The marble sculpture is called ‘Unity through two cultures’ and is designed by artist and sculptor Marnix Kemperman. The copper wire around the stone core will turn green over time and be absorbed by the marble. Kemperman was asked to create the artwork because he himself is of Indian origin, with a Dutch father and a mother from Indonesia.

The green copper colour is a reference to the 'Gordel van Smaragd' (Emerald Belt), the nickname for the Dutch East Indies – present-day Indonesia. 

This monument symbolises a shared, often painful history between the Netherlands and the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). It commemorates all those who lost their lives during the Second World War in Asia and in the subsequent period of decolonisation and violence. Soldiers and civilians. Men, women and children. Known and unknown.

At the same time, this monument tells a story of two cultures that became inextricably linked. Cultures that influenced each other, sometimes clashed, but also moved forward together. In many families, that history lives on, in memories, stories, customs, and traditions. Sadness and loss, but also resilience and connection, go hand in hand here.

The monument's form and meaning invite reflection. It calls for recognition of suffering endured, without distinction. It asks for respect for different perspectives and experiences, and for the awareness that freedom and peace are fragile.

By remembering together here, we build a bridge between past and present. We acknowledge that differences may exist, but that humanity connects us. This monument therefore not only commemorates what was, but also what can be: a society where remembrance leads to understanding, and where two cultures together shape a shared future.

Unity across two cultures. In remembrance, in respect and in hope.

This image is part of a walking route