The liberation of the Netherlands like you’ve never seen it before (coloured videos inside)

Each year, on May 5, the Dutch celebrate the day their country was liberated from Nazi occupation during WWII. This is known as Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day) — a national holiday here in the Netherlands. 🇳🇱

Throughout 1944 and 1945, several Nazi-occupied Dutch cities were liberated by the Allies. On May 5, 1945, an official agreement was signed on the capitulation of German forces in the Netherlands.

These days, the Dutch commemorate those who lost their lives during WWII on Remembrance Day on May 4, and the country’s liberation is celebrated on the next day.

To give you an impression of what the liberation of the Netherlands felt like, we’ve gathered four videos that’ll throw you right back to 1945! The best part? They’re colourised, which really brings the feelings of joy and relief felt by the newly-liberated Dutch citizens alive.

1. Haarlem

The city of Haarlem, located in the North Holland province, was liberated on May 8, 1945. In its early years, the city used to be a major trading port in the North Sea. Today, it’s home to blossoming tulip fields, art museums, and stunning cobblestone roads lined by gabled houses.

2. Nijmegen

This Dutch city was liberated between 17 and 20 September 1944 during the largest military operation enacted on Dutch territory: ‘Operation Market Garden.’

Earlier that year, Nijmegen suffered badly from an aerial bombardment on February 12, 1944, which left many of its buildings destroyed.

Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands, which is evident from its rich history. This historic footage shows the damaged city, battles of American paratroopers and liberated cheers of Nijmegen’s residents.

3. Zutphen

Zutphen is a Dutch town located in the East of the Netherlands. It was liberated from Nazi occupiers on April 6, 1945, by the 3rd Canadian division. Zutphen’s liberation took a lot of effort, as extensive fighting left many parts of the town in shambles.

Despite all the damage, modern-day Zutphen is known to have one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. It has kept its historical charm with beautiful historic warehouses, churches and courtyards.

4. Deventer

Deventer is a Dutch town located in the Salland historical region of the Overijssel province. It was liberated on April 10, 1945, and left destroyed after a brutal battle between Canadian liberators and Nazi occupiers.

This colourized video shows members of the Dutch fascist NSB party being forced into the crowd by armed resistance fighters. Dutch crowds can be seen parading along the streets of Deventer and mocking the newly-found traitors.

There you have it! These are the videos of Haarlem, Nijmegen, Zutphen and Deventer showing original footage of Dutch citizens being liberated from Nazi occupiers.

While there are many pictures of the Netherlands during WWII, colourised videos enable us to really feel the sense of relief, joy and freedom the Dutch experienced after almost five years of oppression and hardship.

If you enjoyed these videos, check out Rick’s youtube channel for more restored and colourised footage of other cities worldwide.

Have you ever celebrated Liberation Day in the Netherlands? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in May 2022, and was fully updated in August 2023 for your reading pleasure.

Feature image: Imperial War Museums/Picryl