Verzetsmuseum - Dutch Resistance Museum

Four years ago, my cousin and I visited Amsterdam, in November 2009.  The weather was typical for The Netherlands at that time of the year – mostly rainy, around 10-15 degrees – so we were forced to visit a number of indoor tourist attractions.  This trip marked my first overseas vacation and sparked my keen interest and desire to travel the world and see it all.  My travel research had been limited beforehand, leaving much of our destination ideas up to Lee. 

We knew the Anne Frank House Museum was in Amsterdam, and we planned an overnight trip to Paris to see the Louvre and Notre Dam.  Stephanie had agreed to tour us around her country, as well, so when we arrived in Amsterdam, we had a little planned. 

One rainy afternoon we took the long walk to Versetzmuseum (The Dutch Resistance Museum), which Lee had wanted to see during our stay.  This museum has stuck with me as one of the most moving, poignant displays of World War II history I have ever come across.  While I’m sure never to be as emotional Auschwitz (which someday I will visit), the mere fact that the Dutch people were caught between following the Nazi regime and living, or resisting it and dying, embraced a type of human struggle I hope never to encounter in my lifetime.  My already high regard for the Dutch was improved after an afternoon of knowledge and insight into how hard life was for people during that ridiculous war. 

As an overview of this great museum, the displays and exhibits outline how the Dutch people responded to the Nazi occupation.  You’ll see displays of propaganda that held hidden meanings that only the resistance groups could understand, operating like a documentation underground railroad.  People developed elaborate escape plans to help their Jewish friends and neighbors escape to North America.  Incidentally, Frances’ grandmother hid some Jewish people in her home during the war, who managed to relocate to the US – whether they are still alive today, I don’t know, but when Frances was in Canada in 1987, they were still alive and well, with a family of their own. 

People were scared, for obvious reasons, and many refused to join the resistance movement during the war.  You can feel this struggle as you walk through the actual scenes of the Netherlands during that era.  While some may not have resisted and fell prey to the Nazi regime, you can only feel saddened and pity for them because very few Dutch people were truly engaged in the Nazi’s operation.  Do you save your own life and that of your family, or do you put everyone in jeopardy trying to hide your best friend and his family?  I can’t imagine what it would have actually been like, but after seeing this museum, I am thankful and grateful for all the people who did stand up for what is right.  It’s people like the Dutch that are so needed even today, when political and activist groups try to force their narrow-minded opinions on others and squeeze our their human rights.

In Versetzmuseum, you’ll find actual personal accounts of what life was like during the occupation.  These stories bring back a piece of humanity to a time that is, unfortunately, starting to be forgotten (and questioned?  Really??), so it’s important to remember the reality, the atrocity, and the struggle that people faced.  We cannot let this happen again.  If you’re ever in Amsterdam, you need to visit this museum.  It’s not located in the main tourism area around Centraal Station, but a few tram stops and a short walk can easily reach it.  It’s near the Plantage Kerlaan tram stop.