The king talks about connection at the Achterhoekse Keukentafel

It was a king’s day of scent. From the gasoline of the motorbikes and mopeds that the royal family brought in in Doetinchem in Gelderland, of the flowers between which was danced, of the hay that scented through the sun on the route, of the shit of the two cows that stood there, from the food and the beer that was served on long kitchen tables, and from freshly cut grass.

But it was primarily a King’s Day on which the word ‘connection’ fell very often. Even before King Willem-Alexander arrived in Doetinchem, he spoke about « solidarity and sense of community » In a rare video message. This Saturday the king called a day ‘with two faces’ this Saturday. That of sorrow for those who will miss the Pope, whose funeral mass took place on Saturday morning and through which King’s Day started an hour later. And the face of pleasure – of which the more than 25,000, mostly dressed in the orange, were witnesses present in Doetinchem.

The king praised the pope because of his ability to « touch the core of what it is all about: love, humanity and looking after each other. » And King’s Day called Willem-Alexander « a day to meet ».

Naovational

That connection was not merely in his words. Doetinchem – and the surrounding municipalities – had already thought in advance that a sense of community was what they wanted to show the royal family and the Netherlands. « You look at each other here, » said Mayor Mark Boumans prior to King’s Day: naovational On his Achterhoeks.

That is not merely a phenomenon from this region, it also happens in other regions, in Friesland as Mienskip For example, historian Evelien Rombouts says by telephone. She did research into NaWeerschap in the Achterhoek. It has emerged as a term in recent years, she says, because « people are looking for a regional identity and wanting to distinguish themselves from other regions. »

« Now it might remind people of the advertisement of (the salads of) Johma or (political party) BBB. It comes from the time that the Achterhoek had many roads that were not hardened. You couldn’t » go « somewhere, you had to do it together. » Mutual help was then necessary, says Rombouts: « In that sense, Nablerschap was not a voluntary connection, but indispensable for a community. »

In the heart of the route on Saturday, three long kitchen tables are symbolized for this. This King’s Day had also started in Doetinchem, Boumans had told: at the kitchen table. When the king and queen were in Gelderland a few years ago, he and a local baker had hoped to be able to speak to them. That was not successful, so the city had only sent the royal couple an invitation.

And had already started saving Doetinchem for this three million euros in the holiday. « It costs a bit, but is also an investment in the region. Everything also gets a second life, we not only use this for the day itself. The trees and bushes go to a new -build neighborhood after this, » says the mayor.

Scrap

Everything has also been reused at the kitchen tables. The crockery has been « taken out of the closet. Everything has been borrowed, » says Stadsboerin Ellen Willems, who cultivates fruit and vegetables on an old prison site in the city and where people can sit down for food prior to the visit. « And our clothing is entertained, nobody is wearing anything new. »

At the Achterhoekse Keukentafel, she says, « everyone is welcome. You come through the yard, back, the shoes are allowed. All important decisions are made. » The menu says that laughter is laughed, joy and sorrows, and plans are made.

Naubschap is « coherence » according to Willems. She shows that on the basis of the stories of the four peasant women who are presented to the family. The residual products from the grower and the cider brewer go to the outdoor pigs of the other. And the cheeses of the fourth are on the tables of Willems. According to her, Naobschap is also that everyone helps. « Spontaneously offered people to scrap roots yesterday, » says the Stadsboerin.

While the Princes Constantijn, Floris, Maurits, Pieter-Christiaan and Bernard Argentinian inspired mini-citizens to the audience behind the criminal cracks, and their wives of small savory petit competition of root (Gelders), mozzarella (Syrian) and spinesses (gorga and all the princesses) and all the Princesses and the Princesses and all the gorgia and all the organic) and all the gorgia and the gorgia and the gorgia and all the gorgia and the gorgia and the gorgia) and the Organic) and the Organic) and the Koningziezie and the Organic) On.

Niek Prins of Foundation with your heart, who sits next to the king, later tells that he says the after -Eleship is also in what you do not see at this table immediately. His foundation helps lonely elderly people by ‘just ringing’, a number now eat. Something with « lots of garlic, » he says, and praises the Achterhoekse Bergkaas.

He points to his table companions, some comes from Ukraine. An older Ukrainian woman points to Caroline Busse, knocks on her heart and says « like my mother. » BUSE: « Share joys and sorrows with a cup of coffee and a cookie, that’s what it’s about filling in forms. »

She says that this day is an example of « mega naeerschap »: « Doetinchem as a city has involved all neighboring municipalities, and also the German region. » Brotherly walk outside the route, in the shopping streets, and indeed German agents next to their Dutch colleagues.

At the end, the king also thanks the many Germans who celebrate King’s Day, in German: « We see some eighty years of peace and freedom to us: friendship with each other. » He tells the Dutch that this King’s Day shows how you can « organize something beautiful with working, living together and binding together ». « Let’s hold that. Let’s do that every day of the year and show that we are a society. »

With the cooperation of Claudia Kammer

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