Dutch People & Freedom | Nationale Herdenking & Bevrijdingsdag REACTION! 

Really special watching your reaction to this. I honestly felt chills at the end seeing your face during that scene and hearing you describe what you were feeling. I'm glad the video did the holiday and what it stands for justice. Let's never forget!

Like you said its not that long ago. My grandfather was the sole survivor of his entire lineage. 400+ direct family members were murdered between ‘40-‘45. No movie or book will ever ever come close to the horrors that went on in the camps. He survived 4 and a half years and 7 different camps before escaping during a death march in ‘45. He passed 2 years ago. He is sorely missed, his positivity, knowledge, humbleness, decency and kindness.

I'm originally British, but now also Dutch. Very impressed with how the Dutch remember the war and liberation. The Dutch are peaceful people who don't live in the past (like some British people do), but there are important things that they never forget. Within a short distance from where I live there are several memorials to the liberators and resistance fighters. I was at a musical rehearsal on Thursday evening (4th May) but we stopped at eight o'clock for the two minutes silence.

The beauty is that this is not only on 'de Dam' (where this video was shot, and where all kind of speeches are) It actually is the complete country that gets to a standstill. Television, Radio, if possible public transport will stand still, if possible cars will stop and stand still, almost every village, town, community has a place where people can come together to literally stand still for those two minutes. It is a remembrance of WW2, but it is way more than that. It has grown to something where people for 2 minutes, each year, stand still physically and in sound, by the fact that 'we' can live in freedom. A lot of Dutchies will even take this two minutes, may fourth at 20.00, when they are abroad. I for myself was not in the Netherlands this year on May 4th. But I actually stood still and was silent for those two minutes. And a little further a saw two other people doing the same thing (and I noticed Dutch license plates on their vehicle a few moments later) I think it is a good thing.

My grandfather was part of the Dutch resistance, living in a little town close to the German border. He was captured over time and in that prison the Nazi’s randomly picked a few people out of cells and shot them on a daily basis. He survived and died in peace at age 92. An amazing man! His brother lived 20 miles to the East in Germany. His son was in the Wehrmacht and was send to the Eastern front, Stalingrad. He never returned, his family never heard a word rom him again. His mother kept setting a plate for him for dinner to the day she died. War is started by a few, but suffered by a lot. I am proud our country keeps the memory of occupation alive over many generations. Freedom should never betaken for granted and therefore we will always show our deepest respect to the people who fought, suffered and died so we can live in freedom again. ❤

It is not just the people who are silent for those 2 minutes, also the public transportation stops: trains, trams, busses, they stop where ever they are at 8 pm, and start up at 8.02 pm. Me myself, I had a very nice day with the choir that I am a part of. We sang a lot, ate lunch together, had a lot of fun and in the evening we did a cooking workshop, making fresh pasta and a lot of noise. But we paused at 7.50 pm, listened on the radio to the speeches, and remained silent for the 2 minutes. Than we sang the national anthem, followed by "alles wat ademt" from Rob de Nijs, a Dutch singer, the song is from 1985, but still very current today... we wept, it was very emotional... after that we went on with the workhop... at first a bit silent, but later on... well... 25 women... it did not stay like that for long 🙂 The lyrics of the song translated: Peace is far, farther than ever, the guns never rest so close to home. What has fear done to us? Let everything that breathes exist in peace. Power plays a deadly game with power, afraid of each other they threaten with hell. Now or never learn to go together, Let everything that breathes exist in peace, Let everything that breathes exist in peace. No matter how strange the language, you can understand it, Let everything that breathes exist in peace, Let everything that breathes exist in peace. Learn to go together now or never We can exist close to each other No matter how strange the language, you can understand it, Let everything that breathes exist in peace, Let everything that breathes exist in peace. Let everything that breathes exist in peace

Your videos about Margraten Cemetary are a year old now. I was quite moved then when seeing the profound emotions they brought out in you. Your experiences as a veteran definitely have given you a unique perspective on life, freedom, and respect. Thank you for sharing this with us: know that it is appreciated.

