United States: Brooklyn Conference organised by New Netherland Institute

From partnerships to the public
For the conference Bringing New Netherland Back to Breuckelen: Exploring Brooklyn’s Dutch Roots on 1 and 2 June, the New Netherland Institute (NNI) and New Netherland Research Center (NNRC) collaborated with the Old Stone House. With this event, the NNI is ‘taking New Netherland on the road’, partnering with local institutions to enhance public understanding of Dutch influence in their communities.

From history to imagination
The conference provided a broad range of takes on New Netherland. It included a keynote lecture and presentation on the Dutch Golden Age by Russel Shorto, well-known for his book The Island at the Center of the World. The various geographical parts of New Netherland were brought to light in presentations by Dr Charles Gehring (Director of the NNRC), Dr Janny Venema (Associate Director, NNRC), and Dr Dennis Maika (Senior Historian and Education Director, NNI). A panel of experts shared updates on new historical work being done. Dr Mosterman (Associate Professor of History, University of New Orleans) spoke about Africans in Brooklyn. Historical artist Len Tantillo showed his new work on a ferry landing linking Manhattan and Brooklyn. Archaeologists Anne Marie Cantwell and Diana Wall talked about their discoveries related to 17th-century Brooklyn. A panel of museum and historic site professionals discussed ways in which they ‘imagine’ Dutch Brooklyn.

The conference was supported as part of the Dutch Culture USA programme by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York and attended by Consul General Hogewoning and Netherlands Cultural Attaché Joost Taverne.