Story 1 - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
The Rights Walk in The Hague will tell you about the particular aspects of rights and justice that relate to what you see en route. The central part of the Walk, City Centre,focuses on the oldest part of The Hague – these few kilometres could be walked in an hour, but you can take as long as you like enjoying the historic buildings, museums and cafés along the route.You can start at any location of the tour and select the places you want to visit.The second part, the International Law Excursion, will show you some of the places that have established The Hague’s worldwide reputation as a city of international justice and arbitration. At the end of this route, you will be at Scheveningen beach. You can either walk between the venues, rent a bike or take short tram rides. It's a great destination for both adults and kids.Walk along and experience the City of Peace & Justice.City CentreThis part of the tour will lead you along the origins of Dutch democracy, the scientific & intellectual discoveries of the Golden Age, the gruesome political murders of 1672, the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907, the Second World War and the persecution of the Jews (one of the few Jewish survivors founded the Wiener Konditorei), and present-day activities to counter discrimination, human trafficking and crimes against humanity.If time is no obstacle, you can visit one of the museums in this quarter: the Prison Gate Museum and the Willem V Gallery, the world-famous Mauritshuis with its Vermeer paintings, the Escher Museum or the Historical Museum of The Hague. The City Hall’s Atrium frequently offers interesting historical exhibitions portraying this ‘City of Peace and International Justice’. There are also plenty of places to rest and recharge your batteries, such as café De Posthoorn and restaurant Le Bistroquet with their remarkable political histories.Just behind the Filmtheater, you will find The Hague’s Chinatown, an area with many ethnic groups, temples, a mosque (formerly used as a synagogue), and more exotic restaurants than one could visit in a month. Just a few minutes’ walk from there is the extremely interesting Humanity House, an 'experience museum' initiated by the International Red Cross where you can see and feel what it is like to be in a war, a refugee camp.International Law ExcursionWith the opening of the Peace Palace in 1913, its sponsor, Andrew Carnegie, hoped to contribute towards the prevention of any major wars. It is now the seat of the International Court of Justice. There are guided tours at various hours of the day. In the wooded areas beyond the Peace Palace you'll find interesting monuments and beautiful residences, each with their own history. Further along in the direction of Scheveningen is Madurodam, a park hosting miniature replicas of hundreds of Dutch sights.In Scheveningen, you will find the Oranjehotel, where war prisoners were held from 1940 to 1945. You will also find the grand office building that houses the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, where Milosevic, Karadzic and Mladic stood trial; the modern architecture of the Nobel Prize winning Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; the Gemeentemuseum (Municipal Museum) and its vast collection including Mondrian; and the adjacent Museum of Photography. At Scheveningen beach, the prestigious Kurhaus Hotel has hosted such dignitaries as Winston Churchill and Mikhail Gorbachev.Tip! Download the Walk at home or at a Wi-Fi hotspot Bring earbuds/headphones; they make it easier to listen to the audio clipsSpecial discount: Upon presentation of the downloaded Rights Walk The Hague, visitors to Humanity House pay only € 3.50 instead of € 7.50. Rights Walk The Hague is initiated by Amnesty International, supported by Humanity House and developed by 7scenes.Translation: Alex Hamelers, Jane BemontVoice-over: Dawn Mastin
1: The Wiener Konditorei - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
Mr. Prager, who established the Konditorei in 1934. His grandson, the current owner of the Konditorei said: 'My grandfather learned the bakery profession in Vienna and came to the Hague to try his luck. It was a pioneer's step: there were few of coffee and pastry shops at the time.'The Hague has plenty of foreign restaurants. Nowadays half of the city's population is of immigrant origin, the highest numbers being from the former colonies of Suriname and Indonesia, and from Turkey and Morocco from where many 'guest labourers' arrived in the 1970s.
2: South side of the plein - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
3: Nieuwspoort Perscentrum - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
The Nieuwspoort advertises itself as 'a centre for freedom of speech'. Recently, it has become clear that this is not only an issue in foreign countries. Some Dutch politicians have said harsh things about migrants - and Islam in particular. Is this crossing the line? Judges have been very reluctant to rule that it is. Immigration raises many concerns about social and economic rights, such as: Aren’t foreigners entitled to the same social services as residents?