The 2 minutes of silence always give me goosebumps. The whole country united in silence. My daughter is 3,5 years old and around eight o'clock I was upstairs in her room reading bedtime stories. But I set my alarm at 7.57 so I could be silent at 8. My boyfriend had the tv app on his phone on and came upstairs. We told my daughter that it was remembrance day and that when the trumpet would stop and the clock starts ringing we wouldn't talk anymore for 2 minutes. My daughter was climbing over her dad, but didn't speak either ❤ Like she felt this was important to us. What I also think is special that people who are on the road around 8, try to find a parking spot, and stand still next to their car and after the 2 minutes get back on the road again. My grandparents fortunately were okay during the war 🙏🏻 My grandfather born out of a Dutch father and Polish mother was a communist and had to run several times from the Germans when they came to pick him up. He ran over the rooftops and hid at a police station in a village next to the town he lived in. Friends kept him save, but other families weren't so lucky, so its important to keep remembering. It's like you say also paying respect to the foreign men who sacrificed their lives so we could be free. That's why I also go to the WW2 cemetery here in Nijmegen on Christmas Eve, then there are candles lit on their graves. Thank you HXC for giving us back the respect, for doing this.

I don't know if you can see the stories that's been told after the 2 minutes silent,these people tel hart breaking stories!

The best thing and gives you shivers is seeing everyone on the highway stopping safely on the side of the road for 2 minutes❤

I always watch the remembrance at The Waalsdorpervlakte Den Haag. So much more intense to me, the ringing of the big bell by hand , It does not matter who you are, you just get in line to pay respect. Only veterans and fam . of people being executed there get to be first, the rest just lines up. When the bell is getting stopped and the last call( Taptoe) has sounded at 20.00, you only hear birds singing there. A real moment of peace and reflection time.Then the bell starts again and they keep ringing it till the last visitor has passed by to pay their respects. 🙏🏻I forgot, the remembrance of may 4th started here, because over 200 people got executed at De Waalsdorpervlakte.

I have met many Dutch people and visited the Netherlands many times. I found them to be the politest people I ever met. They even apologised to my friends in a bar for speaking Dutch when they heard them speaking English - in THEIR country!

this 4th of may, I was for the first time not with my Parents. though with some friends and classmates drinking after work. we were loud though we stopped giving a squeek 2 minutes before and resumed 2 minutes after 8 pm. made my mind apreciate the people i know a lot more, knowing they also have the respect for the generations allmost passed.

Thank you for your respectful covering of this item. My mother was almost ten when the war started and still tells many stories about that difficult time. I was born fifteen years after WW2 and grew up in a total different world. Respect and gratefulness for those who gave us our freedom back.

i was mostly raised by my grandparents, my granddad had fought against the japanese in indonesia, so i got to hear the first hand stories of getting wounded, being a POW under the japanese. yes it is still very current. also the ones that had that experience of war, unwanted took that luggage upon their kids, and those to their kids. the ptss of the parents is the main theme that surrounded the upbringing of those second generation kids. especially those from indonesia, as most europeans ended up in japanese concentration camps.....which was branded by violence, starving, rape, murder and other inhuman actions during japanese rule. which is also a reason why it still is current, many of us come from broken people and still carry that weight with us, through our upbringing.

Thank you for this vid. Opdat wij nooit vergeten❤️

Our ancestors made it really clear they never want us to forget. And I'm glad about it. Canada played a huge role for us in my hometown, and for years we've invited them over to celebrate the liberation on the 5th. I was there every time until I moved. Sadly year after year you saw less Canadians join. They were old. But for them to come as long as they could, I'll never forget that. And I'm forever grateful.

I still remember when i was young and my parents watched "bevrijdingsdag" on the television, and i tried to recreate it with playmobile on the floor while they watched it.

The song the trumpet played is called the "Taptoe", which dates back to the 16th century. The famous "Last Post" is based on the "Taptoe", that's why they sound similar to a lot of people and are used in similar situations.

Thanks for your reaction. For me and a lot of people, it is something we are used too. Seeing it whit your reaction, make me realise it is a special moment.

WW2 stuff always gets me choked up. I'm Dutch and my grandparents have been through hell as little kids those years.

My mother told me many stories of the war, she lived in Den Haag, During that terrible winter in '45 het father, and many people went to farmers all over the Netherlands, by foot or bike (with wooden weels!) and try to get some food for giving some precious things. And by coming back to the city the German soldiers stole most of the food from them. I tell all those story's to my grandchildren, so we never forget.

