Projects

Hindeloopen, July 1653. The Frisian coastal town is flourishing like never before. Though small in size, it plays a significant role in maritime trade. That summer, around eighty captains sail two or three times via the Baltic Sea to Scandinavia. They depart with Dutch products like gin and wool and return with the finest spruces.

The ships head north for two reasons. First, the forests on the European mainland have been largely depleted, but the Netherlands still requires vast amounts of timber for ship and shipyard construction. Second, the inhabitants of Hindeloopen are Mennonites, opposing war and violence, thus choosing routes free from piracy.

Hindeloopers sail with fluyt ships, characterized by their teardrop shape—narrow at the top and wide at the bottom—allowing for a spacious cargo hold. Notable are the loading hatches at the rear, enabling easy loading of timber into the hold, which has minimal internal partitions. Perfect for long logs.

The Heritage Department of the Municipality of Utrecht used to be spread across several locations. Since the relocation, all 38 colleagues now work together in one place—and not just any location: a beautiful building on the Plompetorengracht. For the interior design of their new premises, they enlisted the help of Ahrend Netherlands, who, in turn, called upon SDB Vitrinebouw for our expertise in display cases.

Waalsdorpervlakte, 1936. Researcher Johan van Soest and committee member Carl von Weiler of the Commission for Physical Combat Resources are conducting experiments with radio equipment. They notice that birds interfere with the signals of the special transmitter-receiver. For Von Weiler, this is a eureka moment. A test with airplanes later confirms their finding: the radar principle has been discovered.

It's October 22, 1934: Day Three of the London – Melbourne Air Race
The KLM aircraft, the Uiver, is en route from Batavia to Australia. The four-man crew, consisting of Koene Dirk Parmentier, Jan J. Moll, Douwe Prins, and Cornelis ‘Kees’ van Brugge, has secured an excellent position in the race. The Douglas DC-2 aircraft is even on course for a top finish. But then…

Middelburg, October 1, 1761. Captain Jan Menkeveld raises the anchors of De Eenigheid, a ship of the Middelburg Commercial Company (MCC). The 36 crew members are about to embark on their triangular journey: from the North Sea via the West African coast to colonies in the Caribbean and the Americas (West Indies).

When the wind from the east finally takes them from the Oosterschelde to the North Sea, cheers erupt. Off to Africa, where trade goods – including textiles, guns, gunpowder, drinks, and knives – are exchanged for ivory, gold, and enslaved Africans. The captain aims to engage in trade as early as possible because the farther south the trading spots, the more expensive the people.

Ultimately, with 319 Africans and 33 crew members, the ship sets course westward. Here, 299 enslaved individuals are sold to work on one of the many plantations, such as in Suriname, Berbice, and Essequibo. Loaded with goods from Africa and the colonies, De Eenigheid departs on December 19, 1762. Back to Middelburg...