Holandische Shouwburg

By Donald Scheer,

During the time of the Nazi occupation, the Hollandische Shouwburg was originally a theatre. Many great shows were performed there and many Jewish actors took the stage. It was originally an ornate theatre with rows and stories to accommodate patrons. Beautifully decorated, it was a symbol of pride amongst the actors and patrons. During this time the city of Amsterdam kept on expanding. Because of this expansion the theatre needed to be remodeled in order to accommodate the ever-expanding number of patrons. By the time the Nazis took over the previously ornate theatre had become a much more practical theatre with straight lines and a colder more practical color.

* The memorial of the theatre that burned down

When the Nazis occupied Amsterdam  the Shouwburg became a collection point for the Jews of Amsterdam. They had to register all of their information with the Judenrat (Jewish Council) which had been set up, so that the Jews could just walk up and register at a table, after which their children were taken from them. The Dutch Judenrat wanted things to go as smoothly as possible and avoid anyone fighting back during the process. In order to do so, Jewish children were taken from their parents and held at a children's facility across the street from the Shouwburg. It was thought that if the Jews did not know where their children were, they would be more likely to comply while they were waiting to be deported from the Shouwburg to Westerbork and onwards toward the death camps, many dying in Sobibor.

* Tulips left behind in memory of those that were lost

It would sometimes take days or weeks before someone's name would be selected. The Jews suffered from a lack of food and proper facilities while they waited. But in the face of this misery there were initiatives amongst the Judenrat to save children. This was a difficult task, registration cards for a child were removed to make the child anonymous so that they could be hidden. Sometimes when registering a child instead of two children, the person registering them would write a one instead. Many children were effectively hidden. Families had been found to take the children, and as a result, a large rescue mission was accomplished.

* Maud Dahme and Leo and Kay Ullman inside of the National Holocaust Museum in the Netherlands

Today the Hollandische Shouwburg is a monument to the Jews held there to be sent to their deaths. Due to an intended purchase of the theatre, in order to make it a circus, in protest the Dutch destroyed the theatre to prevent any laughter from ever occurring in the building again. There is a monolith in the center of the open air courtyard created in the destruction of the theatre, and inside there is a wall of the family names of those sent to their deaths from the Shouwburg facing an eternal flame. Maud Dahme, who is traveling with us, was able to point out the names of her family members on the list. Upstairs a memorial museum exists with valuable information about what occurred there, and facts about the Holocaust.