I have already written about this interesting place - one of those less known museums that actually has a genuinely interesting story - and was curious to visit it again after refurbishment. The building itself is not big so it takes a lot of ingenuity to create more exhibit space and previously it was done by arranging a certain path trough labyrinth that chronologically followed WW2 years. This time, the idea was more or less similar, except that everything was re-arranged and labyrinth itself is replaced by cleaner directions, now everything is neatly divided into various sections. We still have story about pre-war years and explanation what was a socio-political situation in a country, how various groups lived in a harmony and how German invasion unmasked profiteers who did not hesitate to make a quick buck out of spying on their neighbours and work colleagues.
What is new - and invited a lot of criticism and hostility - was the idea to show not only well known resistance heroes but also their antagonists, often on the same wall as a part of the same story. It was done with intention to highlight how dangerous it was to be in resistance and who were spies, collaborators and traitors who worked for the other side. Its kind of new perspective and by no means equalisation of both sides - but this is exactly what some people have seen and there was a quite bit of stir in the media and in discussion that museum went to far and insulted the memory of people who actually perished in those dangerous times. For example, the well known story of red haired resistance fighter Hannie Schaft was juxtaposed with the photo of her torturer. I have found those criticisms very short-sighted and ignorant - missing the whole point - there was not one single point where Nazis were celebrated or equalised with resistance fighters. They were visible and often mentioned as illustration of the dangerous times and how situation was never black & white - often same people would even switch the sides and join other group. So, no controversy for me and I will go there again. Even bought two books in the museum's shop.
What I found very interesting - it was not the main focus but somehow just felt between the lines - was the impression that history was not exactly heroic as nowadays people would love to think. There are numerous testimonies from ordinary people (students, factory workers, etc) who did not immediately perceive any danger - in fact, people were constantly expecting war to be short-termed conflict that will end soon - there were people writing in their diary how much they enjoyed sunny day on the beach, agonising about should they get obligatory identity cards and declaration of loyalty to Nazi regime. It would be great if we could present the official story how brave citizens resisted Nazi occupation and fought back but in fact, there were a lot of self-centred ordinary people who were minding their own business and would not risk their lives for any goal. Many had decidedly closed their eyes to suffering of arrested and deported Jews. There were others, who were collaborators too - and their names and pictures are now displayed at the museum as a part of the story. There is even an interesting photo of women who were publicly shorn and humiliated after the war by the street mob - probably very same people who minded their business during the war and were not exactly active in resistance fight.
I only regret that during the refurbishment, they removed the photo of sweetest little Jewish boy Remi van Duinwijck who was murdered as one of the children in a Jewish orphanage (he was the cutest boy and too well known, he could not be hidden because even Germans knew about him). I do remember him and here is his photo again. It breaks my heart that anybody would want to hurt him, an innocent orphan boy.
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