STAAT VAN OORLOG. De burgemeester van Deventer maakt bekend, dat deze gemeente bij Koninklijk besluit met ingang van heden in staat van oorlog is verklaard. Deventer, 1 septr 1939 / De burgemeester voornoemd, 1939

This is a printed announcement created on September 1, 1939 by Arnoldus Vrauwdêunt. It declares a state of war in Deventer, by royal decree. This official notice resonates with the anxieties of a community on the brink. The stark, authoritative text speaks volumes about the looming threat of World War II and the vulnerability of a small Dutch community. We can only imagine the personal fears and collective trauma such a declaration would ignite. It’s a moment where individual identity becomes secondary to national identity, and where the ordinary is abruptly overshadowed by the extraordinary weight of conflict. The lack of personal expression in the print only amplifies the cold, impersonal nature of war, emphasizing the state's power over personal lives. This document is a reminder of how political decisions intimately affect individual and communal experiences.