Kinderuitzending naar Friese pleegouders door het Laboratorium Amsterdam van de Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij 1945 1945

This bronze medal was created in 1945 by Marinus Kutterink and commemorates the evacuation of children to Frisian foster families by the Amsterdam Laboratory of the Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij during the Second World War. The medal's imagery is rich with symbolism related to identity and care. During the war, many urban children were temporarily housed with families in more rural areas to protect them from the dangers of city life, such as food shortages and bombings. This initiative was shaped by the urgent need to safeguard a vulnerable population during wartime. The medal features a bouquet of flowers, intertwined with the coats of arms of both Amsterdam and Friesland, representing the bond between the city and the rural province that took in the displaced children. In a time of immense disruption and fear, this medal embodies the themes of protection, community support, and the temporary restructuring of family. It serves as a poignant reminder of the strategies people employed to preserve their communities.