The Netherlands is still at war victims – Elsevier

                 At 20:00 exactly in the Netherlands stood still for two minutes at the war victims of the Second World War and afterwards. On the Dam in Amsterdam attended King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima national commemoration at.
             

The royal couple traveled before the two-minute silence a wreath at the monument in the capital. Princess Beatrix was not present at the commemoration. After the moment of silence came the first stanza of the national anthem.

Poem

The fourteen-year-old Isa Hamerlinck wore this year a poem. She was the winner of the annual poetry contest for young people closer to May 4th. Then took Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD) the word.

He recalled his father, who lived in the Dutch East Indies when the war began. In May 1940 his father received a card from his parents from Rotterdam. Rutte: “We have seen hell,” it literally. I got that card yet. And I cherish it as a keepsake that is passed.

Authorize weapon

That kind of memories, according to the prime minister valuable because they provide comfort, but because they are “a powerful weapon” in the fight against unfreedom and injustice, who “always and everywhere to be implemented. In the here and now. Also in the Netherlands. Because behind every manifestation of anti-Semitism, behind every form of extremism that denies our freedom, behind every act of violence that affects the foundation of our law, threatening still those words then. We have seen hell. “

In addition to the king and queen laid among others, the chairmen of the Senate and House, Commander in Chief Tom Middendorp and Mayor Eberhard van der Laan (PvdA) of Amsterdam a wreath. Seventy children from primary schools in Amsterdam-Noord laid flowers down.

Grebbeberg

Princess Margriet and her husband Pieter van Vollenhoven have Monday night at the memorial cemetery Military Ereveld attended Grebbeberg at Rhenen. Their son Prince Pieter-Christiaan was present at the ceremony. In total, according to the organization between 4,000 and 5,000 people out at the meeting.

During the ceremony, the professional soldiers and conscripts were commemorated since 1940 around the world have died for the kingdom.

Princess Margriet and her husband also visited Monday Remembrance Day at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. A number of Canadian veterans and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper thereby were also present.

Westerbork

With great interest on Monday at the National Monument Westerbork commemorating the war dead . Thousands of visitors listened as the organization into a meditation camp survivor Jules Schelvis and a contribution of Ro Horneman, who stayed in the camp with her daughter and grandson. Singer Ellen ten Damme sang two songs.

Young people also played an important role in the program. One of the winners of the annual poetry competition of the National Committee 4 and 5 May, Joy Screwdrivers, wore her poem.

The Museum of Westerbork during the day also attracted a record number of visitors. In total, 2,300 people bought a ticket.