some might get stupified to know that the modern age of liberties, freedoms, reason and science started its real journey in netherlands.

from erasmus (15th century) who pioneered modern humanism to especially spinoza (17th century), who pioneered the philosophy in ration and logic over religion and dogma (therefore starting a dynamic that will create modern age of science) were dutch.

that is of course, discounting the countless dutch scientists and reformists.