Learning About Sensitive History: “Heritage” of Slavery as a Resource

Abstract

The history and heritage of slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade are sensitive topics in The Netherlands. Little is known about the ways in which students attribute significance to what is presented as heritage, particularly sensitive heritage. Using theories on historical significance, we explored how students attributed significance to the history of slavery and its remnants while engaged in a heritage project that presented this history and these remnants as Dutch heritage. Using questionnaires, interviews, group interaction, and observations, we researched 55 students at a Dutch junior high school who visited a slavery museum and the National Slavery Monument. The visit reinforced the students’ ideas that it was important to preserve the historical remnants of slavery, primarily to remember that freedom and equality have not always existed and because these remnants are important to the descendants of enslaved people. Although the students gained insight into the ways in which significance is attributed to the history of slavery, they did not come to understand the lack of awareness regarding slavery in Dutch society. Although the visit stimulated critical reflection on the interplay between understandings of significance and identity, many students linked the heritage of slavery directly to a Black ethnic identity.

Keywords:

• history learning
• Dutch heritage of slavery
• museum education
• historical significance
• identity

Notes

1. ¹For a qualitative analysis of several heritage projects related to the history of slavery and the Second World War in the Netherlands, see De Bruijn (2014).

2. ²Due to budget cuts NiNsee terminated these on-site museum lessons in 2012 (www.ninsee.nl).

3. ³With the term “foreigners” the student refers to first- and second-generation immigrants. Currently, this term is often used to refer to Dutch citizens from non-Western backgrounds, such as Surinamese, Antillean, Moroccan, and Turkish backgrounds.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Geerte M. Savenije

GEERTE M. SAVENIJE is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Research Institute of Child Development and Education of the University of Amsterdam, 1001 NG Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Carla van Boxtel

CARLA VAN BOXTEL is a Professor in History Education at the Research Institute of Child Development and Education of the University of Amsterdam, 1001 NG Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Maria Grever

MARIA GREVER is a Professor in Theory and Methodology of History at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, and Director of the Center for Historical Culture, at Erasmus University Rotterdam, NL 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. She can be contacted at [email protected].