Today was a day full of the Netherland’s rich history.
We started by seeing the old windmills in Zaandijk Zaanse Schans that began the Dutch industrial revolution. I think this is definately the most touristy place we’ve been to so far, but maybe Amsterdam can just hide it better than the windmills can. Still, I thought that it was a beautiful place to be and enjoyed tasting all the cheese samples they had in the stores for visitors. We also got to see how wooden clogs were made and learned a bit about their importance; because of their durability and sustainable materials, people used them for long work days. From there, they spread to other parts of daily life until they were most people’s choice of footwear when paired with nice thick socks. The museum had a demonstration showing how they were made and showed different types of clogs, such as seasonal and ornamental variation, all of which I had a lot of fun getting to see.
Enno told us about how important the windmills have been throughout Holland’s history. First, they were the invention that allowed them to create high quality ships faster than other countries, giving them a naval fleet that could rival the best of the time, England, in territory wars. This led to their industrial revolution as they continued to develop windmill technology and other creations fueled by the increased production efficiency that windmills brought with them. The need for more windmills promoted terraforming of wetlands into plains or irrigated farms, such as the ones we saw at Zaandijk Zaanse Schans. Eventually, windmills were built all across the Netherlands as they became their primary source of sustainable energy due to their rich history, energy efficiency, lifespan, and ease of use. All of these factors can be seen across the 1000+ windmills renewed with modern technology when driving across the country to this day.
Once we got back to Amsterdam, we were let loose for a quick lunch before we all visted the Anne Frank House in city central. This mueseum visit impacted me in a similar way to the “War is Personal” photography exhibit I visited earlier in the week. I have read Anne Frank’s diary early in school before, but walking through the Secret Annex and getting a small taste of the conditions its inhabitants lived in for over two years deeply moved me. I was espeically struck by an excerpt towards the end of the mueseum, where a Holocaust survivor told a story about how she was trying to throw food rations to Anne over the fence of a concentrationc camp, but another women took the box of food before Anne could catch it. Hearing about people in such desperate conditions to steal from a child mad me sad and angry. Sad for all of the people who had to needlessly suffer at the hands of nazis, and angry not only towards the nazis of the past, but also angry towards the people of today who refuse to learn history and refuse to prevent the rise of nazism actively happening in front of them.
After the tour, Enno brought us to the city’s memorial, the Homomonument, for LGBTQ+ people who were also murdered in the war. There, we spoke about all the other peoples that were targeted by the nazis and how each one of them had a story similar to Anne Frank’s. We speak about Anne the most because her story is the most well documented, but it is our responsibility to ensure that the memory of every person murdered in the Holocaust is also remembered and spoken about. Enno told us that no one is truly dead so long as their memory is still alive, and I believe that sentiment is perfectly emulated by the Dutch traditions for their memorial and independence day. On memorial day, they mourn those they have lost and give them silence and respect, reflecting on the country’s past and one’s personal feelings. On independence day, they celebrate being freed from the nazis and continuing to live on in spite of them. I was lucky enough to be at one of these celebrations the day before, and the mixed emotions of sorrow, pride, saddness, exctiment, and general ambivalent emotions was a profound experience while at what looks like a normal party.
I can only hope that this approach toward remembering, resepcting, and celebrating history can be applied worldwide.