4: The Tweede Kamer - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
Among the many issues to have been addressed in recent years are the repression of the LGBT in Uganda, ethnic profiling in The Netherlands, political freedom in Cuba, Egypt and Turkey, the human rights responsibility of multinationals, human rights in Israel and under the Palestinian Authority, the protection of Christians in Pakistan, violence against women in India, threats to NGOs in Russia, the CIA’s “rendition” of suspected terrorists in Europe, and more.
5: Gedenkplaat Engelandspiel - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
6: Het Binnenhof - Den Haag, Trails of Justice Story Screen
Argentinian-born Queen Máxima is immensely popular in the Netherlands. Her father, Jorge Zorreguieta, is not. He was a cabinet minister in Argentina during the military regime of the late 70s and early 80s. An official Dutch investigation found that Zorreguieta must have known of the systematic killings and disappearances by that regime.Though he has never been indicted either in Argentina or in the Netherlands, he is not allowed to appear at official occasions where his daughter has a royal role. The Dutch royal family's relationship with human rights has often been a bit strained. As national symbols, its members are supposed to represent both the nation's humanitarian concerns and its commercial interests.
7: The Constitution Bench - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
Article 1 of the Dutch Constitution: “Each and every person who is on Dutch soil will be treated equally in equal circumstances. Discrimination on basis of religion, belief, political views, sex or any other ground is prohibited.” In early 2002, populist politician Pim Fortuyn created an uproar when he proposed to annul this article. He was anti-immigration and wanted to restrict the number of asylum-seekers, even though international conventions stipulate that a state has to take into consideration every well-founded asylum request. Fortuyn was one of the most controversial politicians of his generation, praised by many for his novel ideas, abhorred by others for his disrespect of the political establishment. In May 2002 he was assassinated. This resonated strongly in the Dutch political landscape, which had been without violence for a long time. Populist ideas have since become a major factor in Dutch politics.
8: Prison gate - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
The corpses of the De Witt brothers, Jan and Cornelis, hanging on the Groene Zoodje on the Vijverberg (c. 1672–1675), ascribed to Jan de BaenMurder of the De Witt brothers, by Pieter Frits (1627-1708)Gevangenpoort, Knights Room\n© Kees HagemanThe GevangenpoortThis tower held many famous prisoners, including Johann Sebastian Bach, who was imprisoned here for debts. Nowadays, the tower is a museum of torture instruments and prison paraphernalia (a visit is not recommended for young children). This torture would have been much to the chagrin of another famous prisoner, called Coornhert. Coornhert was incarcerated here in 1567. In his cell, he wrote the world's first systematic treatise against imprisonment. Prison makes no one a better person, he said. Let convicts do useful work and re-integrate them into society as quickly as possible. Coornhert's ideas were way ahead of his time. And apparently they still are….Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert, by Cornelis van Haarlem (c. 1587).
9: Lange Voorhout - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
The Council has two primary tasks, carried out by two separate divisions. The Advisory Division advises the government and Parliament on legislation and governance, while the Administrative Jurisdiction Division is the country’s highest general administrative court. The basis for these responsibilities can be found in articles 73 and 75 of the Constitution. Like the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Netherlands Court of Audit and the National Ombudsman, the Council is one of the High Councils of State. These are bodies regulated by the Constitution, which carry out their tasks independently of the government.
10: The Hotel des Indes - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
General Dwight D., Eisenhower, one of the many famous guests of Des Indes. Others included the Russian Czar Nicholas II, Paul Kruger (when he was State President of the South African Republic), exotic dancer and World War I spy Mata Hari, Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie, Winston Churchill and the last secretary-general of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.
11: Posthoorn Le Bistroquet - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
Among the frequent visitors of De Posthoorn was Queen Wilhelmina (reigning 1890-1948). She used to cross the Lange Voorhout regularly to visit the bodega. This photo, showing Wilhelmina leaving the Posthoorn in 1914, can be seen inside the cafe.History in the making: party leaders Dries van Agt (Christian Democrats) and Hans Wiegel (Liberals) in Le Bistroquet, photo published 17 November 1977.
