The Three Wise Women

A memorial to remembrance, strength and our ancestors

In 2013, the Foundation for the Remembrance of Slavery (SHS), led by Diana Vlet and working with Mayor Charlie Aptroot, introduced the slavery memorial in Zoetermeer.

The plaque: The Three Wise Women

The memorial is called “De Drie Wijzen” (The Three Wise Women), a powerful plaque designed by Wonny Stuger, a Zoetermeer artist of Surinamese descent. It was officially unveiled on 1 July 2013 by former Mayor Charlie Aptroot and ceremonially blessed by SCV Wajonong, commissioned by SHS and its chair, Diana Vlet.

The plaque depicts three women breaking their chains. They stand proud and strong, with the quarters of enslaved people in the background representing the system from which they are freeing themselves. At the bottom are the poignant words:

“Do not let the past live on in the present.”

This message refers not only to historical slavery, but also to modern forms of slavery such as child labour, forced prostitution and exploitation under poor working conditions.

An ancestral story — the connection to Yaba

For Diana, the plaque has a deeply personal meaning. One of the three women represents her great-great-grandmother Yaba, a West African midwife from Ghana.

Her name means Thursday.

She was enslaved and taken to Suriname.

She was branded with the number 1180.

Yaba had a daughter with Mr Vlet, a radio operator from Delft. Their daughter Madeleine Vlet, in turn, had a son: Johannes Vlet, Diana’s grandfather. Johannes later married an Indigenous woman; their son Almax Vlet carried this heritage into the next generation.

Johannes was born into slavery, but his freedom was purchased in 1853, ten years before the official abolition of slavery. This family history connects transatlantic slavery, Indigenous history and the colonial realities of Suriname and the Netherlands.

It is this interwoven history that makes The Three Wise Women so powerful. It is a memorial to struggle, liberation, ancestral strength and resilience passed down through generations.

Do you recognise your great-grandmother in the plaque?

The plaque honours not just one family, but all the women who died, remained silent, fought, passed on their heritage and survived. Perhaps this artwork also echoes your own ancestors: mothers, sisters, daughters and grandmothers whose stories went unheard for too long.

How the plaque was created

The design was created by artist Wonny Stuger.

The work was produced in collaboration with artists from Social Sofa, known for their mosaic street furniture in Zoetermeer.

The project was led by Simone Kappeyne-Burgers and Johan Verstrate.

The plaque was unveiled by Mayor Charlie Aptroot and blessed by SCV Wajonong, commissioned by SHS chair Diana Vlet.