65 years since liberation today…

… or yesterday, depending on whom you believe.
There are two villages in the south of the Netherlands that claim to be the first villages liberated in 1944, Mesch and Noorbeek. The people of the villages can’t agree, both villages have monuments commemorating being first, and apparently the historians can’t decide either. There’s more in the [...]

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Did you see this in Amsterdam?

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I picked up a guidebook published in 1978 with sites in Amsterdam – some of the more obscure sites – and the history. It’s called Zag u dit in Amsterdam? “Did you see this in Amsterdam”, by J.H. Kruizinga with photos by Joop Steussy. Apparently there are 2 more volumes to find.
I’m fascinated. I’ve been [...]

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Liberation Day

It was “Bevrijdingsdag” on Tuesday, Liberation Day. It’s only a holiday every five years so the only noticeable difference was some flags flying high and these signs indicating sites related to events in WWII, with archival photos.
This one was near towards Blauburgwal, “11 May 1940. A German plane was hit by anti-aircraft artillery over Sloterdijk. [...]

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Multatuli

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It’s a modern sculpture but of a man who lived 150 years ago. Multatuli was born Eduard Douwes Dekker back in 1820.
He defied his father who wanted him to join the merchant navy, and became a civil servant in the colonial offices in Indonesia. After more than a decade in service he began to protest [...]

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Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans must be the best day trip out of Amsterdam, yes it’s touristic, but the windmills are in working order and are fascinating, and there are several other mini-museums in the village.
The windmills are all working mills, and the perform various functions, including a saw mill, a paint mill (grinding pigments), and [...]

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The Gaper is not Yawning

These figureheads were used outside buildings to indicate that it was a pharmacy. The one pictured at right is still above a pharmacy (on Herenstraat) but one near this is the sign for the “de Vergulde Gaper” a cafe on Prinsengracht.
They’re named “gaper” because they appear to be yawning, in fact they’re not yawning they’re [...]

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Remembrance Day

Today is the day that the Netherlands remembers all those who died in the second world war. The biggest ceremony was on Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam, where members of the royal family laid wreaths, and the mayor of Amsterdam gave a speech.
Representatives of the returned services were at the ceremony and [...]

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