Freedom in the Netherlands

Increased prosperity and more free time: the 60s and 70s saw the arrival of the refrigerator, washing machine and no work on Saturdays. Moreover, in 1963, birth control pills became available in the Netherlands, giving women sexual liberation. A second wave of emancipation, student protests and social desegregation meant that the Netherlands became freer in many ways during these years. How we handle our past and present freedom can be experienced in Hof van Nederland in Dordrecht.

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s meant the end of the Cold War in the Netherlands. This brought even more freedom but things took a turn for the worse at the beginning of the 21^st century. The repercussions of terrorist attacks in America and Europe, large-scale migration, the climate crises and the assassination of a Dutch politician and a Dutch journalist are still being felt today.

The Eighty Years’ War and the revolt against Spanish rule played an even more defining role in how the Netherlands views itself. We intentionally flooded strips of land as a method of defence. Looking out from Bourtange Fortress you can just imagine how we triumphantly watched the enemy sink into the swamp. Many concepts about our identity stem from this period: a free trading nation, a tolerant society and a safe haven for minorities and freethinkers.

The
Eighty Years' War lasted from 1568 to 1648.

German soldiers crossed the Dutch border on 10 May 1940. Not long after, they bombed Rotterdam and our army command made the difficult decision to surrender. The Netherlands was under occupation. Of course, all of this was preceded by a series of other events. Visit the War Museum Overloon to see how these events led to war, but also how the oppressed population resourcefully dealt with restrictions and shortages.

At the beginning of the war, most people were anti-German in a passive sort of way, but resistance grew stronger starting in 1943. Scheveningen prison was called The Oranje Hotel. More than 25,000 people were detained here during the war after being arrested for things the occupying forces considered offences. The detainees included resistance fighters, Jews, communists, Jehovah's Witnesses and black-marketeers. Visiting this 'hotel' makes you realise just how fragile freedom is.

When the northern part of the Netherlands was finally liberated in the spring of 1945, the Netherlands was once again a free country. As we steadily got back on our feet over the subsequent years, everyone was very aware of the importance of never forgetting how precious and vulnerable our freedom is.

The hilly landscape around Groesbeek was the site of two major Allied operations prior to our liberation: Operation Market Garden and Operation Veritable. It is the perfect setting to commemorate the war by immersing yourself in the Story of War and Freedom without Borders.

Many stories come together in the Liberation Route Europe, a walking and cycling route linking memorial sites across Europe. Personal stories about war and freedom can be experienced at the permanent exhibition in Vught called 'Camp Vught: seven seasons and 32,000 stories', on the Loenen National Field of Honour or at the American Cemetery in Margraten, where every grave tells an impressive, poignant story.

Because
the stories remain.

Whether it is about cultural background, gender, sexual orientation, family composition or ability to work, the Netherlands is becoming increasingly diverse. Nearly 25% of Dutch people have an immigrant background. In 2025, FENIX opens in Rotterdam. This is a cultural venue inspired by migration stories from around the world.

About
love and farewell, about coming home and feeling at home.