A collection of short scenes portraying highlights of Dutch history, from the Eighty Years' War to King Willem I's return from exile. This film was made to commemorate the centenary of the Dutch royal family.

The wealthy Alice Stanton is saved from drowning by Jack, a fisherman who sees her in the water. They get to know each other and begin a romantic relationship. This comes to an end when Jack realizes that the people will never approve of their relationship. He fears that their difference in social status will cause a scandal. He ends their relationship and breaks off contact. Six months later, Annie marries someone else. Meanwhile, Jack spends all his time at sea and is involved in a shipwreck. He is seriously injured and, just before he dies, he has a vision of Alice.

Boris wins a violin competition, and Countess Montjoie, an admirer, gives him an inherited Stradivarius on the condition that he comes to play for her regularly, as she does not have long to live. During one of those evenings, he meets Elsa, the daughter of the countess's handyman. They fall in love. One day, he leaves his mother to look after the violin, but when a fire breaks out, Boris has to go to extreme lengths to save the countess's violin. Fortunately, he manages to rescue the violin from the raging fire and is able to play a farewell serenade at the countess's deathbed.

An orthodox Jewish man refuses to accept the marriage of his daughter to a Christian man.

During his summer vacation, an artist falls in love with a Dutch girl. He finds a serious rival in one of the local fishermen, and when the opportunity arises, he does not hesitate to cause him serious trouble. However, the artist does not anticipate a third party, who not only rehabilitates the innocent fisherman but also reveals the artist's true nature.

A press release and a review describe a scene from the film: a skipper refuses to abandon his burning ship, despite his daughter's pleas. In a last-ditch attempt to save her father, the daughter jumps into the water and climbs onto the burning ship.

The guests at Count Otto von Trepow's East Prussian estate Gross-Ehrenfeld are Lord and Lady Ruthven, Mr Hendriks with his wife and foster-daughter Mariska, a gypsy they adopted years ago, Kundry, the fiancée of Otto's son Bernhard, and Count Stanislaus Larinski, who claims to be a Polish revolutionary wanted by the Russian government. A boating trip is organized but ends when the motor breaks down. While waiting for it to be repaired, the guests go to an inn run by Andreas and his daughter Käthe. Hendriks goes for a walk, sees the boat come back and that a man with a bent back leaves it. He notices that Kundry is afraid of Bernhard.

Annie falls in love with a circus clown, but her circus-hating father forbids their romance. Until a fire breaks out...

Merijntje Gijzen is a small boy growing up in Brabant, in the south of the Netherlands. One day, out on one of his walks, he meets infamous poacher 'De Kruik,' and the two become friends. De Kruik is in love with Janekee but she is more interested in the new village policeman.