Thirty enormous 17th century group portraits from the collections of the Amsterdam Museum and the Rijksmuseum are brought together for the first time and permanently on display in the Hermitage Amsterdam. These "brothers and sisters" of the Night Watch are unique in the world and rarely seen due to their size. They show us regents, archers, and merchants from all different classes, backgrounds, and religions, standing shoulder to shoulder like brothers.

Together they illustrate the story of the collective citizenship that is so typical of the Netherlands. They serve as a reflection for us because of the relationship they had back then formed the basis for our modern-day standards and social interaction. Would you like to know why the Dutch attach so much importance to freedom and equality? The answer is hanging - in life-size form - on the walls of the Hermitage Amsterdam.