Today we focused on the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and the Holocaust in Dutch history. It was a day of light travel and somber memorial, allowing plenty of time to contemplate each site we visited. This was a sharp change from the somewhat more frantic travels of the preceding days of the trip thus far. We went from the Dutch Resistance Museum, through to the Jewish Historic Museum, and ended the day in the world-renowned hiding place of Anne Frank.
Along this theme of Nazi occupation and Holocaust, Iwanted to touch upon the idea of remembrance and denial. As stated in the lecture by Professor Barnouw, as with any memory remembrance becomes more and more difficult as time goes by. But such a crime against humanity should never be forgotten; instead it should serve as an example of not simply tolerance but acceptance of this multicultural society we now live in.
In terms of denial, I cannot believe anybody can be so ignorant so as to dishonor such a terrible tragedy. An important point made in the De Jong article was that “the Holocaust… was beyond the belief and the comprehension of almost all people living at the time, Jews included.” It would be possible that the situation was simply beyond belief, and may have contributed to the denial that exists here today. Thus, the ignorance can stem from utter disbelief. Regardless of whether it is ignorance or anti-Semitism, such discourse is unacceptable, as Isolde pointed out that in the U.S. , one’s culture and history cannot be denied.
On a brighter note, I appreciate how Jewish heritage is both preserved and recognized here as a major part of the culture of the Netherlands. I enjoyed the availability and accessibility of the many Jewish museums, something I’ve never before witnessed. I presume that this goes to show the multicultural attitude that is so prevalent in Dutch culture.
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