Orange-Nassau

Up to the present day the House of Orange-Nassau has a special charisma. Still, members of the dynasty provide the kings and queens of the Netherlands – a purely representative function that has nevertheless retained its fascination for many.

But who are the Nassau family actually? How did the family successfully overcome the numerous dynastic, financial and religious crises of the 16th and 17th centuries? And how did it manage to rise to become a dynasty of European importance?

In order to answer these questions it is essential to understand the House of Nassau as a family business. Despite the separation in different dynastic lines individual representatives of the House always acted in reaction to one another and were greatly depended on the success of the other one. It is especially the Dutch revolt against the Spanish sovereignty that plays a prominent role in the family history: Until today Wilhelm I of Orange (“the Silent”) is considered as the “Liberator of the Spanish aggressors” whose “act of heroism” has been deliberately emphasized by the family in order to justify its leading role in the Dutch policy.

In the Hall of Orange of the Siegerlandmuseum individual representatives of the House of Nassau are presented, focusing on their connection to the city of Siegen, their roles in the family business as well as their social rooms for manoeuvre. In this context, the women of the dynasty also fulfil essential functions: whether as the progenitor, as the initiator of a well-considered marriage policy or as the “enfant terrible” who points out the weaknesses of the dynasty and is neither able nor willing to fit into the tight family network.