Five years of approval of Amsterdam Mayor Van der Laan
Five years ago today, on October 5, 2017, Mayor Eberhard suffered from the effects of lung cancer. The city for the loss of one of the mayors once in the city. He was 62 years old.
Shortly after Van der Laan’s death, AT 5 O’CLOCK a look back at his life and his work. About Van der Laan’s famous such as in the early 1990s as party leader of the PvdA during a fierce discussion with an Amsterdammer live on the city channel: “‘Ah, fuck off, I live in De Baarsjes, where do you live?”.
And as mayor when Ajax became champion and supporters started to whistle when he came on stage at the ceremony: “I already had a season ticket for Ajax when most of you were still watching Sesame Street, in your pajamas!”. But also about his months as mayor and his famous last letter.
Mayor to the end
Van der Laan became mayor of Amsterdam in 2010, after having also been a councilor and party leader for the Labor Party in the 1990s. Van der Laan remained mayor of the city until about three weeks before his death.
In January 2017, Van der Laan announced that he was ill. He did that all Amsterdammers a letter to send. Briefly, he wrote about the prospects. “It seems that the diagnosis gives little for optimism.” He did, however, say that he would like to remain the mayor of the city ‘for a while’. Van der Laan also discuss that act, he does not allow himself to be treated in the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek.
“Take good care of our city and each other. Farewell”
Six months later, on September 18, Van der Laan wrote another letter to Amsterdam. published, he announced that he would lay down his genomes and bid farewell to the city and its inhabitants. “In January I wrote that I had received bad news from my doctors, but that I would remain your mayor for a while. I have done that with great pleasure in recent months. Your support has helped me enormously. could be read in the candid letter.
It was a great privilege to be in the most beautiful and sweetest city in the world. I thank you for the confidence you have placed in me, for your enlargement and for all the support and contradiction that you have given me over the past seven years. Take care of our city and each other. Farewell.”
Amsterdam in mourning
execution Van der Laan the city died intensely along with her. Gathered two days altogether he had announced his taken to lay down thousands of Amsterdammers themselves in front of the official residence on the Herengracht to express their support. He was applauded and sung. Van der Laan himself was unable to appear himself, but his wife Femke let it be known that he had heard everything and enjoyed it.
When Van der Laan died at the age of 62, Amsterdammers lost saying goodbye to him in the concert hall. There were long lines of thousands of people who give a final discharge to the mayor.
Immortalized in the city
After his death, Van der Laan was immortalized in the city in several ways. Artist collective Kamp Seedorf made a 8 meter high mural Damsko warrior with the well-known ‘take care of our city and each other’ text on Mercatorplein in De Baarsjes. Street artist Frankey also paid tribute to the former mayor. He placed on the facade of Paradiso a small bronze Eberhard van der Laan.
The GVBe to a new ferry Van der Laan. IJveer 63 was adopted by his family and baptized. And in collaboration with the Amsterdam Museum, the exhibition ‘The Most Beautiful City’ was opened, with a memory of the former mayor.
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