3 ms·

Germany is a remarkably rural and insular country compared to the Netherlands whose foundational myth comes from bankers and merchants.

ButlerianJihad 3mo ago
Interesting story about Europe's medieval history, is that the bankers and loan officers and financial professionals were all drawn from a certain ethnoreligious community. And this intrinsic nature of being the foremost, and usually the only, bankers and financial professionals, who were essentially authorized to commit usury and extract interest from the populace... probably had a lot to do with their public perception, their lack of assimilation or integration into the prevailing local faith/religion/cultures, and their relentless persecutions, expulsions, and genocide. Nevertheless, all that ugly history doesn't seem like it's put a damper on their ambitions or status through the 21st century.
- torton 3mo ago
  That's the nice part about having your own country -- no more systemic discrimination or prohibition on owning land, or joining professional guilds, or having some king being upset about his debts and organizing a small confiscation of wealth. The ambition of keeping that country, however, is something that many people would rather deny that specific etnoreligious community.
  - hunterpayne 3mo ago
    In this case, the GP is talking about the Huguenots who are/were French Calvinists.
    - yostrovs 3mo ago
      From Wikipedia: "Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to late 15th centuries" The Huguenots really became a thing at the end of 15th century. They were named after Besançon Hugues (1487 – 1532).
    - ButlerianJihad 3mo ago
      > talking about the Huguenots Am I really now? That comes as a surprise to this GP!
aleph_minus_one 3mo ago
> Germany is a remarkably rural and insular country compared to the Netherlands whose foundational myth comes from bankers and merchants. There existed no "Germany" before the second half of the 19th century, only a list of various sovereign states.
- red75prime 3mo ago
  What about the German confederation? A list of countries with a governing body is a bit more than a list.

ButlerianJihad 3mo ago

Interesting story about Europe's medieval history, is that the bankers and loan officers and financial professionals were all drawn from a certain ethnoreligious community. And this intrinsic nature of being the foremost, and usually the only, bankers and financial professionals, who were essentially authorized to commit usury and extract interest from the populace... probably had a lot to do with their public perception, their lack of assimilation or integration into the prevailing local faith/religion/cultures, and their relentless persecutions, expulsions, and genocide. Nevertheless, all that ugly history doesn't seem like it's put a damper on their ambitions or status through the 21st century.

torton 3mo ago
That's the nice part about having your own country -- no more systemic discrimination or prohibition on owning land, or joining professional guilds, or having some king being upset about his debts and organizing a small confiscation of wealth. The ambition of keeping that country, however, is something that many people would rather deny that specific etnoreligious community.
- hunterpayne 3mo ago
  In this case, the GP is talking about the Huguenots who are/were French Calvinists.
  - yostrovs 3mo ago
    From Wikipedia: "Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to late 15th centuries" The Huguenots really became a thing at the end of 15th century. They were named after Besançon Hugues (1487 – 1532).
  - ButlerianJihad 3mo ago
    > talking about the Huguenots Am I really now? That comes as a surprise to this GP!

aleph_minus_one 3mo ago

> Germany is a remarkably rural and insular country compared to the Netherlands whose foundational myth comes from bankers and merchants. There existed no "Germany" before the second half of the 19th century, only a list of various sovereign states.

red75prime 3mo ago
What about the German confederation? A list of countries with a governing body is a bit more than a list.