National Slavery Monument, Amsterdam

The memorial to the victims of slavery in the Netherlands was commissioned by the Dutch government who chose the design of the Surinamese sculptor Erwin de Vries (b. 1929) in an international open competition. The ceremony to inaugurate the Dutch memorial in July 2002 made an entirely understandable political statement in asking Queen Beatrix to lead the ceremonials. However, the security felt necessary in the wake of the post 9/11 terrorism threat and the number of dignitaries drawn because of her presence meant that many local people of African descent, the very descendants of slaves whom the memorial was meant to be about, were denied entry to the Ostpark where it is placed.

In reflecting the need for national atonement, the Dutch failed adequately to represent local black aspirations and needs. As the first national memorial to victims of the slave trade in Europe the Dutch monument is an important marker and is already becoming a memorial site. When I visited in November 2002 it was festooned in floral tributes reflecting how already it has become a place where people come to remember their dead ancestors.

Alan Rice