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The monument commemorating the transatlantic slavery past, entitled Remember Our United Beginning was designed by artist Buhlebezwe Siwani and standst on Lange Voorhout in the heart of the city's administrative center. Then Hague has thus gained a permanent place where the ancestors of the descendants who became victims of transatlantic slavery can be remembered and honored.

Siwani presents with Remember Our United Beginning a powerful and expressive monument that refers to The Hague's shared past and future. The work has a ground surface of 4.5 by 4.5 meters and a height of 2 meters. It was executed by Ronald A. Westerhuis of Studio RAW in Zwolle. Siwani uses a unique visual language. You look at a landscape from which several figures loom. The profiles of the figures are of descendants portrayed by the artist. The base of the metal platform incorporates texts and signs that refer to freedom, connection and identity. They refer to the history of the African diaspora. The artwork stands on Lange Voorhout at a spot where the history of The Hague as an administrative center can still be felt.

History

"By remembering and celebrating, we reflect on our history."said then alderman Bert van Alphen in December 2019, when the Hague City Council passed a motion to create a monument commemorating the abolition of slavery. Previously, the municipality has researched the history of slavery in The Hague, and in 2022 Mayor Van Zanen issued an apology. The monument is a follow-up step in recognizing the city's colonial and slavery past. The monument was created in cooperation with the Committee 30 June-1 July The Hague, and in collaboration with a large group of stakeholders.