Amsterdam city council apologizes

Openresearch editorial board

"We did not know that Amsterdam administrators played a major role in the organization and management of the slave trade. They were members of the VOC and the West India Company, and often also invested as private individuals in slave ships and plantations. A painful observation for a city that is proud of its long history of freedom and tolerance." (Femke Halsema, 2021)

In this collection you will find the speech by Mayor Halsema who, on behalf of the Municipal Executive, apologizes for the involvement of the Amsterdam city council in slavery. You will also find the investigation of the Municipality of Amsterdam into its slavery past and the book 'De Slavernij in Oost en West'.