<strong>Remembering the Past: The Historical Legacy Behind the Dutch National Memory</strong> 

Remembering the Past: The Historical Legacy Behind the Dutch National Memory 

Written by Helge Moes

Photograph by Hannah Brunnschweiler

Our memory is defined by past events and by those that take place in what is history. History consists of different forms based on the heritage and nationalism of the individual’s country. In this essay, I consider my own historical background, which is Dutch. The Dutch celebrate their history with commemorations, such as King’s Day (Koningsdag, April 27th), Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag, May 5th) and other national commemorations. Currently, King’s Day celebrates King Willem-Alexander’s birthday, and Liberation Day marks the end of German occupation in the Second World War (1945).[i] These two days are remembered fondly and, therefore, the whole country is always found in a festive mood. Nevertheless, we do remember some less fond events in Dutch history.

For instance, the three national commemorations: National Commemoration of the Dead (May 4th), the National Commemoration (the end of the Second World War, August 15th), the Remembrance of The Flood of 1953 (February 1st), and the National Holocaust Commemoration (the last Sunday in January) memorise the victims who have fallen during the Second World War.[ii] As a Dutch person, I am proud that these traditions have withstood the impact of time. However, I cannot help myself but think of other instances that we would have to commemorate or at least shed light on regarding our shared history.

In primary school, in history books, we learned about the existence of the Vereenigde Oost Indische Compagnie (Eng. United East-Asian Company). At a young age, I came to the realisation that my Dutch heritage did not consist of the Second World War and Holocaust memorials solely. This memory is tied with fundamental topics such as slavery, discrimination, and racism. Therefore, the legacy of slavery and white innocence in Dutch colonial history is a complex and controversial topic which I hope to explore in this article.  

Thus, I will explore the reasoning behind the lack of commemoration for this tragic chapter in Dutch history by examining the concepts of slavery and memory, questioning the notion of white innocence, and considering the impact of this legacy on modern society. Furthermore, this context allows for a gateway to question the white innocence that emerged in the post-slavery period. Consequently, the literature of Wekker[iii] and Nimako[iv] will be considered as they cover historical and current concepts within Dutch history. Moreover, this essay is supported by self-reflexive views on the practices of slavery, primarily in South Africa. The article proposes how white innocence might be prevented by suggesting ideas on how to make the public aware of the Dutch slavery history as well. Finally, it concludes with a reflection on discrimination in today’s culture.

 

The Conceptualization of Slavery 

In the 1600s, Europe was considered to be the global domain of consumption, which led to the idea of expanding this domain and in turn colonisation of other realms.[v] Expeditions, such as the VOC-ship De Haarlem undertook to South Africa in 1647,[vi] stilled the hunger of collecting more resources. One of these resources were the indigenous inhabitants of the districts that were visited. For this reason, the idea of capturing, transporting, and subjecting the enslaved people to a legitimate business enterprise that was supported by the law at the time was realised.[vii]  

Furthermore, the colonisation of Africa evoked critical reflection, which led to the motivation to maintain a power relation. This notion sparked a conflict; the practitioners of enslavement saw their subjects as slaves or a trade commodity, whereas those who were enslaved rejected that status.[viii] Eventually, the conflict activated a sense of African nationalism and brought the decolonisation that ignited a post-slavery era in the 1950s.[ix] 

In Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, Kwame Nimako implores a re-evaluation of the conviction of slavery that, contrary to common portrayal, the enslaved did not voluntarily permit their freedom to be taken from them, since it went hand in hand with violence and racial abuse.[x] Slavery developed and eventually presented itself in a reinvented form. The Dutch involvement in the transatlantic slave trade was banned in 1814 due to declining profits and increasing international pressure.[xi] Slavery as an institution was formally abolished in the Netherlands and its colonies in 1848, with the implementation taking place gradually over 10 years, and finally being fully abolished in 1863.[xii] The end of Dutch slavery was influenced by changing economic circumstances, international pressure, growing anti-slavery sentiments, and the efforts of abolitionist movements and activists. 

In twentieth-century Europe, the public was only aware of the abolition in the past and the prevention of it in the present.[xiii] However, the change of the face of slavery is not being acknowledged. Dr Cain mentions the ‘three D’s’: denial, demands and distance as the manner in which the Dutch regard slavery history.[xiv] Therefore, the descendants of formerly enslaved people want to make the legacy of the European slave trade known.[xv] 

As a person of Dutch descent, I was confronted with this history when I personally visited Cape Town, where the history of slavery is more immediately evident than in The Netherlands. From an economic and political perspective, one can feel this when walking through the streets of the once-enslaved city. I was not aware of the fundamental experience and the scars slavery had left behind as a legacy in South Africa, such as Apartheid, which led to a clear divide between races in the country. In this case, history is perceived independently from an individual’s perspective. Therefore, distinct views gave birth to different notions of freedom. This is explained by Kwame Nimako as “parallel lives and intertwined belongings”[xvi] that in turn result in “parallel histories and intertwined belongings.”[xvii] 

 

