The Oosterpark has a number of new or renewed elements. The National Slavery Monument has not changed itself, but the environment around it has been thoroughly tackled. As a result, it now lies in a lighter and more accessible place than before.
With an official moment where a ribbon is cut, the Oosterparkdag starts at the slavery monument. The entrance on the Beukenweg has been reopened, the planting has been renewed and a seat has been added. A satisfied vice -president of the Ninsee, National Institute of Nederlands Slavery and inheritance, grateful at the reopening.
Reopening on time
For Ninsee, the timing is especially of great importance, says Wendeline Flores: “It is very important for us that it would be well in time for the commemoration on July 1. So we are happy that now, on 1 June with the opening of the Keti Koti month, everything has been completed and that it looks beautiful and worthy.”
The monument became formerly Surrounded by asphalt and there were hardly any seats. The municipality removed the benches three years ago, because it became a hanging point around the monument. At the initiative of the Ninsee and the East district, budget became available in 2023, with the emphatic desire that a wide -born -designed design would soon be created.
For Jan-Bert Vroege of the daily management of the Oost district is a special day today. He supervised the project and thinks that the hanging nuisance will be a thing of the past. “Because the environment was a bit mistress, you get behaviors that you don’t really want,” he looks back. “It is now a place of light, air, space and color. A place where people want to stay, so then you also get different behavior.”
‘Environment more worthy’
Vice chairman of Ninsee, Wendeline Flores, joins herself. “What we hope is that by setting up the environment even more worthy and making even more room for the monument, that that use is really central to this part of the park,” she explains. “That this part of the park is really seen as a place for reflection, commemorating, for something learning.”
In addition to the reopening of the monument, more is celebrated in the Oosterpark. The first self -cleaning toilet block of the city is also open. In 2019, the Baas motion was adopted in its own bladder. He had to make more public toilets possible. The promise was that the first end of 2023 would be placed, but that date postponed several times.
‘Difficult process’
Now the moment is finally there, but according to Jan-Bert Vroege the delay can be explained. “You don’t buy such a toilet at the Ikea of a rack,” he says. “It has to be thought of what exactly we want, there are European procurement rules. In short, it was a difficult process, but this is the first of ten toilets that will be placed throughout the city.”
The day was also dominated by music, theater, workshops, walks and sports clinics. The music dome has also been renovated, there are new sports equipment and 75 new trees have been planted.