Het metalen kruis 1848 - 1881

Lutkie & Cranenburg made this print called ‘Het metalen kruis’, or The Metal Cross. The print depicts the decoration for participants in the Dutch Ten Days Campaign of 1831. This military campaign took place during the Belgian Revolution, after the largely Catholic southern provinces of the United Netherlands seceded to form the Kingdom of Belgium. The campaign aimed to reverse this secession, but ultimately the Dutch forces were unsuccessful. The Iron Cross, made of iron and decreed by King William I, was awarded to those who fought in this conflict. The medal is prominently featured in the center of the print, surrounded by Dutch flags and crowned with the text "The Metal Cross" in Dutch. The print commemorates a particular moment in the formation of Dutch national identity, marked by military action and defined by a specific set of political and cultural circumstances that continue to echo throughout Dutch society today.