Artwork Data
Title
Monument Trekvlietplein
Artist
Year
1946/1947
Material
Natuursteen en brons
Artwork Location
Address
Trekvlietplein, Den Haag
City district
Laak
GPS data
52.07126241913, 4.3280580476074 View on map
Artwork Description
Text
At first glance, it is a curious mishmash. The three plaques and a large column at the entrance to the Municipal Works Yard of the Municipal Services Department at Trekvlietplein. Although they are neatly arranged, it is clear that they do not necessarily belong together. And that's right. Four monuments that were originally made for four different places in the city were brought together here in 2012. Each one is a memorial to municipal officials who died during the Second World War.
The first plaque on the left commemorates Cornelis Geerts. He was a gardener at the municipal park service. He was also a member of the resistance. The middle plaque is dedicated to 26 employees of the municipal electricity company. Jewish colleagues were murdered in concentration camps, others died during their employment in Germany. This memorial was designed by sculptor Gra Rueb. The third plaque commemorates 17 fallen employees of the municipal Gas Company. Here, J.H.C. van der Hoeven was responsible for the design.
The tall column, for example, is in memory of the seven employees of the Municipal Cleansing Department who were killed. Some of them were shot during raids, some died during the bombardment of Bezuidenhout. Like the first plaque, we do not know by whom this column was made.
Despite all the mergers and relocations of the various municipal services, all these memorials have been preserved. And even though most of today's employees of Stadsbeheer no longer know the fallen former colleagues personally, a memorial ceremony is held at these monuments every year on 4 May.