Collaborator

  • When the guns of World War II finally fell silent in 1945, Europe faced not only the monumental task of rebuilding cities and economies, but also of seeking justice. Few names were as synonymous with betrayal as Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian politician whose collaboration with Nazi Germany turned his surname into a byword for “traitor.”

    Read more →

  • Johan Marius Nicolaas Heesters (5 December 1903 – 24 December 2011), known professionally as Johannes Heesters, was a Dutch-German stage, television, and film actor, as well as a vocalist and concert performer. His career began in the 1920s and spanned more than eight decades. Remarkably, he continued acting until his death, making him one of

    Read more →

  • (Update from the November 2016 blog) One aspect of history I find particularly difficult to grasp is the collaboration of some Jews with the Nazis. On the one hand, I understand that self-preservation is a powerful human instinct—survival at any cost can drive people to make unimaginable choices. Yet, conversely, it’s hard to reconcile how

    Read more →

  • A Traitor on Trial

    Below is the transcript of a Dutch court case. The defendant, referred to only as Mrs. C., was accused of treason and collaboration during World War II. The Dutch legal system continues to follow this practice today, where defendants’ names are identified only by the first letter of their surname. The transcript is dated September

    Read more →

  • Anton Mussert—A weak Man

    Anton Mussert (1894–1946) was a central figure in the history of Dutch collaboration during World War II. As the founder and leader of the Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (NSB), or National Socialist Movement, Mussert became one of the most notorious symbols of Dutch cooperation with Nazi Germany. His leadership of the NSB and his role in facilitating

    Read more →

  • Vidkun Quisling is one of the most infamous figures in 20th-century European history. His name became synonymous with treason and collaboration during World War II, and his actions as a Nazi collaborator in Norway led to one of the most dramatic and controversial trials in the aftermath of the war. This essay delves into Quisling’s

    Read more →

  • Maarten Kuiper stands as a stark reminder of the complexities and moral ambiguities faced by individuals during the tumultuous times of World War II. Born on January 30, 1907, in Amsterdam, Kuiper’s early life was unremarkable, characterized by a series of ordinary professions including that of a sailor and a police officer. However, his later

    Read more →

  • Before I go into the main story about Adriana Valkenburg, I have to explain something about prostitution in the Netherlands to put this into context. It has always been acceptable in the Netherlands. However, it was only in 1988 that prostitution was considered a legal profession—but in the year 2000, prostitution was legalized by the

    Read more →

  • The Netherlands has produced some of the greatest football players in the world. The Dutch are proud of their footballing history. My hometown of Geleen is where Dutch professional football originated. However, there are some football stars we are not proud of. Gejus van der Meulen was a goalkeeper of HFC and the Dutch national

    Read more →