Our major news channel announced the following day that there are still 1.1 million Dutch citizens that survived the war. That's quite a lot considering we have a total of 17 point something million people in our tiny country

Wij Nederlanders respecteren onze vrijheid.wij herdenken de gesneuvelde soldaten.nederlanders,Polen,Amerikanen,Canadezen enzo.respect

I don't think there is a Dutch family alive that wasn't effected by the war. That's probably why we keep on remebering...keep on celebrating our freedom. For me, it was my great-grandfather. As kids we were told what happened to him and it made a everlasting impression. My kids were also raised never to take freedom for granted. 2 minutes of silence...not because we have to but because we can!!!! A very strong message❤❤

I played the "signaal taptoe" in my village this year. I was nervous but it went well. I'm very proud that i got to give back and remember.

I think a,lot of people can tell you terrible stories about WWII in The Netherlands. I have them too. I will as tell you as short a I can. My granddad of my mothers mother's side lived in Groningen so my grandmother did'nt face the Hungerwinter. He was forced to work on the U-boats made in Kiel during WW2 (Arbeitseinzats). He did'nt want to so he hid himself. But sadly he was betrayed. For this reason he was treated bad by the Germans. He was lucky to stay alive during the war but he saw terrible things. He did'nt spoke much about his suffering. But after his death I found out he was send to Neuegamme, a concentratiecamp where many people died of excaustion or just murder (hanging, kicked to death etc.). He only survived because he was considered 'Arian'. He was blond haired with blue eyes. My grandparents on my father's side lived in Utrecht. They suffered a lot during the Hungerwinter. She was so desperate for food that the drove on a bike to Zwolle (over 100 km!) for a bag of potatoes. When she returned she drove into a German checkpoint. They stole the potatoes and also her bike. After all this effort the ended up with nothing to feed her family. 😢 That's why we never, ever forget the sacrifices made by Canadian, Brittish, American a Polish soldiers. (The Polish soldiers liberated the east of our country, the Americans the south part of Limburg and the Canadians the rest. But the Brittish, Americans and Poles took part in Market Garden. Thank you all for this. We are forever grateful! ❤

Yeah very true. My dad's parents were childrin during WW II and my grandma lost her dad to the war. He didn't die in battle, he came back from the war, but he passed away due to his psychological and physical injuries he sustained during the war. My mom's parents almost lived through two wars, WW I and II. They were born right after WW I in the 1920's. It's sad too see that soon there will be non left of that generation too teach the younger generation about what is was really like. That's why, imo, we need too keep on remembering and celebrating, honoring, our freedom our elders fought for. And like you said, we need to record their stories, so we can re-tell them.

That two minutes of silence for me personally isn't only for the dutch people who died during the second Ww, it's for all who gave their lives for freedom. So now it is also for all those people in the Ukraine😢

We always watch the maasdorpervlakte. I'ts in de dunes on the west coast of the country. During the 2 minutes silence you can only hear nature...🙏

You're right Highly, history is closer by than many think. About the WW2 my mother can and still tells stories. She was born in 1925, so no child anymore during that time. She is still alive and still sharp She has stories about the evacuation and the atrocities she's seen, she hated the Germans She was liberated by Polish soldiers and evacuated by Canadians, in amphibious vehicles, because they found themselves in the middle of the battle of the Scheldt. But she also speaks with compassion of some Germans. F.i. the soldier who saved my grandpa's life by stopping the machine hé was caught in with his arm while making, how dutch, wooden shoes. That soldier was the only one who heard him scream and came to help. There are also stories of very young German soldiers (15 or 16 years) who were very afraid and tried to run away, And the story of a dead German at the side of the road with a picture of his familie still in his hands. War is never only black and white and you need the witnesses to tell the whole story. This comment is, belatedly, under de WW2 remembrance video. But regarding history, my grandmother was born in 1896 and lived to be 97. She had stories about WW1. We were neutral, but living near the border she heard the canons and saw the refugees. She also lost good friends at the electric death wire along the border. Where now white flowers grow. But I, who live now, heard these stories of >100 years ago from someone who lived then. History is alive. Sorry for the long story, but I deemed this important.

We live in the north east where it's less city and more farmland, my grandmother tells tales how people from Amsterdam fled here to find food.

love exploring the foreigns content, very high production values

I' m a durch Girl living in another country,but those 2 minutes of silence are there each year! It is Respekt for the people who lost there live. Also for Them who fought for our freedom.

It’s always beautiful to see people try remember things like this. Children are still learning about the war at school. It’s extremely heartbreaking to notice that we have to learn about war because people like to make war. You also can hear the two minutes of silence on every Dutch radiostation because they do stop the music.

during the hunger winter people even ate cats. they euphemistically called them 'roof hares'

When people were celebrating the liberation on Dam Square on Mai 7th 1945 suddenly it turned out that there were still some German snipers left in one of the buildings. They started shooting at the celebrating people, wounded over 120 and killed over 30. That was two days after the official surrender of the Germans.