The Questionable Innocence of the White Dutch 

Nowadays, when slavery is introduced in a discussion, the Dutch often disassociate and react in defence – that advocates that slavery was a widely accepted norm and that morals have changed within contemporary society.[xviii] 

In White Innocence: Paradoxes of Colonialism and Race, Gloria Wekker unravels the controversy of Dutch culture that denies racial discrimination and colonial violence.[xix] The book explores the concept of “white innocence” and how it has been used to justify and perpetuate racism and colonialism. Wekker argues that this innocence is a form of denial and evasion that allows white people to avoid confronting their own complicity in systems of oppression. An example of this is the ongoing debate on ‘Zwarte Piet’ (Black Peter) in the Netherlands. Her research contributed to the awareness of the Dutch media that portrayed the black race in politics and academia.[xx]  

In this case, white innocence is represented through the denial of racism and innocence of the character that supports white privilege. This is a paradox that emerged in the seventeenth century. The Dutch acknowledge the history of their fight for freedom against their oppressors and the emergence of a tolerant society, although slavery has been practiced during this period.[xxi] 

In 1863, the abolition of slavery by The Netherlands allowed former slaves to pursue a life outside of enslavement.[xxii] Many migrants came to The Netherlands to build families, yet racism still occurred in these times and has been embedded in today’s culture as well. An example of white innocence can be observed in the former Dutch colony in South Africa, where I personally experienced white people not being accepted in certain areas of Cape Town due to their skin colour, in areas such as townships. In this case, the white individual is portrayed as a victim, but the historical context argues differently. 

Furthermore, education is separated from the privileged private schools, where white students would attend classes, and public schools, where all races are put together in classrooms. This phenomenon can be traced back to when the white Dutch used to separate themselves from indigenous South Africans. In this case, the skin colour serves as a reminiscence of the legacy of Dutch slavery.[xxiii] Similar to the Netherlands, there is a presence of whitewashing of slavery history in South Africa. An annual memorial of certain events upholds the history of enslavement and an awareness of what the Dutch have done.[xxiv]         

In practice, the memorial is turned into a celebration and neglects the original meaning of remembering Dutch slavery history. Consequently, education should be more committed to spreading history and therefore make its display more accessible to the public. Organizations such as NiNsee and The Black Archives, should be provided with a bigger space to make the public aware of the Dutch past. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to these organizations for keeping future generations aware and shedding light on aspects of Dutch history that need to be remembered.  

 

The Remembrance of Dutch Slave History 

Rik van Welie, historian and teacher of humanities, advocates: “the public awareness of slavery in Dutch History has until recently been so limited.”[xxv] For that reason, I believe that multiple ways are to be considered to make the public more aware of this chapter in history. For instance, curation of Dutch museums on slavery should be critically assessed. “The further we get from Atlantic slavery the more efforts are made to remember it.”[xxvi] Therefore, Dutch colonial racism that is represented in museums should portray the postcolonial legacy of race, how it shaped the white Dutch identity and the manner it is embedded in the culture of the Dutch, as mentioned by Wekker.[xxvii] However, the manner should not insist on conceptual clarity, since every exploitation can be related to slavery, which will undermine the meaning of slavery itself.[xxviii] 

As a result, the impact of a tangible artifact combined with the memory that emphasizes the historical context is the most optimal way to present slavery in the Dutch colonies.[xxix] In Amsterdam, this is portrayed by the National Monument of Slave History (National Monument Slavernijverleden), which was created by Erwin de Vries in 2002.[xxx] The monument consists of three parts: the past (the dramatic history of slavery), the present (breaking through the wall of resistance) and the future (the drive for freedom and a better future). 

 The renowned Surinamese artist mentioned that: “the assignment was to deal with the past of slavery and the present and the future. From the past I made a chained slave group, from the present a slave being freed, and the big thing is the future: freedom in the belief that one day we will be completely free from discrimination.”[xxxi] The monument fulfils an important role in making the past visible. The annual commemoration on July 1st is an important moment for the Surinamese community in the Netherlands and people from the former colonies in the Caribbean. 

Since racism and discrimination has been embedded in Dutch culture, it is fundamental to make the public conscious of history. History should be diligently brought forward with both perspectives of the oppressed and the oppressor, to allow an objective understanding of history when someone is ready to acknowledge the concept of racism. As mentioned before, history is perceived independently. That grants anyone the right to express their opinion, however destructive it might be. We can only look forward to looking back at the past and I suggest doing that together on July 1st.

 

 

Endnotes

[i] Ministerie van Defensie. 2015. “Nationale herdenkingen – Tweede Wereldoorlog – Rijksoverheid.nl.” Onderwerp. Ministerie van Algemene Zaken. June 11, 2015. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/tweede-wereldoorlog/nationale-herdenkingen.

[ii] Ministerie van Defensie. 2015. “Nationale herdenkingen – Tweede Wereldoorlog – Rijksoverheid.nl.” Onderwerp. Ministerie van Algemene Zaken. June 11, 2015. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/tweede-wereldoorlog/nationale-herdenkingen.

