We don’t often really think about how a place got its name in the first place. The same goes for ‘Kneuterdijk’ … where does this interesting name come from?
Already in 1539, the name ‘Knoeterdyck’ was mentioned in a letter, safely stored at the Hague Municipal Archives. So basically, the name and place are very old. Historians say the name ‘Kneuterdijk’ can be traced back to the Dutch verb ‘kneuteren’, which means using decoys – usually a common litter (‘kneuter’) – for catching birds. Back in the 16^th century, Kneuterdijk was probably home to a trapping device, for catching chaffinches. This place was also a dike, to hold back the waters of Hofvijver.
Titia Ex’s artwork called ‘A thin line’ is a reference to this history and the Dutch well-known expression which literally says: ‘sitting on the chaffinch rope’. Originally, people used to sit on the pulling rope that was used to close the trap and catch chaffinches ultimately. One had to be ready and alert to be able to perform a particular task at any moment. Today the Dutch expression is still used in political context: balancing vigilantly and delicately between different interests. Which we now find among the stately residents of the palace from the past and the present. Not only did kings and queens live here, Thorbecke’s constitutional reform was also realised at this palace. The Nazis claimed it in WWII and were tried in it after the war came to an end. Today, the Kneuterdijk Palace is the seat of the Council of State, an independent advisor to the government and parliament on legislation and governance and the highest general administrative court in the Netherlands.