Moment 1: Commemorating and celebrating the liberation of the southern Netherlands12 September marks the start of the national celebration of 80 years of freedom. On this day in 1944, the liberation of the Netherlands began in Mesch in Limburg. Zeeland, Brabant and part of Gelderland soon followed. The liberation was accompanied by fierce fighting, many casualties and a winter of famine. Eventually, the whole of the Netherlands was liberated on 5 May 1945. A few months later, on 15 August of that same year, World War II came to an end in what was then the Dutch East Indies and thus the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 2024 and 2025, we will celebrate and commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands and the fact that we have been living in freedom since the end of World War II.&nbsp;Moment 2: Commemorating the HolocaustDuring World War II (1940-1945), the Nazis murdered nearly 6 million Jews. They also persecuted and murdered Roma and Sinti, Jehovah’s Witnesses, people with physical or mental disabilities, homosexuals and political opponents. In January, we reflect on these victims.&nbsp;We commemorate their persecution and murder 80 years ago. We will do so on 26 January, during the National Holocaust Remembrance Day in Amsterdam, as well as on other occasions.&nbsp;Moment 3: Commemorating and celebrating the liberation of the east and north of the NetherlandsEighty years ago, in April 1945, allied soldiers advanced towards the north and east of the Netherlands to also liberate the provinces of South Holland, North Holland, Utrecht, Overijssel, Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen. While the south of the Netherlands had already been liberated, the occupied part of the country had to endure a long, hard winter of famine. Partly with the help of the resistance, mainly Canadian soldiers managed to liberate large parts of the country.&nbsp;Moment 4: National Remembrance and Liberation Celebration on 4 and 5 MayEvey year during the National Remembrance Day on 4 May, we remember the victims of World War II and of war situations and peacekeeping operations thereafter. At 8pm, there will be a 2-minute moment of silence throughout the Netherlands. On 5 May, we celebrate the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945 and the fact that we have been living in freedom ever since.&nbsp;On that day, we also reflect on the value of freedom, democracy and human rights.&nbsp;Moment 5: Commemorating and celebrating the end of World War IIOn 15 August, we remember the end of World War II for the Kingdom of the Netherlands and commemorate all the victims of the war against Japan and the Japanese occupation of the then Dutch East Indies. These wartime experiences and the large-scale displacement that followed after liberation continue to affect our society to this day.

The Netherlands

80 years of freedom in 5 moments

Regionale Indië-herdenking15 augustus 1945 betekende het einde van de tweede wereld oorlog door de bombardementen op Hiroshima en Nagasaki capituleerde Japan. Dit betekende ook het einde van de Japanse bezetting in het Nederlandse overzeese gebied. &nbsp;We herdenken daarom vandaag op deze plaats de slachtoffers van die Japanse bezetting. Een bezetting die duurde van 8 december 1941 tot 15 augustus 1945.De namen van 30 omgekomen slachtoffers, afkomstig uit West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen zullen opgelezen worden.

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80 years of freedom in 5 moments

Regionale Indië-herdenking

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