Speaking of Research...

In trying to explain the incredible steepness of Dutch stairs to the set builder for The Diary of Anne Frank, I found this picture online - almost the twin of apartment stairs I climbed with my heavy suitcase in Amsterdam:

Photo borrowed from the blog http://www.jstevenwood.com/amsterdam.htm 

Notice the bicycle pump?  Those risers are about 10" high.  As an American architect I can only marvel, because these stairs would never be legal back home.  Then again, the Dutch look pretty healthy!