In the context of 75 years of freedom in 2020, the Hague Municipal Archives has collected amateur films from The Hague during the Second World War. This compilation was created from all these compelling and impressive images. Mobilization The story begins with the mobilization of The Hague, a few days before the German invasion of Poland, on September 1, 1939. The people of The Hague crowd together to hear the latest news. Dutch soldiers gather on the Malieveld. From Staatsspoor station, the current Central Station, called-up leave-takers and reservists leave for their army units. After the mobilization, shelters and bomb shelters are built in the city. On May 10, 1940, the Germans invade our country. The film takes us to the short-lived air war around The Hague and shows the crashed German transport planes in the Haagse Bos and in the meadows between The Hague and Delft. Capitulation After the capitulation, German columns with men and equipment enter the city. The film shows the changing streetscape in The Hague, including the placement of Jewish prohibition signs and the introduction of the Star of David. Daily life We also see that the people of The Hague are getting used to the presence of the occupier, and the downside of the occupation in the form of scarcity. Food, fuel and other products are rationed and blackout measures cost dozens of Hague residents their lives. In the meantime, the football competition continued as normal. The film contains unique images of the VUC-Longa match for the overall national championship in the 1943-1944 season. Atlantic Wall At the end of 1942, large parts of The Hague are evacuated for the construction of the Atlantic Wall. Almost 150,000 people have to leave their homes and find shelter elsewhere. We see the construction of bunkers along the coast and in the dunes, obstacles on the beach and in the high-water line must prevent an Allied landing. Hunger Winter During the occupation, food and fuel become increasingly scarce. and in the autumn of 1944 the supply of coal and food is interrupted. The film contains compelling images by filmmaker Rudi Hornecker about the infamous hunger winter. Bombardment of Bezuidenhout On 3 March 1945, Bezuidenhout and the area around Korte Voorhout are mistakenly bombed by English aircraft. The actual target: V2 installations in the Haagse Bos. The bombardment causes large fires and we see how the residents flee the city towards Voorburg. The colour images, filmed by an American soldier after the liberation, show the extent of the damage. Food drops Under the name Operation Manna, hundreds of Allied bombers drop food at the end of April 1945, including above Ypenburg airfield and the Duindigt racecourse. Dropped food is collected and taken to distribution points. Liberation On 5 May 1945, the Netherlands is liberated, the people of The Hague enthusiastically take to the streets. It would take until 8 May before the first Canadians arrived in The Hague and Voorburg. The Germans had to retreat to the Netherlands. Immediately after the liberation, the anger of the population was directed at NSB members and their collaborators. The film shows how they were taken from their homes and arrested by members of the Political Investigation Service in the face of great public interest. The inhabitants of The Hague also vented their anger at the NSB by throwing office furniture onto the street and setting it on fire. The popular anger was particularly directed at women who had associated with Germans. They were shaved bald, smeared with pitch and then led around in a triumphant procession. On 6 June 1945, Queen Wilhelmina, who had returned from England, made an extensive tour of The Hague, the route including the Weimarstraat. Practically the entire population had turned out. The city after the liberation The damage suffered by The Hague under German occupation is clearly visible in the film footage taken after the liberation. Shortly after the liberation, the demolition of bunkers and tank walls and the clearing of obstacles and minefields began. The fact that life soon resumed is proven by the footage of the promotional tour for the film Air Force in July 1945. The terraces are full, the people look well-fed and well-dressed. The five difficult years seem forgotten, until the caravan drives past the completely destroyed Korte Voorhout. ---------- Collections: The Hague Municipal Archives Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision Netherlands Institute for Military History De Bie family Blikkendaal family Böcker family Frommé family Museon SC van Vleuten (1905 – 1967) Willem Wekking (1903 – 1959), photographer in Lichtenvoorde EM van Ojen With thanks to: The Mondriaan Fund Fund 1818 City Branding Department of the Municipality of The Hague