In many places across the Netherlands, people observed a two-minute silence at 8:00 pm on Monday evening. They were remembering everyone who died in war situations or during peacekeeping missions during or after the Second World War.
At the National Remembrance Day ceremony on Dam Square in Amsterdam, a trumpeter played the Last Post. Thousands of people then observed a moment of silence. At 8:02 p.m., the Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus, was played.
Before the silence, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima laid a wreath at the National Monument on Dam Square. Earlier in the day, the monument had been smeared with a red liquid, and was cleaned quickly. No trace of the vandalism remained.
War victims were also commemorated at the Waalsdorpervlakte, between The Hague and Wassenaar. More than 250 resistance fighters were executed in the dune area during the Second World War. At the same time, an alternative commemoration took place on the Lange Voorhout in The Hague. The organisers described it as an inclusive event that reflects on the past and honours victims of contemporary war violence.
National Military Remembrance Day
The National Military Remembrance Day was held, as it is every year, at the Grebbeberg Military Cemetery in Rhenen. A ceremony also took place at the former concentration camp Kamp Amersfoort, where about 47,000 people were imprisoned during the Second World War.
Earlier on Monday, commemorations were held in other parts of the country. One took place at the cemetery in Loenen, Gelderland, where nearly 4,000 Dutch war victims are buried. Music was played, followed by a minute of silence. Those present then sang the first verse of the Wilhelmus and laid wreaths.
As usual, trains across the country stopped for two minutes. Stations also fell quiet, according to a spokesperson for rail operator NS. “This enabled travellers and colleagues to participate in the Remembrance Day.” The ceremonies passed smoothly, and without incident, the spokesperson said.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
