The Dutch central bank apologized for its involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the 1800s on Friday, the anniversary of the Dutch abolishment of slavery.
Klaas Knot, the president of De Nederlandsche Bank, said stories he heard in recent months “brought the suffering of the past and present very close to home,” adding the suffering slavery caused “is far from over” and warrants private sector action, according to a DNB press release.
“Today, on behalf of De Nederlandsche Bank, I apologize for these reprehensible facts,” Knot said. “I offer our sincere apologies to all descendants of enslaved people in the Netherlands, in Suriname, in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, in Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten. I apologize to all those who, because of the personal choices of many, including my predecessors, were reduced to the color of their skin.”
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DNB also announced several measures it is taking to “reduce contemporary negative effects of nineteenth-century slavery.” These projects include a fund for multiyear projects in fields such as education and healthcare, which will receive 5 million euros, or $5.2 million, yearly for the next 10 years in the hopes of boosting diversity and inclusiveness in DNB’s organization and being “more open” about DNB’s past.
The bank acknowledged its involvement in slavery between 1814-1863 in February, which included board members being personally involved in the slave trade and the bank paying compensation to plantation owners after slavery was abolished.
Last year, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema apologized for the city’s role in the slave trade. In April of this year, Dutch bank ABN AMRO apologized for historic links to slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to Al Jazeera.
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DNB has not responded to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
