Godsdienst is the Dutch term for religion.
Knowing the religion of your ancestors is especially important before the introduction of the civil registration (in 1811 in most parts of the Netherlands). Since 1811, the civil authorities have kept records of births, marriages, and deaths, but before that period, church records are the primary sources for vital information.
Since the Reformation in the late 1500s, most people in the northern parts of the Netherlands have been Dutch Reformed. In the south and parts of the east, Catholicism remained the dominant religion, though Catholics were barred from public office until 1795. This map of the dominant religions in the Netherlands in 1849 shows where people were mostly Dutch Reformed (red) or Catholic (green).
Religion in the Netherlands in 1849: Red = Protestant, green = Catholic. Credits: Dimitri, Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA)
About Yvette Hoitink
