Herdenking van de slachtoffers Possibly 1945 - 1946

This anonymous collage, 'Herdenking van de slachtoffers', now in the Rijksmuseum, speaks powerfully of post-war Netherlands. Its assembly of photographs and texts grapples with the complex process of national mourning. Made in the direct aftermath of the Second World War, it’s a raw, immediate response to the horrors of Nazi occupation. The collage juxtaposes images of survivors, resistance members, and grieving relatives. The handwritten annotations surrounding the images emphasize that the suffering was not limited to one group. The title, 'The Nation Mourns,' asserts a collective grief. The artwork reflects a society grappling with immense loss and the challenge of forging a unified national identity after division and trauma. It serves as a reminder that national narratives are constructed, negotiated, and often contested. To fully understand this artwork, researchers might consult archival photographs, oral histories, and government documents from the period. These sources would provide deeper insight into the social and political context in which this artwork was created and received. Ultimately, this collage challenges us to consider how nations remember, and who is included in that remembering.