Verketend Beeld. De rol van Coevorden in het slavernijverleden

The exhibition opens up an underexposed chapter of history. Although Coevorden as a town was not directly involved, it profited from slavery and the colonial system for centuries. It asks what Johan Picardt, Drenthe's first historian, wrote to justify slavery, how far Drenthe was involved in plantations in Suriname, and what ties Coevorden had with the Dutch East Indies.

Visitors also consider the visible traces of the colonial past in Coevorden, such as the many references to Joannes Benedictus van Heutsz, and ask whether honouring a controversial governor-general is still fitting. The show also covers present-day consequences, from institutional racism and stereotyping to commemorating and celebrating the abolition of slavery.