At a bit messy place with lots of traffic around in Amsterdam, I noticed this bench with decorations.
With a closer look it happend to be a donation of 18 municipalities on" Schouwen Duiveland", a part of the Provincy Zeeland on the south west coast of the Netherlands, to Amsterdam as a thank you for the help during the flood disaster of February1953. This has been one the worst deadly floods in our country when the dikes broke down with 1836 people losing their lives.
After the storm disaster, a major relief campaign was started up in our country. I must have been only 5 years old, but I can still remember a big truck arriving in our small street in Amsterdam to pick up furnitures and clothes for the people who had lost everything and that my parents gave away my white wooden baby bed.
After the storm disaster, a major relief campaign was started up in our country. I must have been only 5 years old, but I can still remember a big truck arriving in our small street in Amsterdam to pick up furnitures and clothes for the people who had lost everything and that my parents gave away my white wooden baby bed.
The lion is a symbol of the Provincy, rising up from the waves. The bench is decorated with the coat of arms of the different towns and villages.
As we have very bad weather here at the moment with storms and heavy rains, living behind a dike close by, I can imagine a little bit how it must have felt...
That would have been horrific Marianne. I'm guessing changes to the construction of the dykes were made to ensure that it doesn't happen again ✨
BeantwoordenVerwijderenTerrifying times.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenLove the lion!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWow, that must have been a horrible time. That bench is a nice memorial and a reminder of how people can come together in trying times.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIk ben er gewoon een beetje door ontroerd.Ik heb lang in Zeeland gewoond en voel me soms nog een Zeeuws meisje. Wat een pracht monument. Ik kende het niet. Het mag trouwens wel eens worden opgeknapt. Mijn moeder heeft ook al mijn babyspul weggegeven.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenDe foto is al een tijd geleden gemaakt, ik weet niet of de bank nog steeds op het Weteringplantsoen staat. Ze hebben daar een tijd nogal wat werkzaamheden aan de straat verricht. Het was niet echt een plek om rustig te zitten daar midden in het verkeer en vlak naast een tramhalte. Het had een betere plek verdiend.
VerwijderenIf it's hard for you to imagine , it's impossible for us.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThat flood was horrendous.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenA fine memorial
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThat was a terrible loss of life.
BeantwoordenVerwijderen