III.

History

The Hague originated as a hunting seat of the counts of Holland. It became the center of court life after William of Holland built a castle here in 1248, and in the late 16th century the city emerged as the Dutch capital during the revolt of the Netherlands against Spanish rule. It was under French control from 1795 to 1813 and again became the center of court life in 1815 with the establishment of the kingdom of the United Netherlands, which included present-day Belgium until 1830. The Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907 (see Hague Conferences) increased the city's long-standing importance as an international diplomatic and judicial center and led to the establishment here of The Hague Tribunal, or Permanent Court of Arbitration. Since the early 1970s efforts have been made to relocate some of the city's governmental functions to less developed outlying provinces. Population (2004 estimate) 468,400.