World War II & Anne Frank

Amsterdam has one of the most tragic war stories in Europe. The Netherlands was invaded by Nazi Germany on May 10, 1940, and conquered in five days (the bombing of Rotterdam forced the surrender). Amsterdam was occupied for five years.

The Persecution of the Jews

Before the war, Amsterdam had a thriving Jewish community of about 80,000 people — it had been an integral part of the city since the 17th century. The Nazis systematically deported the Jewish population: 75% of Dutch Jews (over 100,000 people) were murdered — the highest rate in Western Europe.

The story of Anne Frank (1929–1945) epitomizes this horror. The Frank family hid for over two years in the annex at Prinsengracht 263. Anne's diary, which she wrote there, became the most-read diary in history after the war and one of the most important literary testimonies of the Holocaust.

Resistance & Famine

The Dutch resisted in various ways: The February Strike (February 25–26, 1941) was the only massive, open protest against the persecution of Jews in all of Western Europe — Amsterdam workers went on strike in solidarity. In the last winter of the war (1944/45), Amsterdam experienced the Hongerwinter: The food supply collapsed, and over 20,000 people died of hunger in the Netherlands. The liberation by the Canadians on May 5, 1945, is still celebrated annually (Bevrijdingsdag).