A symbol of racism in the Netherlands?

the Golden car It was a gift from the inhabitants of Amsterdam to Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in 1898. Today it is a reflection of social development and debate on the colonial past Dutch: one of his panels shows a white woman on a throne surrounded by slaves to lay gifts at his feet.

The controversial around this historic piece led to the kings Guillermo Alejandro and Maxima, who kept this car safe in the Royal Stables of The Hague, to temporarily renounce its use.

The reason: the debate over his walks in the streets of a car where slavery is glorified in each Princes’ Day, the day the Dutch government presents the annual budgets and begins the political year.

The tank, called Gouden Koets in Dutch, It is on display from this weekend until February 2022 at the Amsterdam museum.

It is not clear if the kings of the Netherlands intend to use it again at the end of the exhibition, a complicated decision they will have to make under the pressure of the debate on the role of slavery in Holland.

Debate in the country

Margriet Schavemaker, artistic director of the Amsterdam museum, stressed that this exhibition is “a response to the social debate” which will allow society “to approach the carriage from all angles, both literally and figuratively”.

In addition, it will give “space for all the different perspectives, stories and opinions, both known and lesser known,” he added.

“Visitors can create their own knowledgeable opinions about the car,” the official noted.

This piece was a gift from Amsterdam to Wilhelmina at the end of the 19th century and many inhabitants of the Dutch capital contributed to its construction: the pillows are embroidered by orphan girls who resided in the orphanage housed in the same building that now houses the Amsterdam Museum.

A restoration that lasted 5 years

For the first time since its manufacture, it has undergone a restoration: Dutch and foreign specialists they took it apart completely, examined every part and they did the necessary work on wood and leather, textiles, wheels and gold paint.

The cosmetic operation required five years of work and 1.2 million euros, who were in charge of the Royal Household.

The important starting point of the restoration was that the cart can be used safely as a car in the future, while preserving its historical value as an artistic objective.

This artistic restoration included the debate on what to do with one of its faces, “Homage to the colonies”, where a white woman is depicted seated on a throne and surrounded by blacks who bow before her.

Before starting the restoration in 2016, the social debate about what to do with the controversial panel had already started: the most critical believed that, glorifying slavery, the car should no longer be used and the panel must be replaced by another.

The position of King William

The king, on the contrary, argued that the Gouden Koets should be restored to its original state “as part of cultural heritage Dutch “because” we are not going to rewrite history “.

Guillermo Alejandro has chosen to also get involved in the exhibition and personally went to inaugurate the exhibit, which can be seen in a glass enclosure in the courtyard for eight months.

But the monarch left key questions unanswered: Will the Dutch ever see him again on the streets and at heir-to-the-throne weddings as they have for over a century?

There are those who defend to stop using it, but not because of the controversial panel but because it is an art object that has been the subject of a million dollar restoration and should not ride in the rain, or risk getting thrown, for example, a paint bucket that requires you to undergo new work catering.

The Dutch Parliament itself is divided over the future of the Gouden Koets.

The left parties and the progressive D66 believe that this room is where it belongs, a museum; the extreme right insists that the king return to get in the car; and right-wing liberals, like those of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, are not clear.

But that’s also part of the ongoing debate.

At the end of 2019, the Amsterdam Museum stopped using the term ‘golden age’ to refer to the artistic period of the 17th century in the Netherlands, considering that it does not reflect many negative aspects that arose during this period. period, such as poverty, war, forced labor and human trafficking.

Source: EFE

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