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The King of the Netherlands has officially apologized for his country’s role in the slave trade, saying he was “personally and deeply concerned”.
After the 17th century, the country grew into a major colonial power with territories around the world, and Dutch slave traders traded with more than 600,000 people.
King Willem-Alexander called the practice a “horror” on Saturday.
The royal family did nothing to prevent this, he said.
He was speaking at an event marking the 160th anniversary of the country’s abolition of slavery – it was unclear ahead of the event whether the king would apologize for the royal family’s role in the practice.
In June, a new study found that between 1675 and 1770, Dutch rulers received the equivalent of 545 million euros ($595 million) in today’s money from colonies where slavery was enforced.
During his speech in Amsterdam, King Willem-Alexander admitted that “the monarchs and rulers of the House of Orange have taken no steps against it [slavery]”.
“Today I stand before you as your king and as part of the government. Today I apologize,” he said.
“Today I apologize for the apparent inaction.”
Accompanied by his wife Queen Maxima, the king acknowledged that he could not speak for the nation as a whole, but told the crowd that “the vast majority” of Dutch citizens “support the fight for equality for all people, regardless of race or culture.” “. Background”.
“After acknowledgment and apology, we can work together on healing, reconciliation and restoration,” added the king.
His speech was cheered by the crowd at the Keti Koti Festival – the country’s annual commemoration of the abolition of slavery.
In the 17th century, the Dutch conquered large areas in what is now Indonesia, South Africa, Curaçao and West Papua and became a major player in the transatlantic slave trade.
Thousands of people were trafficked from Africa to Dutch colonies in the Caribbean and South America – accounting for about 5% of the total transatlantic slave trade – before the practice was outlawed in 1863.
But in the country of Suriname, during an obligatory ten-year transition period, things continued, causing untold heartache and pain.
The Netherlands generated enormous wealth from the slave trade, and in the western province of Holland alone, a study by the Dutch Research Council found that 40% of economic growth between 1738 and 1780 was due to trade.
And several Dutch cities, including Amsterdam and Rotterdam, have apologized for their role in the trade.
But the country has taken the time to come to terms with its colonial past, and it wasn’t until 2006 that the history of Dutch slavery was added to the curriculum.