Last modified: 2000-02-23 by mark sensen
Keywords: ship's carpenters | netherlands |
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Translated from the Marine Museum of Amsterdam:
Flag of the ship's carpenters.For me this is new. After World War II and Netherland had been liberated there was a popular movement for 'bijltjesdag', to punish everybody who had collaborated with the Germans.
At the end of the 18th century times were very unruly politically. In 1787 Prince Willem V, the 'stadhouder', was deposed. Political arguments in Amsterdam were decided by fists. The Kattenburgerplein was the heart of the battle. Especially the 'bijltjes' (little axes), the ship's carpenters of the marine-wharf of Amsterdam, were very fervent supporters of the Prince.
So when Willem V, assisted by the Prussians, was reinstated as 'stadhouder', there was a big party of the 'bijltjes' on the Kattenburgerplein. The picture of Schultz shows the parade of the ship's carpenters. In front two 'bijltjes', who carry the flag, which is still being exposed in the 'Scheepvaartmuseum'.
Jarig Bakker, 4 April 1999
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