[mpol]

In the Netherlands this topic cannot be mentioned in normal conversation, it gets ridiculed, it could never have happened. But when people from Russia talk about this, it is often with a bit of laughter about Western Europe and its idea of high culture.

This too seems like a very polarized discussion where we may never know to what extent it was true :)

[todorus]

What are you on about? It's not like this comes up in regular conversation. Us Dutch are perfectly aware of times were people wore hats. My father even scolded me, when I forgot to take my cap off at a funeral.