This Dutch city will not apologise for its role in slavery

It seems that each day, we have fewer reasons to be surprised by Geert Wilders’ popularity in the voting booth.

Today, the Dutch city of Hoorn has decided it will not apologise for its involvement in the slave trade. It will also not recognise its actions in the past, RTL Nieuws reports.

Following a vote held by the municipal council to decide whether Hoorn should apologise for its role in slavery, the council did not reach a majority in favour of apologising.

Hoorn’s role in the slave trade

To make matters worse, it’s not as if Hoorn can claim to have had no ties to slavery.

In fact, a study carried out in June found that the city played a very important role in the slave trade during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

According to the study, the city was home to a chamber of the VOC, which was also heavily involved in the shipment and trading of slaves.

READ MORE | What was the VOC? The Dutch East India Company explained

However, as RTL Nieuws reports, Hoorn doesn’t want to deal with “stadsgesprekken” (city conversations) about slavery and discrimination.

Who would have thought acknowledging the horrific crimes of the past would be so difficult…

What do you think of this decision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
Before becoming the Senior Editor of DutchReview, Sarah was a fresh-faced international looking to learn more about the Netherlands. Since moving here in 2017, Sarah has added a BA in English and Philosophy (Hons.), an MA in Literature (Hons.), and over three years of writing experience at DutchReview to her skillset. When Sarah isn't acting as a safety threat to herself and others (cycling), you can find her trying to sound witty while writing about some of the stickier topics such as mortgages and Dutch law.

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