On 25 March 2025 - that is, today - the book Wereldsteden van de Lage Landen: Stadsgeschiedenis van Nederland en België was published.
Several authors, including SHOC historian Anne Winter, recount fifty cities that were pre-eminent metropolises. Small or large, famous or forgotten, old or new, this book reveals how Dutch and Belgian cities embodied and fostered international intertwining. Bruges, for example, was an international leader in painting in the 15th century. Schiedam's gin trade was directly linked to the slave trade in West Africa. Kamerijk and Atrecht were hotspots for religious dissidents from all over Europe as early as the 12th century. And the construction of Almere was part of an international architectural revolution. In this way, the mini-histories in this book offer an entertaining and instructive look at both historical and contemporary realities.