National Monument (Amsterdam)
The National Monument is a Dutch national monument located in downtown Amsterdam on Dam Square , opposite the Royal Palace . It is a monument made of concrete and travertine with a 22 meter high obelisk and a partially curved memorial wall, which was designed in 1956 by the architect JJP Oud and executed by the sculptor John Rädecker . The reliefs are by Paul Grégoire . The monument was declared a Rijksmonument .
The memorial is a memorial for the victims of the German occupation in World War II and a monument to liberation and peace. The sculptures symbolize war (through four male figures), peace (woman and child) and resistance (two men with howling dogs) and carry the message:
- "Never again!"
In the base of the pylon there are twelve urns with earth from the (then) eleven Dutch provinces and from Indonesia (the province of Flevoland did not exist when the monument was erected). The inscription reads:
- "Aarde, door het offer gewijd, seed brought uit gans het land, teken dead in verren tijd van heugenis en vasten band."
- ( Earth, consecrated by sacrifice, gathered from all over the country, a sign of remembrance and an unshakable bond until the distant past. )
On the inside of the wall is a poem by the Dutch poet A. Roland Holst , a friend of Rädecker.
In front of the monument are two lion figures - symbol of the Netherlands - by Jan Willem Rädecker , the son of John Rädecker.
The national monument is the focus of the Dutch national day of mourning ( Nationale Dodenherdenking ) on May 4th, when the Dutch king lays a wreath and observes two minutes of silence across the country at 8 p.m. It was inaugurated by Queen Juliana on May 4, 1956. During the rest of the year, the monument, also known as pijpie krijt (chalk pen) in Dutch , is a popular meeting place for young people and tourists.
In 1995 there was a stir in the media across the country when the monument urgently needed to be restored and a German company of all people won the international tender and carried out the work. The 54-minute film "Het Monument" was made in 1999 about the restoration.
In May 2007, further works were completed to make access easier for the disabled.
Until 1914 there was another monument, De Eendracht ("The Concord"), by Louis Royer .
Web links
literature
- Christopher Catling: The Netherlands . APA Guides, 1997. ISBN 3-8268-1336-7
Remarks
Coordinates: 52 ° 22 '22.07 " N , 4 ° 53' 37.48" O