It was my 2nd time last Thursday that I attended the Remembrace service. Just like in 2019 the 2 minutes silence were deafening. Thinkiny about my parents and their family who had experienced the Japanese occupation of Indonesia. There 525,600 minutes in a year. Two minutes of those feel longer.

I love how respectfull you are! Iam dutch, 59..and was very happy that I could thank the American, Canadian, Polisch man and women who gave us the freedom. That was on rememberday in Arnhem, 3 years ago.

Never underestimate how much a dutch person loves red cabbage

Thank you so much for this video. I was watching you on the Andre van Duin and Wendy van Dijk podcasts. To me this video came as a shock. My parents left The Netherlands with 4 children after the war. They went to Australia were they had 5 more children...I am nr. 8. My father died when I was 7 years old and my mum went back to the Netherlands with the children. My Mum Never spoke about the war with us...Ever...I studied history on the war and it was very common in lots of families to not talk about it. I am 65 years old now and I am still wondering why. Thanks for bringing this to my attention again. I am going to try to get some awnsers. I asked you before... what is your connection with the Netherlands? Greetings from Lizzy from Australia 🦘.

Remembers day is not only for the fallen in ww2 but for every fallen tru out history. And not just the dutch are remembered. On thev4th of May, I personally feel so much conflicted emotions of joy sadness and humbleness at the same time. The 5th of May is easyer to celebrate, for a day you not only celebrate the freedom of today but you learn a little to maintain freedom because freedom doesn't Com free.

I am Dutch and my grandma once told me that when her city got liberated, her dad carried her to the place where they celebrated the incoming British soldiers on tanks. He carried her through bombed streets. Told her to close her eyes so she wouldn't see the bodies on the streets, there had been much fighting going on. She got a piece of chocolate from a soldier in a tank and remembered it until she passed away a couple of years ago. ❤ The stories she told me were so heartbreaking. Grandma told me about the sound of bombs being dropped made her scared so much. They would run to the basement when they heard the sounds. Those stories are so terrible. But need to be remembered. My neighbour (88 years old) still needs sleeping medication due to WWII to be able to sleep properly. 😥

To add the missing translation on that final speech: "In a few moments at 8PM t will be quiet everywhere in the Netherlands. Two minutes in which we realize that we can and may be quiet for two minutes.

Thank you for sharing this video! As a grandchild of liberated Dutch from Rotterdam, I can tell you, we are still gratefull that the young soldiers from the UK, USA and Canada came over here to make that happen. These two minutes of silence are also for their sacrifice. Thank you...

I know my grandparents were in their teen years while the second world war was on and that my grandmother lived on a farm to stay safe and my grandfather had to make the germans their bullets. The only thing he wanted to tell me about that time is that he tried to make bullets that wouldn't work well enough and tried his best to not get caught doing that. Both my grandparents didn't want to talk a lot about that time period so I don't know a lot about that. But you have to respect them for not wanting to talk about that. Horrible times.

What a disrespectful placement of you’re add right during the bells at 8

we as Dutchies feel the utmost respect for the ones that gave their ultimate sacrifice: they died so we can live in freedom today. Often young men and women, shipped to another part in the world, and fighting to bring liberation for people you do not know. As I grew older I realized more and more, that the victims of these wars, allover the world, are true HEROS.

My mother, now 96, lived through the war, barely escaped death at one time where she almost got shot of her bike. My father lost his only two brothers in the war. My grandparents hid a lot of Jews on their farms, including Ed van Thijn, who later became a mayor of Amsterdam, I kid you not. I was born much later in 1964. But everytime when "the war" comes up like these days in May, it gets to me. Maybe I carry part of it in my genes, the horrific experiences of my parents.

I was born 15 years after the war but still I grew up with everything of the war My grandparents had 12 children during the war and all children spoke about it with each other But my grandmother has neve rspoken one word aout it with anybody. Except with me she told me everything that had happened during the war And some things were really horrific. I have never told anybody any of those stories either My mother is now 85 but the war is still in her As soon as russia invaded ukrain she started buying food and those kind of things because she remembered the shortages of the war and she doesn't want to risk it again.

