Veere confronts its slavery past with new historical research and plans for action
The municipality of Veere has published a report detailing its historical ties to slavery, aiming to raise awareness and combat racism. Residents and visitors can now learn how Veere’s past connects to colonialism and the slave trade, with steps planned to address its legacy.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Researcher | Historian Dienke Hondius |
| Municipality | Veere |
| Report Title | Veere en het slavernijverleden (Veere and the Slavery Past) |
| Publication Date | March 23, 2026 |
| File Size | 16.6 MB |
| Collaborating Partners | Province of Zeeland, municipalities of Vlissingen and Middelburg |
| Knowledge Centre Involved | Knowledge Centre for Slavery Past (KCS), established end of 2025 |
| Next Steps | Structural financial contribution to KCS, council decision in November 2026 |
| Previous Research | Hendrik den Heijer (2023), Gerhard de Kok (2019) |
The municipality of Veere is responsible for acknowledging and addressing its historical role in slavery, ensuring transparency and education for its residents. This research aligns with broader regional efforts to confront colonial legacies and promote social justice.
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Read the full translated article below
Research into slavery past of Veere
The municipal executive of the municipality of Veere has commissioned research into the slavery past of the municipality of Veere. Historian Dienke Hondius conducted the research on behalf of the executive and presented it to the municipal executive of Veere. The municipality has made the research report public.
Deputy Tuk: “The executive finds it important to acknowledge the history of the slavery past, which also took place in our municipality. The executive wants to draw attention to what the slavery past has meant and still means for the enslaved and their descendants. This report gives the executive reason to increase awareness of this history among residents and visitors of our municipality. With the aim of building a future with the current and future generations in which we further eradicate racism and colonisation.”
Follow-up
The executive will present the report to the municipal council for discussion and will enter into dialogue with the council about the report and the follow-up steps to be taken. The executive is positive about the recommendations made by Dienke Hondius in her report.
Together with the Province of Zeeland, the municipalities of Vlissingen and Middelburg, the municipality of Veere is involved in the implementation phase of the Knowledge Centre for Slavery Past (KCS). This knowledge centre was established at the end of 2025. For the municipality of Veere, the Knowledge Centre for Slavery Past is an important implementing body when it comes to following up on the recommendations from the report.
In order to structurally implement the recommendations from the report, the executive has expressed its intention to make a structural financial contribution to the KCS. The municipal council will make the final decision on this in November of this year.
Background
Previously, the Province of Zeeland, the municipalities of Vlissingen and Middelburg had their own role in the slavery past investigated by historian Hendrik den Heijer (The slavery past of Zeeland, 2023) and Gerhard de Kok (Walcheren Chains. The trans-Atlantic slave trade and the economy of Walcheren, 1755-1780, 2019).
Because the role of the municipality of Veere in the slavery past was not sufficiently explored in the research by Den Heijer and De Kok, the Veere executive commissioned Dienke Hondius to conduct research specifically into the Veere role. In her report, she describes how administrators, merchants and residents of the current centres of the municipality of Veere were connected to colonies, slave voyages and the Middelburgse Commerciecompagnie.