Drawbridge Wilhelminaoord

In the past, this drawbridge spanned the Westerbeeksloot in Wilhelminaoord. Artist André Pielage has created a contemporary variant with the artwork 'Gathered Memory'. Old notes from the colony have been scratched into the bridge pillars, and on the announcement board a quote is nailed that refers to the contemporary social welfare state. The artist connects the past with the present.

The quote reads:

's-Gravenhage, Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Members of the States-General,

For five years now, the Netherlands has been struggling with the economic crisis. The effects are becoming increasingly palpable. Unemployment is rising, the number of bankruptcies is increasing, houses are losing value, pensions are under pressure, and purchasing power is lagging.

It is undeniable that people in our current network and information society are more assertive and independent than before. Combined with the necessity of reducing the government's deficit, this leads to the classic welfare state slowly but surely transforming into a participatory society. Everyone who can is asked to take responsibility for their own life and environment.

When people shape their own future, they not only add value to their own lives but also to society as a whole. In this way, the Dutch continue to build together a strong country of self-aware people. A country with a compact and powerful government that gives space and offers opportunities where it can and protects when necessary, so that no one falls through the cracks. Every Dutch citizen should have the opportunity to incorporate the changes that await us into their own lives. In the long term, the government is working on reforms that strengthen the growth potential of the Dutch economy and adapt our public services to the demands of this time.

The shift to a participatory society is particularly visible in social security and long-term care. The classic welfare state of the second half of the twentieth century has produced provisions in these areas that are unsustainable in their current form and no longer meet people's expectations. In this time, people want to make their own choices, shape their own lives, and be able to care for one another. It fits within this development to organize care and social services close to people and in a cohesive manner.

Westerbeeksloot
Around 1615, Jonkheer François van Westerbeek had this canal dug to transport peat from the Vleddervenen to the river Aa. Since 1818, the Westerbeeksloot has played an important role in the development of the colonies. Building materials for the new colonial homes and other buildings were transported over it. Other products also found their way across the water.

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