A historical artefact: Dutch fire brigade search water for protestor’s pan

Members of the Dutch fire brigade spent yesterday afternoon in the Hofvijver searching the water for a cooking pan. Why, you may ask? Because the pan is now considered a piece of history. 

During last week’s speech by Mark Rutte in the torentje, loud whistling and bangs could be heard from outside. These noises came from a small group of protestors outside the building, who were banging pots and pans together. The group were demonstrating against the implementation of strict lockdown measures in the Netherlands.

One protestor was filmed dropping his pan into the Hofvijver, the small lake outside the government buildings, and it’s now wanted for a museum exhibit about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Klein lolmomentje bij de lawaai-#demonstratie tijdens de toespraak van Rutte. #WaitForIt #DasPechPanWeg #toespraakrutte pic.twitter.com/gnucV4K1PJ

— Sebastiaan Barel (@fotograafLdmVbg) December 14, 2020

An exhibition piece

The Hague Historical Museum would like to include the protestor’s pan in an exhibition about the coronavirus, Omroep West writes. A spokesperson for the museum, Martijn van Oostroom, told the news site that the fire brigade “responded very positively” to the museum’s request.

Van Oostroom explained that the museum wants to tell the story of the pan — and even the protestor. “We want to show the piece of history that is now being written about the pandemic in the exhibition. That is why we would like to add the pan, preferably with the story of the demonstrator.”

A lost artefact

Unfortunately, the fire brigade were unable to locate the pan. Van Oostroom speculates that the pan was taken out of the water later in the night. “Perhaps the owner himself later removed it from the Hofvijver, because it is not deep and the water is clear, so that is easy.”

If this is the case, the museum are appealing to the pan owner to grant them the pan for their exhibition, which they hope to open to the public when the time is right.

Well, do you know the whereabouts of this pot? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: Sebastiaan Barel/Twitter