Slavery

More than a million men, women, and children from Asia and Africa were enslaved and shipped to the other side of the world during the Dutch colonial era. Very little is known about their lives, but using a variety of sources, this book provides a portrait of ten people from this period. These individuals either suffered under the system of slavery, rose in resistance against it, or profited from it. The broad range of experiences reveals diverse facets of this essential part of the colonial history of the Netherlands while offering unique insight into the societal reality of the time. Designed by Irma Boom, the book is published in conjunction with an exhibition at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.