Via our local Marketplace Marktplaats i met some people back in march '22. They were asking for help for a family member who has fled Kharkiv. I gave away some of my tube radio's and parts because the man had this as hobby too. I wanted to build a friendship because of our common hobby. The people told me the man fled with his granddoughters and drove 16 hours to the Netherlands. He only brought a small set of screwdrivers with him out of his hobby/working space. He was in total panic. I misjudged it by thinking you are safe here now. But now, because of that misjudgement, i did some small but good things to make the world a better place. If you are reading this and agree with me, like this video and spread the word that we as normal humans are against everything wrong happening to people in the world at this very moment.

My grandparents survived WW2, Rotterdam, severely bombed. We will never forget occupation and liberation. God bless all those men and women who helped liberate us. 💜🌷

My father is born in 1941 my mom late in 1944 and late in the war as just a smal child my father helped the resistans with little bits of food cause he was a small kid and one of the little who can,he died a view years ago but i now his stories as a little kid so i remember every year who has died in whatever war!!

Watching these reactions I sometimes think you "get it" better than most Dutch people. Thanks for sharing your awesome videos with us! I think it is also worth mentioning how little grudge (if any) we have towards our eastern neighbours (nowadays). As you said, we are indeed capable of some of the most atrocious acts but we are also capable of acts of incredible kindness and understanding. Empathy is key.

You need to watch Anne Frank , a bridge to far , Dunkirk or watxh documentaires about fallen cities.There is one village that remains a ghost town and that story made me cry . Europe was about to get freed and one of the officers of the nazi got so pissed that he went beserk and ordered that all people of that village needed to be captured , he killed the entire village even when he was ordered to move away from it . We grow up with ww2 because most of us have some one that lived during that time , like my mom she was 4 when it ended , my grandparents and their brothers and sisters . My mom never talked about it then only that to survive she ate what we call bloembollen they look like onions , kinda explains why she hated even the smell of onions .

I was at the ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the battle of Arnhem a few years ago. This was a setback for the allied forces but a disaster for all of the Dutch people living north of the great rivers. But they don't blame the allies for the hardships they suffered during the following winter. In stead they are full of admiration and gratitude for them, and this persists to this day.

don't forget that this was the last BIG war but there are a lot of places that due to war are still suffering and finding joy in a small amount of food because otherwise they starve. I am greatfull my grandparents made it through but they were no target for the germans. it was hard for everyone but they were a little bit free. i feel for the jews for example that had to endure the hardest things in those times. btw i don't know why that video had bevrijdingsdag in the title. this was only the remembering of the dead, the next day is liberationday. but it is a beautifull video with the Oma telling us what it was like.

my mother was randomly arrested on the street of Utrecht and brought to a industrial washing service, she had to wash stuff for German soldiers and was returned in the evening. In the (hunger) winter of 1945, she and her sister (both around 18 years old), traveled 200 kilometers by old bycicles in the snow, without food and clothing, to the North of The Netherlands where hopefully family would take to them in. On their journey they were shot by 2 German air fighters, by jumping in a ditch, they managed to stay unharmed. My father ran a small workshop in Utrecht. A German army car had broke down and commanded assistance. Father fixed the car but swapped the almost new battery with a shabby one that would start the car few times. Dangerous action, you could be shot for that. But the Germans were retreating at the time..

On 4 may(may 4th) it's always special to remember those who died for our freedom. When going online and see may the force be with you, always gives a weird touch to it.

Since 2011 the official text of the Memorandum for Remembrance Day on 4 May is as follows: During the national commemoration of Remembrance Day we remember all victims - civilians and soldiers - who have been killed or murdered in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world in war situations or during peace-keeping operations since the outbreak of the Second World War. I was there too on Dam Square in Amsterdam. I worked that day, and wanted join at an appropriate location. I stood there together with my colleague. We were talking about how our families experienced the war, since we are from very different back grounds. His family survived the holocaust. It was very moving to contemplate and talk about this chapter in our history on such an occasion. But we also talked with and elderly couple from the USA, who didn’t exactly know what was going on. It was nice to have the chance to explain it to them on that very day. His uncle fought in the Africa campaign, and he was sadly captured by the Nazis. We really need to treasure a day of reflection like this. We need it as a people, and as a community.

My granddad was in the resistance and he never told about it. We only found out the he passed away and we had to clear out his farm. In on of the buildings that contained the firewood we found three cases of Stenguns and eight cases of ammo for this guns. At that moment we knew he was not a part of the NSB (traitors loyal to the Germans) but part of the active resistance.

