Netherlands

Liberation Day marks the liberation of five years of occupation from the Nazis. Germany occupied the Netherlands on 10 May 1940. The number of people still alive who lived through the war has obviously declined. By 2000, they formed no more than 20 percent of the population. Yet memories of that darkest period of our history live on. Most people are deeply aware of the years of Occupation, the persecution of Jews, Roma, Sinti and other minority communities in our society, and the destruction of Dutch towns and villages.

It took almost a year for Allied forces to liberate all the territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, from September 1944 until 15 August 1945, the date on which Japan capitulated and freedom was restored to the Dutch East Indies. On the 4 and 5 May, the entire country unites to observe a day of remembrance followed by a day of celebration.