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This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II. Although it has been almost a century, the war left an indelible impact on the Netherlands.
In honour of Remembrance Day (tomorrow), we’ve put together a photo report looking at the war through a Dutch lens. The images are a reminder that history this heavy doesn’t stay in the past: it lives in streets, faces, and stories that still echo today.
Dutch soldiers on guard shortly after the war started, around 1939
The bombed-out centre of Rotterdam after the Blitz
The German army in Amsterdam, 1940
The destruction of Nijmegen, 1944
Street scene in Amsterdam, 1944
Soldiers handing out chocolate to Dutch children, 1944
Queen Wilhelmina inspecting troops somewhere near Eindhoven, around 1944-1945
The bombing of the Bezuidenhout area in the Hague, 1945
Canadian troops pass by a windmill close to Holten, 1945
Sherman tanks advancing through Valkenswaard, 1945
Public shaming of Nazi collaborators, 1945
Canadian soldiers with Dutch children, 1945
The Queen speaking to locals, 1945
German prisoners of war in Venlo, 1945
Dutch citizens and Canadian soldiers celebrate the liberation
READ MORE | 7 unmissable movies about the Netherlands in WWII
To learn more about World War II in the Netherlands, read about Remembrance Day, Liberation Day, and the infamous Rotterdam Blitz.
What photos surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!
Feature Image: Lt. D. Guravitch/Wikimedia Commons/Public domain
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What a great article. Although I was very young during the war it left a lasting expression
I particularly remember the Canadian soldiers who dealt out chocolate.