The Keti Koti path
3. Huize Deshima
(Havik 13, 3811 EX Amersfoort)
Havik number 13 was given the name Deshima by a previous owner, in 1976. Before it was named, it was a merchant’s house. The previous owner, on the basis of his interest in the VOC period, named the property after the earlier trading settlement Deshima (Dejima), in Japan. He even made a weathervane in the shape of a VOC ship.
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The trading settlement Deshima (Dejima) (1641-1859) was located on the island of Dejima near the port of Nagasaki (Japan). From 1641, the VOC had exclusive rights to trade with Japan, under specific conditions. One of these conditions was that Dutch traders were not allowed to bypass the island in order to access Japan. All of the trade had to take place via this location.
The name of Havik 13 thus comes from 1976, but how do we feel about it now? Would someone still name their house after a colonial trading post?
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Image; Archief Eemland, Johan Evers
