A real Weesper spoon, with which you can stir your cup of coffee. A must-have for the Weesper, but with a message after the merger of Weesp with Amsterdam: According to co-creator Hans Burggraaff of the Committee for the Preservation of the Weesper Flag, the spoon should also be a reminder of one’s own identity, because that is necessary. “We have to stand up for Weesp,” he says.
The idea of a city spoon had been in Burggraaff’s mind for years. The merger with Amsterdam had of course been in the pipeline for years. It took a while before the Weesper GP ran into a silversmith who could actually do the task that was not easy.
That is how he ended up with Titian de Geer. The silver city spoon was made together with another silversmith Jacolien Rutten. The three of them worked on a design that included a beat in the spoon.
“The special thing about this silver city spoon is that it does not bear the coat of arms of Weesp. The coat of arms of Weesp hardly differs from many other cities,” says Burggraaff.
Unique monogram
The Weesper flag is adorned on the silver city spoon, because it does stand out. According to the GP, the flag is special because it contains the ‘unique’ monogram WS. “This flag was established by a resolution of the States of Holland and West-Vriesland on July 13, 1595, indeed with a V,” says the co-inventor.
Initially, the spoon is intended as a reminder of the takeover of Weesp by Amsterdam. Since March 24, the fortified city is officially part of the capital. The silver city spoon is above all a special reminder of this historic moment.
It is also a statement. The spoon should primarily point out to the Weespers their own identity and its preservation. Or as Burggraaff himself puts it: “We must constantly keep the identity of Weesp in mind. With that spoon we emphasize the importance of the local society.”
Calimero Thought
By this he means that the newest districts must continue to fight for their own place within the great Amsterdam. He realizes that this is the Calimero idea, but on the other hand, more than two months after the merger, he is already seeing developments in which Weesp really has to stand up for himself.
“We are treated as if we were having a party on Dam Square or at the Arena. At Orange activities or the Sluis en Bruggenfeest, which will take place again this year, we need professional traffic supervisors and other noise standards apply that we have to comply with.” is the example of the man who is also active for the local CDA. “We can no longer function that way. This is of a completely different scale and that is what the silver spoon is for. To say that we are certainly important and must continue to stand up for ourselves.”
Last Saturday, former mayor of Weesp, Henk Over de Linden, received the first official copy of the silver city spoon. From 1975 to 1986 he wore the Weesper official chain, and in 1990-1991 he was also acting mayor of Muiden. According to Burggraaff, Over de Linden has meant a lot to Weesp. “As far as I know, he has been the only mayor who has selflessly delved into the history of Weesp,” he reports.
High silver price
A total of 25 city spoons were made and they have all been sold. That despite the hefty price tag of 95 euros each. The fact that it is so expensive has everything to do with the high silver price. “It is certainly not cheap,” said Burggraaff. “But it’s nice that people find the spoon interesting.”
If you still want a silver city spoon with the Weesper flag on it, you can order this one. New ones are created when you sign up.