My moms side of the family had war stories. * my grandpa hide in the country side for a while cause the germans made the young men work in Germany. Grandpa didn't want to help the en*my. Eventually grandpa had to work in a cookie factory. His way of saying FU was stealing cookies from work.😂 My granddads mother however was a tough woman. She lost her husband young to the Spanish flu and was left behind raising a lot of kids alone. But she managed. During the war there was a siren going off that planes were ahead. She draged all her kids underneath the staircase. It was a hit...only the staircase was still standing, great grandma's quick thinking saved them all. Good for her. 💪👏😃 In the village I live in, a Canadian plane was shot down (we have a memorial for them). And the underground movement was caught and they were all sh*t in the middle of the street. The place they died is also a memorial for these heroes now. They gave their lives for our freedom. So many local stories. The war is still alive in even the smallest of villages. From the horrors and deaths and what it meant to live in an occupied country. To cool stories of resistance, hiding allied soldiers etc. There are so many dutch movies/books about the war as well. They are really trying to make the world FEEL how fragile and precious freedom truly is.

that's why it's soo important to help Ukraine in anyway we can. not only by sending weapons and money but also in helping the the refugees that came to the Netherlands . helping them with all the confusing yet necessary paperwork helping them get settled and every other issue they can't solve cuz of the language barrier. so glad google translate exist. cuz what is happening in Ukraine right now is so much worse that ww2

Hey Paul... ...i will send you the freedom pin visible in the video. Keep an eye on your mailbox.

It's for every war we have had also in Afghanistan

There are always a few asshole outliers that break the silence, but it's always overwhelming to be just silent and respectful around strangers. The recent 2 years was the first time I was outside for it and it waseven more powerful.

sSumbled on this 2 month later, but man this gave me some chills. Every year I remember the 4th of May 2016, 6 months before that I had lost my great grandmother, who worked as a nurse during the war. That year I was traveling with some friends to see a band we all loved in Germany. We held those 2 minutes of silence in Germany, and all I could think about was how cool it could have been to tell my great grandmother that I did that with friends. To remember those who died in the country that once occupied us

Highly: This is about WW2, remembrance day and Liberation day. All in honour of the men and women who died their plight and sacrifice. But do you know that 2 years later in '47 the Dutch army was sent to Indonesia, a Dutch colony, to do the same things to people we knew nothing about? Every year the Dutch remember what was done to them, but nobody mentions the victims of our actions. All I know about this war is what a member of my family told me, he was there as a soldier. Lest we never forget the truth.

I will never forget the story,s from my grandfather 😢. Thank you for your interest in our small nation

my grandma survived the bombing of Rotterdam and fled to Drenthe after the bombing, she survived the rest of the war but died when i was at a young age so i never got to speak to her about it.

My grandparents were teenagers living in Rotterdam when our country was liberated. We will never forget. 💜

Trump is y/our ........fear at the moment. The collor of the ocean/sky is freedom...democraty Yellow the Sun .....hope . Respect to everting on the globe ..

The told me wenn a airplane was comming over as a little child I was going under the table because the told me that it was safe that way , I was born 1941 my brother in 1944 .

Hello from the Netherlands. thanks for the video Highly . Sincerely Hollandduck

nice, tnx for the recommendation comment to watch this. i live here but hold my 2 min to also thank my nan and grandad for there part in helping and what it means to have this freedom. and as to what you said never had your freedoms stripped away, well think of it this way your grandparents at the time or those before in the civil war i think it was the north vs the south? im sure people fought in that war for what they wanted. but either way loads for thanks for watching this.

For me it is long ago, because I was born in the week, WW2 in Europe stopped and I'm old; soon 79 :) Still my life has been saved by the Canadian army, because I got a strong bronchitis and the Canadians helped my doctor with his first penicillin.

I was born in 1971 and when you think about it, the war wasnt so long ago, for me that is only 25 years( born on Jan 3 1971). That is not a lot, then you really realize how lucky you are to be born in a free country. My hometown Maasricht was liberated in september 1944. You just said every family has stories from the war and its true eventhough my family didnt really have to fear the Germans but they experienced terrifying things. My grandparents, especially my grandmother, would tell me about her experiences, she and my grandfather were 19 when the war started. I had to ask about it, she didnt talk about it if I didnt ask, very understandable. She died in 2005 and I still want to learn so much more but now I cant ask her anymore. I once asked her if she knew of Jewish ppl who actually survived the war, living in hiding and she did know about one family that actually did survive.

