The Netherlands
'During the years prior to the German invasion of May 10th 1940, Dutch society was in the grip of an economic crisis. There were huge discrepancies between rich and poor and the country was divided into different political and religious groups: the 'pillars'.
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Surinam, Antilles, Aruba
During World War II, the Netherlands is occupied by Nazi Germany. Japan, Germany’s ally, occupies the Dutch colony the Dutch East Indies. Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba remain the only free Dutch territories. Yet these colonies in ‘the West’ are also affected by the war. Contact with the Netherlands is made impossible. Read more
The Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a colonial society with huge class differences between various groups of the population. The top positions in companies, the army and the government were all occupied by white Dutch nationals. They ruled a large group of ‘inlanders’, who lived mainly in the countryside and were predominantly Muslim. This group of ‘inlanders’ was made up of a wide range of peoples. Read more
