German in Netherlands

The German (High German) takes after the English the main place to the education in foreign languages in Netherlands. It takes, after a period of decline at the end of the 20th century, again increasing in popularity. [1] For many Dutch people is German third language, after English and Dutch.

About 70% of Dutch people has to a greater or lesser extent knowledge of German. Also living there 386,000 Germans in Netherlands. There are at least five universities where German can be studied, with approximately 800 students.

The German language is by Dutch people still often associated with the Second World War. But mainly because Germany after the fall of the Berlin wall has become ever more strongly economically, it also becomes more and more interesting to learn German. The other way around is also popular for Germans in order to study Dutch : alone in Münster there are more Dutch than German students students in Netherlands [1] .

German is required for many students in high school. So there is at least two years on the vwo taught German. In Venlo, near the German border, is a bilingual (German-Dutch) high school.