlands and how they have adapted to Dutch society during the period 1860-1960.

European Migration and Your Family Origins
A discussion of group migrations within Europe and how they may be significant to your genealogy research. By Donna Prezcha.

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