Nine lives were tragically lost. Their sacrifice echoes through time, leading us to the De Dokwerker. This imposing statue stands here on Jonas Daniel Meijerplein. It is a powerful tribute to the February Strike of 1941.
The De Dokwerker commemorates a pivotal moment. It was the only mass protest against the persecution of Jews in Europe. The strike did not prevent the deportation of 60000 Amsterdam Jews in 1942 and 1943. The tram workers who had joined the strike lost their courage. They drove the Jews to the station.
Amsterdam residents witnessed the first major raids on Jews in February 1941. The Nazis rounded up hundreds of Jewish men here. They were imprisoned as a reprisal against Dutch protests. Dockworkers and local authority employees decided to strike. They showed their outrage. They distributed posters calling on all Amsterdam residents to join. The response was huge.
On February 25, 1941, the strike began. There were no trams in the streets. Numerous companies remained closed. The strikers marched through the city. The Germans harshly suppressed the strike after three days.
The Communist Party of the Netherlands called for the strike. Their pamphlets demanded the release of arrested Jews. They urged solidarity with Jewish workers. Dockyard workers were the first to strike. Public transport workers quickly followed. The strike spread to nearby cities.
The Germans took harsh action on the second day of the strike. Many local authority employees were sacked. The city was fined 15 million guilders.
The De Dokwerker statue was erected in 1952. It commemorates the protest strikes organized after the round-ups of Amsterdam Jews. The strikes began after 427 Jewish hostages were captured. This was a German reprisal against Dutch protests. These protests included an attack on Coco’s ice-cream parlor. Members of the German police were sprayed with ammonia.
The statue stands in the center of Jonas Daniel Meijerplein. This was once the heart of Jewish Amsterdam. The Portuguese Synagogue provides a backdrop for the bronze statue. The statue depicts a powerfully built man striding forward with confidence.
The date February 25, 1941, is inscribed on the statue’s stone base. A longer dedicatory inscription is on the back. The statue was unveiled in 1952 by Queen Juliana, Prince Bernhard, and Amsterdam Mayor d’Ailly.
Sculptor Mari Andriessen was a member of the Dutch Resistance. He refused to join the Nazi-organized Nederlandsche Kultuurkamer.
The February Strike is commemorated annually on February 25. There is a march past the De Dokwerker statue. All trams, buses, metros, and ferries observe a minute’s silence. The event has evolved into a general protest against oppression.
As you stand before De Dokwerker remember the courage and sacrifice of those who stood up against injustice. Their spirit lives on in this statue.