Dutch central bank chief apologizes for links to slavery
The chief of the Dutch central bank has apologized for the institution’s involvement in the 19th-century slave trade, the latest expression of contrition in the Netherlands linked to the country’s historic role in the trade in enslaved people
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Dutch central bank chief apologized Friday for the institution's involvement in the 19th-century slave trade, the latest expression of contrition in the Netherlands linked to the country's historic role in the trade in enslaved people.
The apology came at an event on the national day marking the Dutch abolishment of slavery and followed similar moves in recent years from municipal authorities in the major Dutch cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht.
De Nederlandsche Bank has acknowledged that it was involved in the transatlantic slave trade between 1814 and 1863 and even paid compensation to plantation owners when the Netherlands abolished slavery, including to members of the central bank's board at the time.
The bank's president, Klaas Knot, told a gathering in Amsterdam: “Today, on behalf of De Nederlandsche Bank, I apologize for these reprehensible facts."
He added: “I apologize to all those who, because of the personal choices of many, including my predecessors, were reduced to the color of their skin.”
The bank announced a series of measures including boosting diversity and inclusiveness in its ranks and setting up a 5-million-euro ($5.2-million) fund for projects aimed at reducing “contemporary negative effects of nineteenth-century slavery.”
Knot's apology came exactly a year after Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema apologized for the Dutch capital's role in the slave trade. In April, Dutch bank ABN AMRO also apologized for historic links to slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries.