Figure 1.--Here we have a primary school in Hoofddorp just after World War II during 1947. Hoofddrop tramslates im Dutch as 'main village'. The town is located east of Amnsterdam. It looks like the firdy year class maning cvhildren about 6 years old. Thechildren seated in front look a little byoungr. It is quite a large class for this age group as they are just beginning to learn to write. This aevgroup was the subject of intensive study toa ssess thev impact of the NAZI generated Hunger Winter on children. The immeduate post-war years wrevery difficult in the Netherrlands before the European Econoimic Miracle kicked in, but the chikdren here look healthy and well dressed.

A HBC reader writes, "During the years 1940-45 when I went to school we were allowed to learn French and English also, besides Dutch and German. I am actually amazed how little interference there was from the part of the German authorities with the curriculum of the Dutch schools. Of course, the Jewish teachers and students disappeared, but otherwise education proceeded as usual. There never were any "racial instructions" at our school during the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940-45). Also my sister, who went to another school, did not hear about it. Don't forget that the teachers were Dutch, they had no training in those matters and no desire to teach that stuff. Most of them were anti-German, but they had to be careful what they were saying in class. At my school there were several "Jeugdstormers", sons and daughters of Dutch NAZIs (Nationaal Socialistische Beweging--NSB), who could report people to the authorities--although I never heard that it happened. Most of the kids expressed their hatred for the German NAZIs openly and there always were a lot of debates and even fights at school. All of them survived the war, except the Jews, who were removed from my school in 1941. The deportations to the death camps began in mid-1942, but I knew nothing about the Holocaust at the time. In my school there were only three Jewish children. We only learned what happened after the war when we saw the horrible pictures of the concentration camps. We knew that the Jews were sent to Westerbork and from there to.......? But we had no idea that they were killed. It still is shocking after so many years. The period September 1944 untill May 1945 was the worst for us. The Allies had reached the Rhine, but because of the failure of Operation Market Garden at Arnhem, were uable to cross it and the Allied offensive stalled. The Dutch located north and east of the Rhine, like our town, had it really bad. We had nothing to eat any more, our clothes were worn out and our shoes kaput and sometimes we had no electricity or heat at school. In March the school closed and we were sent home. Food and clothes were scarce. We got textile coupons, but the stores were empty. My father made me a pair of 'sandals' from an old rubber tire. We wore the same clothes for months. Fortunately I still had a pair of indestructable brown corduroy Scout shorts and a woollen pullover my grandma had knitted for me, although it was tight, since I kept growing in spite of the bad nourishment. Our town was finally liberated by the Canadians in May 1945." A Dutch reader remembers a German school during the occupation, "I remember the Deutsche Schule (German School) in Utrecht where the children of German citizens were being taught. Often I saw boys and girls in their Hitler Jugend and B Bund Deutscher Mädchen (BDM) in front of the school. That school closed in September 1944 when most of Hollands Nazi residents fled to Germany after the Battle of Arnhem."

Dutch Schools

A HBC reader writes, "During the years 1940-45 when I went to school we were allowed to learn French and English also, besides Dutch and German. I am actually amazed how little interference there was from the part of the German authorities with the curriculum of the Dutch schools. Of course, the Jewish teachers and students disappeared, but otherwise education proceeded as usual. There never were any "racial instructions" at our school during the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940-45). Also my sister, who went to another school, did not hear about it. Don't forget that the teachers were Dutch, they had no training in those matters and no desire to teach that stuff. Most of them were anti-German, but they had to be careful what they were saying in class. At my school there were several "Jeugdstormers", sons and daughters of Dutch NAZIs (Nationaal Socialistische Beweging--NSB), who could report people to the authorities--although I never heard that it happened. Most of the kids expressed their hatred for the German NAZIs openly and there always were a lot of debates and even fights at school. All of them survived. .... The period September 1944 untill May 1945 was the worst for us. The Allies had reached the Rhine, but because of the failure of Operation Market Garden at Arnhem, were uable to cross it and the Allied offensive stalled. The Dutch located north and east of the Rhine, like our town, had it really bad. We had nothing to eat any more, our clothes were worn out and our shoes kaput and sometimes we had no electricity or heat at school. In March the school closed and we were sent home. Food and clothes were scarce. We got textile coupons, but the stores were empty. My father made me a pair of 'sandals' from an old rubber tire. We wore the same clothes for months. Fortunately I still had a pair of indestructable brown corduroy Scout shorts and a woollen pullover my grandma had knitted for me, although it was tight, since I kept growing in spite of the bad nourishment. Our town was finally liberated by the Canadians in May 1945."

Jewish Children

A Dutch reader reports that the Jewish children "... were removed from my school in 1941. The deportations to the death camps began in mid-1942, but I knew nothing about the Holocaust at the time. In my school there were only three Jewish children. We only learned what happened after the war when we saw the horrible pictures of the concentration camps. We knew that the Jews were sent to Westerbork and from there to.......? But we had no idea that they were killed. It still is shocking after so many years."

German Children

A Dutch reader remembers a German school during the occupation, "I remember the Deutsche Schule (German School) in Utrecht where the children of German citizens were being taught. As far as I know this school was opened in 1941 for the children of German citizens residing in the Netherlands. The school did not exist before the invasion. Dutch NAZIs did not attend, they stayed at the Dutch schools (we had several of them in my class). Perhaps some German-Dutch children attended. In my own case, being of German-Dutch parentage, I went to regular Dutch schools, although I believe my father had been approached and pressured to send his children to this German school. However, we were Dutch citizens and could not be forced. Instructions were in the German language. Often I saw boys and girls in their Hitler Jugend and B Bund Deutscher Mädchen (BDM) in front of the school. The Hitler Youth uniform was not a school uniform, but was worn for other activities. That school closed in September 1944 when most of Hollands Nazi residents fled to Germany after the Battle of Arnhem. On "Dolle Dinsdag" ("Mad Tuesday") lots of German citizens aswell as Dutch NAZIs fled east accross the Rhine to Germany, fearing the war was over since the Allies were close by. I still see them leave, trunks and furniture on top of their cars, heading east towards the border."

Created: January 23, 2004
Last updated: 10:47 PM 2/28/2022