Commemoration of the colonial past on Dam Square tonight: “It’s good that people are also thinking about this”

Almost everyone knows the National Remembrance Day, but the day before, another important part of Dutch history is also commemorated on Dam Square: the colonial past. With two minutes of silence and various rituals, in which everyone is welcome to participate. “Last year, people spontaneously joined the flag ritual.”

“I think it’s good that people are also thinking about this,” says a boy on the street. “Today there are many people living who have been directly influenced by that colonial past, including me. I am Surinamese-Creole.” The commemoration on Dam Square consists of two minutes of silence and various rituals from the cultures of countries colonized by the Netherlands.

The commemoration is expressly intended for everyone, said Foundation Chairman Rishma Khubsing on May 3 with a loving request. “We want the public to feel the suffering,” says treasurer Warsha Atwarie.

This became clearly visible last year when there were not enough people at the flag ritual – in which flags of the colonized countries are carried by people from the community in question. People who were present then spontaneously offered to carry a flag.

Research

In addition to commemoration, the foundation also conducts research. Atwarie: “It now concerns 51 countries where the Netherlands has been a colonizer.” And those countries are spread all over the world. “We don’t yet know exactly what happened there. There was a trading post in Iraq, but what was traded there? People?”, Khubsing wonders.

So there is still a lot to discover about colonial history. All 51 countries will have a place during the commemoration on May 3. It will take place at 6 p.m. on Dam Square, right in front of the palace.