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A30 world news
Diaranson 19 Mei 2021

New Dutch exhibition takes unflinching look at slavery

(AP) — The delicacy of one of the first ob- open to the general public until the Dutch lock- flesh torn off with red hot pincers while being
jects in new exhibition at Amsterdam’s Rijks- down eases further, possibly in June. burned alive,” Bonjasky says in the online narra-
museum belies its brutality. At the end of a tion. “Their severed heads would later be displayed
thin iron rod are the artistically interwoven Amsterdam had a significant role in the global slave on spikes as a warning.”
letters GWC — used to brand the initials of a trade — the stately mansions lining its canals at-
Dutch trading company into the skin of en- test to the fortunes made by Golden Age traders The “might” shown by Wally and the other en-
slaved workers. often with the use of slave labor. That history has slaved men “is still in my blood,” Bonjasky says. “It
led to calls for a formal apology from the current has been passed down through generations and is
The stark contrast between finery and brutality, municipality. one of the reasons why I was able to become kick-
wealth and inhumanity is a recurring pattern at the boxing world champion three times.”
museum’s unflinching exhibition titled, simply, “Well, apologies are in the air, absolutely. And I
“Slavery,” that examines the history of Dutch in- think that, with this exhibition, as a museum, what Another story in the exhibition that provides a glar-
volvement in the international slave trade. we are adding to that is that we bring this story in ing contrast to the horror of Wally’s short life is
the most honest way possible for us at the mo- that of Oopjen Coppit, the widow of Marten Sool-
Nearby, a huge wooden set of stocks and heavy ment,” said Smeulders. mans, whose father owned Amsterdam’s largest
iron chains and locks used to constrain enslaved sugar refinery, processing crops harvested by en-
people stands close to a small box, intricately deco- The Dutch show is part of a broader movement to slaved men and women in South America.
rated with gold, tortoiseshell and velvet celebrating re-examine colonial histories. In neighboring Bel-
some of the valuable commodities traded by the gium, the Africa Museum near Brussels re-opened In the exhibition, she is a personification of the
Dutch West India Company in the 18th century: a few years ago after a major renovation and shone wealth generated for a privileged few by enslaved
Gold, ivory and human beings. a light on the country’s dark colonial history in workers. In a full-length portrait painted in 1664
Congo. by Rembrandt van Rijn, she wears a long black,
The exhibit, being opened Tuesday by King Wil- lace-trimmed dress accessorized a pearl necklace
lem-Alexander, tells the story of slavery by drilling Germany is returning hundreds of artifacts known and earrings.
down into the personal stories of 10 people, rang- as the Benin Bronzes that were mostly looted from
ing from enslaved workers to a wealthy Amster- West Africa by a British colonial expedition. “That we’re able to use Rembrandt to speak about
dam woman. the history of slavery is really exciting and really
The 10 stories featured in the Amsterdam exhibi- new,” Smeulders said.
“We wanted to make the case, that this is a history tion span 250 years of Dutch colonial history and
that speaks to anybody in the Netherlands. It be- four continents — Europe, Asia, South America Oopjen’s second husband, Maerten Daey, also had
longs to all of us, so that’s why we chose a per- and Africa. links to the slave trade. Before their wedding, he
sonal approach,” Valika Smeulders, head of the Among the stories is that of Wally, an enslaved man served as a soldier with the Dutch West India Com-
museum’s history department, told The Associated forced to work on a sugar plantation in the colony pany in Brazil, where he kidnapped and raped an
Press. of Suriname. In an audio presentation, his history African woman called Francisca, fathering a daugh-
is narrated by former kickboxing world champion ter in 1632, according to church records cited in
The exhibition opens — belatedly and mainly on- Remy Bonjasky, whose ancestors worked on the the exhibition.
line because of the COVID-19 pandemic — at a same plantation. “The lives of Marten, Oopjen and Maerten are in-
time when scrutiny of many nations’ brutal colo- tertwined with the history of slavery,” Rijksmuse-
nial history has been spurred by the Black Lives Wally became involved in a conflict with the man- um Director Taco Dibbits says in an audio tour
Matter movement that swept the world last year agers of the plantation in 1707. He and other en- of the exhibition. “They owed their wealth to the
after the death of Black man George Floyd. slaved people fled before they were recaptured, in- slave labor in Brazil. It is an example of how the
School children will be able to visit the museum terrogated and executed. history of slavery and the history of the Nether-
beginning this week, but the exhibition will not Wally and his fellow escapees “were to have their lands are bound together.”

Hong Kong's new bishop wants differing views respected

(AP) — Hong Kong’s in- Chow, whose appointment the Jesuit order in mainland the June 4 anniversary of the
coming Roman Catho- won’t be effective until Dec. China, Hong Kong, Macau When asked about his crackdown in which Chi-
lic bishop Stephen Chow 4, will replace Bishop Mi- and Taiwan as China and the thoughts on calls to com- nese troops moved against
called for respect for dif- chael Yeung, who died in Vatican signed a landmark memorate the Tiananmen student-led, pro-democracy
ferent views as he pre- 2019. A Hong Kong native, deal in 2018 that gave both Square crackdown in 1989 demonstrations in Beijing,
pares to lead a diocese the 62-year-old Chow was sides a say in the appoint- this year, Chow said that killing hundreds, possible
that has been polarized educated in the U.S. and Ire- ments of bishops in the Chi- whether public commemo- thousands, of protesters.
by the city’s deteriorating land and is a school supervi- nese church. ration is possible this year de-
political situation. sor at the city’s Wah Yan Col- pends on legal requirements. He said that there are differ-
lege. China’s Catholics are legally ent means of commemora-
Chow said while he had “no only allowed to worship in He had participated in past tion. “I pray for all those who
big plan” on how to unify a The Catholic community in churches approved by the public commemorations in have passed in 1989, in all as-
Catholic community divided Hong Kong comprises about Chinese government, but Hong Kong, which last year pects, from all walks of life,”
since months of anti-govern- 404,000 people, or about many attend underground for the first time did not al- Chow said.
ment protests in 2019, he be- 5.3% of the city’s population. churches led by bishops loyal low public gatherings to mark
lieved that God wanted them The Catholic community to Rome.
to be united. is split between those who
see Beijing’s control over Chow said Tuesday that there
“Unity is not the same as Hong Kong as an attack on should not be the assumption
uniformity,” Chow said at the city’s freedoms, and pro- that Beijing and the Chinese
a news conference Tuesday, establishment figures who church are enemies since
one day after Pope Fran- prefer a less confrontational both churches believe in the
cis named him to head the approach. same faith, and should try to
Hong Kong diocese. “One Hong Kong’s largely pro- seek understanding together.
thing I’ve always mentioned Beijing chief executive, Car-
recently in schools is unity is rie Lam, is also a Roman However, he reiterated that
plurality. Catholic. the Latin Church does not
have a formal diplomatic re-
“We need to respect plural- Chow has headed the Chi- lationship with China, and
ity,” he said. nese Province of the Society therefore operates indepen-
of Jesus since 2018, and led dently.