On 5 May 1945, the Germans capitulated and World War II was over for the people of the Netherlands. Every year on the fifth of May, we celebrate our freedom. But before we can celebrate, we need to commemorate. Because our freedom came at a price. About 200,000 Dutch men, women, and children lost their lives during World War II. More than 100,000 Dutch Jews were murdered in the death camps in Eastern Europe. Other victims include Roma, Sinti, and people persecuted for their sexual … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Onderduiker
23 April 2018 by 1 Comment
An onderduiker literally means "under diver" and is somebody who went into hiding. The term was used during World War II to indicate Jews and other people who went into hiding to avoid deportation to the German concentration camps. The most famous onderduiker was Anne Frank, who went into hiding with her family in the annex of the building where her father's office was located. … [Read more...]
Dutch records that are public as of 1 January 2018
1 January 2018 by 2 Comments
Happy New Year everybody! Let's take a look at some of the records that have become public today: Birth records from 1917, which includes my maternal grandmother Catharina Flooren. Marriage records from 1942, which includes my grandparents Hendrik Hoitink and Gesiena Wilhelmina Woordes. Death records from 1967, which includes my great-grandmother Janna Geertruid Droppers. It's a good day for my family tree! Not all archives immediately scan and index those records, so … [Read more...]
World War II Records about Putten Raid Found by Volunteers
2 October 2017 by 2 Comments
Volunteers who are indexing 1950s death records from Gelderland have come across several records relating to the deportation of a large part of the male population in Putten during World War II. The Gelders Archief published a blog post about the find. Here is an English translation of the article (with permission). Volunteers find death records of victims of Putten raid On 2 October 1944, the German occupiers arrested 659 men between the ages of eighteen and fifty in Putten in Gelderland. … [Read more...]
Five Resources for World War II Research
5 May 2017 by 2 Comments
It can be hard to find out what happened to your family in World War II, since it was often not talked about. Here are some resources that may help you. Newspapers (Delpher) The newspaper website Delpher has many digitized newspapers from World War II and afterward. Some things to look for: Names of your ancestors during the war Names of your ancestors after the war, for example to see if they were tried for collaboration. Articles about what was going on in the town where they … [Read more...]
Quick tip – List of Dutch pilots in the RAF and FAA
24 August 2016 by Leave a Comment
During World War II, several Dutch pilots joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Army (FAM) to help liberate the Netherlands. The Department of Defense website has a list of all these men. List of Dutch pilots in the RAF and FAM (click through to the PDF). … [Read more...]
My Attempt to Free Anne Frank’s Diary
8 December 2015 by 8 Comments
This year marked the 70th anniversary of Anne Frank's untimely death. Under Dutch law, works by an author are in the public domain on 1 January following the 70th anniversary of the author's death. This means that Anne Frank's diary should be in the public domain as of 1 January 2016. However, the Anne Frank Fonds claims that her father, Otto Frank, had significant input as editor of her diary, and that Anne and Otto share the copyright. Since Otto Frank died in 1980, that would extend the … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Dodenherdenking
4 May 2015 by Leave a Comment
Dodenherdenking means commemoration of the dead. On May 4th, we commemorate all the war victims since the outbreak of World War II. The next day, on May 5th, we celebrate our liberty. The dates are chosen because 5 May 1945 was the day of the German capitulation, which ended World War II in the Netherlands. On Dodenherdenking, the whole country respects a two-minute silence at 8 PM. Commemorations are organized through out the country, where wreaths are laid at war monuments and other places … [Read more...]
Finding collaborators in World War II
1 May 2015 by 6 Comments
With the 70th anniversary of our liberation coming up next week, I thought I would discuss one of the most important record groups for research into World War II. During World War II, several Dutch citizens collaborated with the German occupation: some joined the National Socialist Movement (NSB), others betrayed Jews or were romantically involved with German soldiers. After the War was over, hundreds of thousands of Dutch citizens were prosecuted for collaboration or treason. If convicted, … [Read more...]
Ask Yvette – Are there any records of people who helped Jews in World War II?
6 March 2015 by 5 Comments
Earlier this week, Kirk Payne wrote the following comment: I have a request that might stump you. My wife’s immediate ancestors immigrated to the US in the early 20th Century. Most of her great- and great-great Aunts and Uncles remained in the Netherlands. She had a cousin ask us if we’d seen any records showing her relatives having helped the Jews in the Netherlands during and preceding WWII. … [Read more...]
