The Netherlands in WWII

The Netherlands during WWII was a very eventful place, although I am very glad I was not alive during that time. Being in Amsterdam and seeing a museum directly after lecture that demonstrated the Dutch resistance against the Germans made me appreciate the history that happened here 70 years ago. The Jewish museum we visited was very well organized and offered a great presentation on Jewish history and culture. Also, visiting Anne Frank’s house was very potent for walking that close to history. I can’t imagine how Otto Frank felt after getting out of the internment camp and walking into his empty home, knowing no one from his family would be coming back.

The Dutch resistance museum offered many visuals and testimonies of people who were involved. Students refused to sign a contract to show they will not support discrimination against the Jews. Some Dutch workers also went on strike to support their Jewish co-workers who were being discriminated against.

Figure 1: The statue commemorating the Dutch who died during the Dutch resistance. There's a lot of emotion seen on the statue's face, perhaps expressing the sorrow of losing one's life in order to stand up to his opponent, but the courageous character of the Dutch worker is also shown by the direct positioning of the body towards the Germans who eventually shot down all rebels.

The radio was a huge symbol of resistance during that time because it was used to communicate with the Dutch queen exiled in London, who gave military orders and hope during the resistance. However, 80% of the radios were confiscated and the Germans controlled what could and could not be published in the newspapers in order to influence public opinion. "Another major activity of the resistance was the production and distribution of an underground press, which was extremely important since Germans controlled all Dutch newspapers and radio networks (118)." These illegal newspapers and magazines came out to keep the news of the Germans real, so people knew exactly what was going on. Religion also played a huge role in giving the Dutch much needed hope in such a dreary time. Many people went to church and feel a sense of belonging in a community that shares a common suffering. A good number of Dutch even considered that prayer was their greatest weapon during the resistance. (This is ironic because the Dutch were very religious at one point in time, but not presently.) From my observation, the Dutch did their best with whatever resources they had at that time. If they had the military power to challenge the Germans and push them out, they would have, but after the bombing at Rotterdam, the Dutch did not want to take the chance at losing another major city, so they acquiesced to German demands and somewhat supported them. The Dutch who were in a position of authority would keep the peoples’ interest in mind and work for their interest. The only reason why they would stay in their position is so they can protect and represent their people, otherwise they would be replaced with a Dutch person who sympathizes with German interests, which is not what the Dutch wanted because they wanted to keep their identity and not become part of a greater Germany.

The Star of David that all Jews had to wear during the Holocaust struck me the most in the Jewish museum.  We saw pictures of Jewish children wearing the star visibly on their clothes, and it strikes me as to how much these people were discriminated against. Why do people have to go so far to enforce Jewish people not being allowed into public places? It’s ironic to even know that adults made the decision to do that, when that action seems so childish and immature, especially when the decision was made to terminate these people just because they were Jews. (People are so interesting…)

Figure 2: The Eternal Flame in one of the Jewish memorials we visited. Behind this flame was a list of all the Jewish  family names from Amsterdam who were killed during the Holocaust. It was a fairly potent memorial that evoked the eternal suffering the Jews endured up to their deaths in the internment camps.

The black curtains in Anne Frank’s house startled me the most because the quotes on the curtains accentuated the feelings of living while hiding: “In the day, we can’t even move our curtains, not even an inch.” The black curtain seemed to symbolize the fear the family lived with while in hiding and how their location will be revealed the moment that black curtain is moved. The pictures that Anne posted on her wall made her room more lively, which also symbolizes her feelings of confinement to a small area. She really just wanted to go out and breathe the fresh air as a free person. Before the Germans occupied the Netherlands, Anne "went to school, learned Dutch and lived the life of any other girl (119)" but after the Germans occupied "she was forced to move to a segregated Jewish school and had to wear a yellow Star of David." Going from a normal life to a segregated life in such an abrupt manner can really impact the feelings of a young girl coming-of-age.

Figure 3: Anne Frank's house from the outside. The building with the pole is her house.

Figure 4: Above is the only illegal picture I took when entering the museum of Anne Frank's house. The exact quotes written all over the tour of the house allowed the audience to experience the emotions Anne felt during the time of hiding.