[iii] Wekker, Gloria. 2016. White Innocence : Paradoxes of Colonialism and Race. Online Access with Subscription: Duke University Press. Durham: Duke University Press Books. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1216805&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[iv] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[v] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[vi] “Nederland wil helpen bij berging 372 jaar oud VOC-schip.” 2019. EenVandaag. September 10, 2019. https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/item/nederland-wil-helpen-bij-berging-372-jaar-oud-voc-schip/.

[vii] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[viii] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[ix] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[x] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[xi] Drescher, Seymour. 1999. From Slavery to Freedom: Comparative Studies in the Rise and Fall of Atlantic Slavery. Springer.

[xii] Drescher, Seymour. 1999. From Slavery to Freedom: Comparative Studies in the Rise and Fall of Atlantic Slavery. Springer.

[xiii] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[xiv] Mitchell, Mia, Marie-Anne Ricardo, Belma Sarajlic. 2014. “Whitewashed Slavery Past? The (Lost) Struggle Against Ignorance about the Dutch Slavery History.” Humanity in Action (blog). Accessed March 18, 2023.

[xv] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[xvi] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.: 189

[xvii] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.: 190

[xviii] Welie, Rik van. 2008. “Slave Trading and Slavery in the Dutch Colonial Empire: A Global Comparison.” New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids 82 (1–2): 47–96. https://doi.org/10.1163/13822373-90002465.

[xix] Wekker, Gloria. 2016. White Innocence : Paradoxes of Colonialism and Race. Online Access with Subscription: Duke University Press. Durham: Duke University Press Books. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1216805&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[xx] Wekker, Gloria. 2016. White Innocence : Paradoxes of Colonialism and Race. Online Access with Subscription: Duke University Press. Durham: Duke University Press Books. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1216805&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[xxi] Welie, Rik van. 2008. “Slave Trading and Slavery in the Dutch Colonial Empire: A Global Comparison.” New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids 82 (1–2): 47–96. https://doi.org/10.1163/13822373-90002465.

[xxii] Mitchell, Mia, Marie-Anne Ricardo, Belma Sarajlic. 2014. “Whitewashed Slavery Past? The (Lost) Struggle Against Ignorance about the Dutch Slavery History.” Humanity in Action (blog). Accessed March 18, 2023.

[xxiii] Mitchell, Mia, Marie-Anne Ricardo, Belma Sarajlic. 2014. “Whitewashed Slavery Past? The (Lost) Struggle Against Ignorance about the Dutch Slavery History.” Humanity in Action (blog). Accessed March 18, 2023.

[xxiv] Wekker, Gloria. 2016. White Innocence : Paradoxes of Colonialism and Race. Online Access with Subscription: Duke University Press. Durham: Duke University Press Books.

[xxv] Welie, Rik van. 2008. “Slave Trading and Slavery in the Dutch Colonial Empire: A Global Comparison.” New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids 82 (1–2): 47–96. https://doi.org/10.1163/13822373-90002465.: 49

[xxvi] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.: 178

[xxvii] Wekker, Gloria. 2016. White Innocence : Paradoxes of Colonialism and Race. Online Access with Subscription: Duke University Press. Durham: Duke University Press Books.

[xxviii] Nimako, Kwame. 2015. “Conceptual Clarity, Please! On the Uses and Abuses of the Concepts of ‘Slave’ and ‘Trade’ in the Study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.” In Eurocentrism, Racism and Knowledge: Debates on History and Power in Europe and the Americas, edited by Marta Araújo and Silvia Rodríguez Maeso, 178–91. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137292896_10.

[xxix] Wood, Marcus. 2008. “Atlantic Slavery and Traumatic Representation in Museums: The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum as a Test Case.” Slavery & Abolition 29 (2): 151–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/01440390802027772.

[xxx] Amsterdam. n.d. “Kunst en cultuur.” Webpagina. Amsterdam.nl. Gemeente Amsterdam. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://www.amsterdam.nl/kunst-cultuur/kunst-openbare/

[xxxi] Amsterdam. n.d. “Kunst en cultuur.” Webpagina. Amsterdam.nl. Gemeente Amsterdam. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://www.amsterdam.nl/kunst-cultuur/kunst-openbare/

Helge Moes (1996) is studying the Research Masters in Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam. Previously, he was an undergraduate Media & Information student and Erasmus exchange student at the School of European Languages Culture and Society at University College London. He wrote his thesis on building virtual communities on social media through the use of affordances during his traineeship as a Digital Transformation Trainee at the Digital Society School.  Besides media, science and technology, he has broad interests in (pop) culture, philosophy, history, film, psychology and business administration. At Inter, Helge is writing editor and takes care of pieces related to the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Hannah Brunnschweiler is first-year bachelor’s student of Communication Science. As of now, she does not know what specific domain she wants to study in but is curious about persuasive or political communication. In her studies, she enjoys statistics and conducting research. Outside of university, she enjoys going on walks, listening to music or reading. She loves being creative, whether that is through photography or learning how to play a new song.

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