The Scheldt is a transboundary river which originates in North-Western France and runs through Western Belgium and the South-West of the Netherlands. The Scheldt Estuary is shared between Belgium and the Netherlands. The Dutch section of the estuary is called the Western Scheldt, and is of vital importance as navigation channel to the port of Antwerp. Since the separation of Belgium from the Netherlands in 1839, the free navigation of the Scheldt and the maintenance and improvement of the navigation channel have been a bone of contention and legal controversy.

Andrew Carnegie’s quest for peace led to the founding of a wide range of funds and trusts. Shortly after the 1899 Hague Peace Conference had ended, William T. Stead, a British journalist and pacifist, and Andrew D. White, an American diplomat, convinced the Scottish-born American steel magnate and philanthropist to finance the ‘Temple for Peace’ that was to become the Peace Palace in The Hague. We have created a Library special on Andrew Carnegie in order to provide you easy access to our collection.