Utrecht announces slavery monument in city park

The city of Utrecht will erect a monument about the transatlantic slave trade in the Griftpark, the city announced. Artist Patricia Kaersenhout will make the monument, and the municipality will unveil it on 30 June 2023, during Keti Koti - the annual commemoration and celebration of the abolition of slavery in Suriname and the Caribbean parts of the Netherlands.

“The monument, called Flight and Resistance, contains a lot of symbolism and literally makes the raw history visible,” the city said. It's in the shape of a triangle, referring to the trade between Europe, Africa, and America. Atop the design are figures from African legend escaping slavery through a magical journey back across the ocean.

The Utrecht city council chose the location and design in collaboration with an art group, partly consisting of descendants of enslaved people. “About forgetting and remembering Utrecht’s slavery past. With this monument, we try to cleanse the poison from the bottom of our shared past so that the poison can no longer cause damage. The apology and the monument are the starts of a long shared journey toward mutual connection,” said Lucas Leroy on behalf of the art group.

Utrecht wants the monument to give space for an underexposed page in the city’s history. “The monument will become a physical place for remembrance, telling stories, reflecting on the past, and looking ahead to the future,” said alderman Linda Voortman (Diversity and Inclusion). “This monument increases historical awareness of our transatlantic slavery past and invites conversation. And that is important because if we know our past, we understand each other better, and together, we can continue to build a future in Utrecht where everyone feels at home. In this way, Utrecht is really a city for everyone.”