Heroism, heroes
We need heroes
to create a shared
past.
Identity
A hero falls off his pedestal
when a revolutionary
crowns himself emperor.
What remains is a hole in the
title page of a score
of a heroic symphony.
A hero is furiously
torn from his pedestal
and another, once disgraced,
lifted onto it.
New heroes are made
Temporary heroes serve
as symbols fora unity
that is not there.
A nation cannot exist without one.
Winnie Sorgdrager (Den Haag, 1948) was a member of the public prosecutor's office, most recently as public prosecutor in The Hague. She then served as minister of justice in the first government Kok. From 2000-2006 president of the Raad voor Cultuur and from 2006-2018 member of the Raad van State. She was a member of boards and supervisory boards of a number of cultural institutions, including the AskoSchonberg ensemble.