In the dunes along our coastal lines. You can find many memorials too. It was a place during the war forbidden to normal citizens and used as a defense zone by that German occupiers. With minefields and bunkers. Many people were brought there to be executed. Still up till now its possible to discover bones of human remains there. And some areas are still not save to wander around, because of the bunkers and mines. For my parents remembering is very important. My father was born in the war 1944 and suffered from a lack of vitamins because of that. My mother was born in Indonesia during the "politionele acties", they had to flee to the Netherlands eventually because Indonesia wasn't save anymore for them, because they were considered being too white and a neighbour discovered my grandfather fought in the KNIL (Dutch army) against the Japanese occupiers (which by many nationalists were seen as the liberators of Indonesia from the Dutch occupiers). My grandfather survived a journey by hellship to Japan as a POW. Where he worked the mines until Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuked. He's seen the destruction of Nagasaki and was actually very sad about it. Barely anyone who saw it was able to feel any joy about being liberated.

My father was almost killed WWII. By bomm explosie hé was seven years old. I RESPECT this Day very much.

The fighters and resistance heroes from that time (the second world war) are fewer and fewer. People grow old and die. That's why I think its increasingly important that these two days (04 & 05 May) are honored. Freedom is (unfortunately) not self-evident, we all have to contribute to this. I am very grateful to our grandparents for not giving up and fighting for us. If the Nazis had won, I wouldn't have lived. Not only because I might not have been born, but also because of my handicap. In a modern and free country like the Netherlands, I can live my life the way I want. Freedom is to be who you want to be. Freedom is also to respect each other, give each other space. Freedom is saying what you think, but with respect for each other and the rules that apply. Freedom is the most precious thing there is!

Leading up to May 4th, schools and media will make sure we're all aware it's coming. So this year, when I realised I would be driving my kids somewhere at 20:00, I set an alarm on my phone, and as soon as it went off, everyone in the car was silent, thinking about all the innocent people who died in wars, and all those who died fighting for freedom. This isn't just something we think of only on May 4th. We start hearing and talking about it weeks before. It's an important part of history classes in the Netherlands, usually starting in April or even March, every year. We first learn about this in primary school, and it doesn't stop once you get into secondary school. It does take a while before most kids learn that it wasn't just Jews that were being targeted by the Nazis, and I think even many adults still don't realise that POC, Roma, and disabled people were also among the many people put into concentration camps. A lot of people don't even realise that anti-trans rhetoric was one of the first ways the Nazis were able to take away people's rights, with any research on gender, sex, and sexuality being destroyed. No wonder current Nazis love TERFs so much, and why so many TERFs are becoming more and more extreme in their views, often using antisemetic, racist, and sexist phrasing, slurs, or dogwhistles. We need to keep remembering what happened in the past, and realise that it's starting to repeat itself.

Every year around Mei i watch the serie's ,Band of Brothers, The Pacific and the movie Schindler's List. So that i never forget the horrors what the dutch people and other people have suffort in ww2. I am thankful that america, canadians, australies, english, and also the russians. Then liberated us from the Nazis, so that I grew up in freedom.

I always had to go with my grandma (Oma) to Kamp Vught for Remembrance Day, and every time at the 5th of May I’m quite for 2 minutes. Too understand what freedom is because a lot of people still don’t live that way and I think people miss that nowadays. The day I’ve kids I willl also go to those place, so I can also tell the story of my Grandma en Grandpa they had to suffer so it’s important to tell te story further

i'm always surprised to hear how stuff like this isn't treated 'bigger' in other countries. ever since i could talk and comprehend what my parents told me they've told me that i need to keep quiet for 2 minutes that day, and when i was like 12 or 13 i went to camp westerbork with my school just to see how it was there. reading and hearing about stuff what happened there is one thing, but being there, knowing what happened in the exact place you're standing is horrifying. proud to be free

My grandfather died in a bombardement of Eindhoven and they only found back 1 of his shoes. My grandmother was left with 8 children. I never heard her complaining about having to raise the children on her own, but she taught me and the rest of her siblings to honour and respect our liberators for the rest of our days. So I do…. Thank you for paying attention to this topic❤

I am dutch. Last year i went to a concert of andrea bocelli. At 8 everyone stood up and kept quit for 2 minutes. About 25000 people. Very moving moment😥