12: Koninklijke Schouwburg - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
In 2013, ‘The Wannsee Conference’ was staged here: a dramatic reenactment of the adoption of Hitler's policy to resolve the Jewish question definitely. To the West, you will see the green of the Malieveld, a national venue for demonstrations. In October 1983, a one-day protest against placing new nuclear weapons in the Netherlands gathered nearly 400,000 people, which makes it the biggest demonstration ever to have taken place in the Netherlands.
13: Plein, North & East Side - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
14: Chinatown, joods kwartier - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
15: The Nieuwe Kerk - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
16: Humanity House - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
TIP: Upon presentation of the downloaded Rights Walk The Hague, visitors to Humanity House pay only €3.50 instead of €7.50As visitors to this museum move through the various rooms, they will be inspired, sometimes shocked or even frightened. An important feature of the House are the temporary exhibitions, always dealing with topics of social engagement. These have included fair trade, the architecture of refugee camps, heroine production in Afghanistan and working conditions in Bangladesh...\nThe House offers special programs for primary and secondary schools. It is also of particular interest for students and scholars in International Law, Journalism, Cultural Anthropology, Conflict Studies, Development Studies, International Relations and European Studies.
17: Madurodam - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
MadurodamThis 1:25 miniature park contains the landmarks of Dutch architecture where the miniatures and their stories come to life. It's named after George Maduro, a student from the Dutch West Indies who died in the Dachau Nazi camp in 1945. Profits from the park, which is one of Holland's most visited attractions, go to charities for children. The place is great fun, not just for kids, on nearly 18 thousand square meters. Whether you like airports, trains, harbours, sport stadiums or indeed monuments from the Netherlands' history of human rights: it's all there. Just look for the Gay Monument and Anne Frank House (Amsterdam), the first university (Leiden), the statue of freedom of education founder Comenius (Naarden) or the Academy where Europe's religious freedom was born (Utrecht).
18: OPCW - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.Normally, you are not allowed into the building that houses this organization. But the architecture (dating from 1998) is also interesting from the outside. Nicknamed ‘The Mushroom’, it is actually a design completely geared to the demands of a contemporary treaty organization. Also take a look at the monument, a structure of three tree-like shapes.You are nearer to a Nobel Peace Prize laureate here than you may have ever been: in 2013, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was awarded the prize for 'its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons'. Virtually all countries of the world have ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty that is administered by this organization. For more than one reason, chemical weapons have never been used on the scale that was predicted after the massive gas attacks of the First World War.Above: Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony 2013 in the Oslo City Hall.Photo: Jaime Reyes, Palencia/Demotix/Corbis
19: Yugoslavia Tribunal - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
This building looks like it could have been built for an insurance company. Actually, it was. Nowadays, court sessions can be witnessed from area for the public; check for times. The first international tribunal to be convened after those of Nuremberg and Tokyo, the Yugoslavia Tribunal was installed here in 1993. It is generally considered a success.Nearly all of those who were primarily responsible for crimes against humanity during the Yugoslavian wars (1991-1995), some two hundred people, have been summoned, indicted or tried, including President Slobodan Milosevic, Commander Mladic and the political leader Karadzic. Some have been sentenced to over forty years’ imprisonment, but others have been released for lack of evidence. The court has set an enormous amount of jurisprudential precedence. That is very helpful for the International Criminal Court, which, goes its own slow way towards justice for the entire world on the other side of The Hague.Amnesty International has a special office in The Hague for the Yugoslavia Tribunal and International Criminal Court. Amnesty urges governements to ratify the statute of the International Criminal Court.
20: The Film Theater - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
Entrance of the Film Theatre during the annual Movies that Matter Festival in spring.Movies that Matter aims to open people’s eyes for human rights and social justice. It uses film to promote the human rights dialogue, influence the public opinion and encourage people to stand up for human rights. Amnesty International is one of the main partners of Movies that Matter,Among those actively supporting Movies that Matter are the mayor of The Hague, Bianca Jagger and Vanessa Redgrave.The Festival's symbol: the butterfly.More about the festival: www.moviesthatmatter.nl
21: Municipal Museum - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
Municipal Museum of The Hague (Gemeentemuseum Den Haag) is among the Netherlands' best museums of modern and contemporary art. Built in 1931, the museum has been beautifully restored in recent years. Its collection includes international masters such as Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian and Claude Monet. It also has the world's finest representation of the international style known as, simply, De Stijl. The museum has a lot of material on war and the living conditions of people from all walks of life. A highly interesting section contains the models of ideal cities built by Dutch artist Constant Nieuwenhuijs, who tickles all your senses about what is good and important in life.The adjacent Museum of Photography has fascinating exhibitions also, some of which are devoted to the international tribunals in The Hague.
