Gezicht op de Haringpakkerstoren te Amsterdam 1663 - 1664

Jacob van Meurs created this print called 'View of the Haringpakkerstoren in Amsterdam', capturing the bustling port city during the Dutch Golden Age. This era was marked by unprecedented economic prosperity for the Dutch Republic, largely fueled by maritime trade and colonialism. Meurs’s depiction of the Haringpakkerstoren, a tower associated with the herring trade, speaks volumes about the city's economic engine. The tower, however, stood on land reclaimed through the exploitation of both the environment and enslaved people, complicating its symbolic value. The busy harbor, filled with ships ready to sail across the globe, highlights the exchange of goods and ideas, but also underscores the painful history of the transatlantic slave trade and the oppression of indigenous populations. Although the tower was torn down in the 19th century, the print serves as a potent reminder. It urges us to reflect on the complex layers of history embedded in seemingly innocuous cityscapes.