I once had a conversation about it with my grandma. She lived in Rotterdam, but because it wasn't save there, she was very lucky she was taken to a farm and be save and fed. (Some kids were brought to farms to keep them save during that time, but comparing to the once who were able to be taken to a farm, more weren't able to.) She stayed there until the war was over. Because she was able to eat and be save, so she was nice and "fat" as she called it and was well protected. When she returned home, she saw all of her friends being bone skinny skeletons. It made a huge impression on her and made her very sad. I think that was the one thing that stayed with her the most during her life. I'm thankful my grandma was able to get this experience and was this shielded. I can't imagine being in the middle of it. Fearing for your life every day, all day. Not being able to eat. It must be very traumatic. I haven't had much of the conversation with my other grandma, i once asked her when i had to do a school project about it. But she didn't like talking about it so i didn't push it. i think she was also taken to a farm as i remember. Since both my grandfathers sadly passed before i got to meet them, i have never been able to ask them. I think this tradition is very important, especially for the next generations. Freedom can never be taken for granted, you never know when your freedom is taken away.

Mijn moeder heeft wapens gesmokkeld van nijmegen na Arnhem voor het verzet zij heeft haar leven op het spel gezet voor altijd dankbaar ze leeft niet meer maar vooraltijd dankbaar ❤❤❤

My grandma was a teen in the war. She never spoke about it, so we don't really know that much about her experiences from back then, but we do know there were Jewish people hiding in their house. She also had a pair of German officers stationed in her house. My mum is thinking about asking my uncles, mum's brothers, if they know anything about grandma's time in the war, but we don't think they do. She used to talk a lot, but never about the war.

What I find special in your response, next to how pure ir is, is why countries like the us or canada are so suprised that we value our alliance and have done for 80 years? Im so glad you sharing it with new generation though. But why does US and Canada so often feel standing alone? You are not. The entire EU owes you our life and our freedom; you will never stand alone in return. Nomatter what it takes.

When the war was over, there were - of course - lots of people on the streets and on Dam square in Amsterdam (where the celebration was in this video). In one of the buildings looking over this square were still some German soldiers. I guess they were scared to be caught so they began to shoot at the crowd and killed people who were celebrating the end of the war..... of course they were caught (I'm told. I wasn't yet born then)

It's not just for ww2 anymore. Thats how it started. But now these days its for all war victims who fought for freedom. Remember the Fallen.

My grandpa was just a little kid when the war ended, but he remembers. We don't talk about it alot after a scare. He came to my sisters school to talk about it and he completely blacked out. Think of a dementia patiënt having a bad episode. But he didn't have dementia. It never happend before, and more than 10 years later it still has not happend again. He was so confused and scared, when he got back to us he didn't remember the day, the day before or even being asked to talk at the school.

I realy like this spific moment, I can't amagin living in war... Free Ukrain....

For 2 minutes a year, all the ones that ever made the highest sacrifice for freedom, are heard, seen, and remembered. To be present in a large crowd that is silent, in this case an entire country, is... something you can only feel when youre here. I would like to describe that feeling, but I cant, being Dutch. I can describe war freedom liberation gratitude life and death, but I cannot describe that feeling. I think maybe its when this entire country stops and listens to its soul...

Every year when the last post is played and bells ring my heart breaks again. I remember the testimonies, the story that every family has and the survivors held in to protect their children from the horrid through or in order to rebuild our country. I have insane respect for that generation and I’ve talked to so many elderly people and saw the sadness in their eyes. They tend to not cry, to tell it calm and collected with a sense of ‘it’s just how it was’ but you can always see the sorrow and pain in their eyes. They (re)built and shaped this country for us, and the least we can do is honor and respect it.

My mom told me, that she would bake patato Peels on a tea light, to feed my oldest brother, who was 1 year old in the Hunger winter. She herself had holes in her feet from Hunger 😢 i heard the most terrible storys from people who where in concentrationkamps. That s i think why we will remember and respect the people who freed us 🙏 the real Dutch remember and pay there respect every year

This had to be produced by an American. Who liberated the netherlands? Canadians did. And these two countries have had a very special relationship since. Check it out.

I like how you say we have to write things down and remenber it forever. In texas they don't want kids to learn about Anne Frank, they think her book is sexual because of one small little sentence in it. It was on Lubach also last week.

i work at a mcdonalds in the netherlands and this year was the firsth time i had to work during the moment of silence and it was super powerfull for the whole restaurant to be silent no beeps nothing