22: Town Hall - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
Watch the short video on The Hague's role as International City of Peace and Justice (courtesy www.thehaguepeacejustice.com)
23: Prison Complex - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
The prison complex can house hundreds of inmates, varying from ordinary culprits to those undergoing trial at the international tribunals (after being convicted, they generally serve their time in another West-European country). This is where former Serbian president Milosevic died in his cell in 2006. In the cells formerly known as the Oranjehotel (Orange Hotel), resistance fighters were imprisoned by the Germans during WWII. Many of them were tortured and some were killed. Of the 25,000 prisoners detained here, over 200 were executed and many more were transported to German camps. One of the Death Cells has been kept intact. It’s only open at certain times, but you'll always find the commemorative plaque next to the prison door at Van Alkemadelaan.'Het Poortje' is a small gate situated in the long exterior wall of the prison and has a green door. When the prisoners made their final way to the ‘Waalsdorpervlakte’, and more than 200 people did, they saw the dune landscape opposite the prison for one last time. After the war het Poortje was closed. Only during the annual Commemoration of the Oranjehotel it is opened so the participants can enter the prison complex.Next to het Poortje there is a plaque with the following line of poetry, written by Anthonie Donker: “Remember their last passage through this low gate, having offered their lives for freedom and justice. Continue their battle”.(source: Oranjehotel)In 1950 the Dutch Queen Juliana unveiled a plaque on the exterior wall of the Oranjehotel. This monument, designed by Albert Termote, expresses the unanimous spirit of the prisoners and reads “Zij waren eensgezind”, “They were unanimous”.The true to life relief symbolizes prisoners who, chained to each other, encircle a liberty tree. They are surrounded by a barrier and are amidst snakes who raise their heads.(source: Oranjehotel)The Death Books are four volumes with photos and biographies of 734 resistance people who have been killed in the war, during or after their stay at the Oranjehotel. The Death Books were compiled shortly after the war, based on the then available information on former prisoners of the Oranjehotel. The information is far from complete, but the books form an impressive monument for those who were killed. During the annual Commemoration the Death Books are placed in Death Cell 601. Normally, they are kept by the National Archives and can be read digitally at a site of the National Archive.(source: Oranjehotel)
24: Kurhaus Hotel and Beach - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
This large hotel, previously a bathhouse, is a German design from the 1880s. Monarchs and presidents have stayed here, including Nobel Prize winners Winston Churchill and Mikhail Gorbachev. The hotel has hosted performances by stars such as Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, Vladimir Horowitz, the Rolling Stones and many others. The hotel often serves as a venue for Red Cross events or international conferences on peace and justice.
25: East Indies Monument - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
This sober monument with its 17 bronze statutes and a large bell, installed in 1988, commemorates all of those who were victimized by the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies from 1941 to 1945. Although the conditions in the camps here were not equal to the mass atrocities of the Nazi camps in Europe, life was harsh and humiliating, starvation and execution were a daily threat. Post-war Japan has gone quite a way in offering compensation and apologies. After the war, Dutch 'policing' campaigns attempted to suppress the independence movement here. Once again, gruesome acts were committed on both sides, a past that has proven difficult to reconcile.
26: The Peace Palace - Den Haag, Trails of Justice
The Peace PalaceThe idea for this building originated at the Hague Peace Conference of 1899, where many heads of states were gathered. The ultra-rich American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie provided the money. In 1913, the seat of the Permanent Court of Arbitration opened – in order to prevent all war from then on. The palace also hosts the International Court of Justice, where states are brought to trial. One of its verdicts is that the barrier that Israel has built around its borders is partly illegal. Human rights issues are part and parcel of the Court's dealings, such as Nicaragua’s charges against the United States during the bellicose Reagan era, and the case brought by Bosnia against Serbia. The library is one of the palace’s hidden treasures. It safeguards innumerable books and documents, the official sound recordings of the 1945-1946 Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders. You can queue up for a guided tour of the palace.
